Christ is not in the ship k Absente Christo nil nisi turbatio Christo presente omnis motus sedatur Zuing. in loc If Christ be not in a Family in a City in a Kingdome Christ in his grace Christ in his truth in his worship in his ordinances you must looke for stormes It is said in Iudges 5.8 They chose new godi and then was war in the gates Where there is sin you may looke for a storme Sin like vapours sent up into the middle Region of the Aire which though you heare nething of it for a time all is quiet l Vbi non est gratia ibi non est pax yet at last it comes downe in a storm Where on the contrary The fruit of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse shall be quietnesse and assurance for ever Isay 32.17 Isay 32.17 As many as walke according to this rule Peace be upon them and upon all the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 Christ is a Prince of peace but he is a Conquerour first m Pax non habitat ubi Christus non regnat Ber. where Christ doth not conquer and reigne there looke for no peace no peace with God no peace with man no peace with conscience n Conscientia quadruplex 1 Conscientia bona non quieta 2 Conscientia bona quieta 3 Conscientia neque bona neque quieta 4 Conscientia quieta non bona c. unlesse such a peace as wicked men injoy which is the peace of the devill not the peace of God the strong man keeps the house and all is at peace but it is the peace of the devill not the peace of God Vse Let it teach us then as ever we desire peace peace in conscience peace in the Church c. to get Christ into the ship and he will allay all stormes Assure your selves these stormes will never be laid till Christ be admitted into the ship till Christ reigne till Christ in his truth worship grace doe reigne among us o Fluctibus agitantur conscientiarum ventis contrariis tentationum vexari necesse est qui Christum innavi secum non vehant Pareus A second thing which is observable Doct. That the absence of Christ from the soule in trouble makes sufferings unsufferable and troubles intollerable As the presence of Christ in his grace in his comforts doth inable the soule to undergoe the greatest calamities p Malim presente Christe esse in inferno quam absente Christo in caelo Luther in Gen. cap. 30. even to smile upon the face of dangers and check the terrors of death q Beati foli sunt cum illo qui beati esse non possunt nisi in illo Sern It gives inlargement to the soule in straits comfort in trouble liberty in prison ease in bonds life in death You see in Daniel the three Children Paul and Silas Stephen So the absence of Christ will be intolerable in any sad-condition Oh what a misery is it for a poore soule to be in sicknesse danger death and for Christ to be absent from the soule Vse Let us then in all our sad conditions get Christ present with us get him but present with you in his grace and he wil never be absent from you in his comforts in the time of need Who is able to comfort us in the midst of all discomforts r Quid si sine domo non sine domino sinc veste si non sine fide sine cibo non sine Christo Fulgent Christ is more able to give comforts without creatures nay in the opposition of all created comforts then the Sun to give light without Stars Can the Sun give light without Stars and cannot Christ give us comfort without creatures nay in opposition of all created comforts Againe Christ was absent yea but Christ was with them in Spirit though he was absent from them according to the flesh had they had faith enough they had seen Christ present even in his absence Doct. When Christ is absent to the eye of sense yet a beleever may conclude him present and see him by the eye of faith He hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13 Heb. 5. There are five negatives to make it firme to us I will not I will not leave thee neither not not forsake thee or neither will I by any meanes forsake thee He hath said when we passe through the waters he will be with us that the flouds shall not drowne us when we passe through the fire he will be with us that the fire shall not burne us He will be with us 1 To counsell us in our straits 2 To support us in our sorrowes 3 To comfort us under crosses 4 To sanctifie all our troubles to us 5 And at the last to deliver us out of all t Vidimus Chrisium in promisso lumine spirituali quando non in presentia lumine sensibili and thus we may conclude him by faith when we are not able to discerne him by sence If the Sun were here below we should be deprived of the benefit of it every mountaine every hill every house would deprive us of the light and comfort of it But being now above all these we enjoy the comfort of it While Christ was here in the flesh he was as the Sun here below every thing did hinder us of his presence and comfort if he were present in one place he was absent from another but now being in heaven he can display the rayes and beames of his gracious presence into all places Vse Christians learne to see Christ by the eye of faith when you cannot behold him with the eye of sence labour to see him in a promise when you cannot behold him in his presence when the eye of sence is put out go to a promise and behold him there Thou art in temptations in desertions and thou canst not see Christ by the eye of sence but thou maist conclude him present by faith present I say in his grace though thou want the presence of his comforts The cloud may hinder the light of the Sun from our eyes but it cannot take the Sun from the sky it is there though it do not appeare Christ may seemingly be gone when yet he is really there and it must be your wisdome to live by faith when you cannot live by sence to see him with you by his grace when you cannot behold him in his comforts But we will passe this There is one thing more that I would present to you from the whole tryall which you see is heightned by severall gradations they were in the midst of the sea and in the darke of the night nay and tossed with waves the winde was contrary Christ himselfe was absent here is wave upon wave trouble upon trouble It tels us thus much Doct. That God doth not only suffer his people to be
Though you are not able to command the Spirit which like the wind bloweth where and when it listeth yet set your selves in his presence spread your Sayles that if a wind come you may have the benefit of it But this all of God Here is a multitude here this day if your hearts be right know this Christ will not send you away without some refreshment Had he respect to the bodies of men when a multitude were come together that he would not send them away after their long continuance with him in his Ordinances without some refreshment lest they fainted in the way certainely he will have more regard to the soules of men What are the faintings of the body to the faintings of the soule But further While he sent the multitude away It may be here demanded why Christ should send them away had it not been better for them to have continued with Christ to have followed him in his temptations to havn attended upon him in the work of his Ministery why doth he send them away There is good reason 1. He would not over-drive them hee would not continue their exercises above their strength he would lay no more wood on than there was fire able to kindle hold them no longer in duties than there was strength to carry them on Jacob slacked his pace because of the weaknesse of his little ones Christ proportions the exercises of duty to the strength of the people 2. Or secondly Christ sends them away would not suffer them to continue and goe with him because he would not put them to difficulties above their strength to goe through he knew if they were to follow him they might quickly be weary 8 Matth. 20. for the foxes had holes and the birds of the ayre had nests but the sonne of man hath no place where to lay his head When the children of Israel came out of Egipt God would not lead them by the way of the hills which was the nearest way but by the way of the plaines which was much about And upon this ground because of the Philistims lest the difficulties they met withall in their first setting out might discourage them and make them think of their returnes again to Egipt And upon the same ground God doth spare men for a time in the wayes of grace and doth not exercise vong beginners as hee doth those who are growne Christians Till the Disciples were got from the shore till they were got to the midst of the sea they met with no storms As I shall shew c. 3 Or else Christ would have them now go home having fed their bodies and refreshed their soules to meditate upon those things which they had heard One Sermon wrought downe to the Spirit is worth many heard too many who are great feeders a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur qui exalimento quod assumunt non augescunt nec nutriuntur but little nourishers they want digestion This is not to feed upon Sermons but to devoure Sermons when they are not digested into nourishment our nourishment doth not so much lye in feeding as in digesting You may by that increase the bignesse of your heads your knowledge but not nourish the leannesse of your hearts your affections It is monstrous in nature to have the head bigger then the body so in grace to increase knowledge only and not practise If all time were spent in feeding where were the time for working you feed to work Your present affections that are exercised raised in hearing wil vanish fall againe if you do not work all downe in meditation and digest them into your nature or your nature into them the good word whereby the stocke changed into the nature of it Too many that neglect the hearing of the word at all and some that think that this is all that is required when this is but a preparatory service a service subservient to another hearing to obeying preaching to practise I will not cast water upon your affections quench any spark of Gods kindling b Folia haec sunt non fructus Aug. you do well to heare you do well to heare often oh but adde meditation to hearing practise to preaching when you have heard a Sermon then go live a Sermon 4. There may be another reason yet why Christ sent them away that they should now go about their lawfull occasions take care of their families and benefit their relations make their households better for that they had received Two things hence observable 1 The duties of our generall calling though they are far to be preferred yet they must not altogether justle out the duties of our particular Christ sends them away to their homes after he had refreshed them 2 Absolute duties towards God must quicken us to and in our relative duties towards man It is said of Jacob when he had beene conversing with God that he plucked up his feet and went cheerefully on in his way The duties of godlinesse are no hinderance but a furtherance to us and an inablement of us in our particular duties towards man When we have beene with Christ in a day we must labour to returne home better husbands better wives better parents better children c. Absolute duties towards God must quicken us to and inable us in our relative duties towards man After Christ had been in the Temple saith the Text he went home and became obedient to his parents the being in the Temple was no cause why Christ was obedient it is said after not by way of causality but in order of time But our being with God and converses with him do inable us to performe these duties to man which God requires So much for the 22 Verses We come to the next 23. Verse And when he had sent the multitude away he went into a Mountaine to pray and when the evening was come he was then alone And here now appeares one great reason why Christ dismissed his Disciples and the multitude concealed before he went to pray You have three things considerable 1 The order when he had sent the multitude away 2 The place he went into a Mountaine 3 The end to pray 1 We begin with the first viz. The Order When he had sent the multitude away First Christ dismisseth the multitude and then goes to be alone Christ had no need of his helpe c Ipse Christus non laboravit illo vitio ut avocamentis vel impediretur vel languesceret illius oratio sicutnos tamen nobis in exemplum secessum quaerit Chem. in loc he could be alone when he was in company he could converse with God without distractions either sinfull or naturall But this Christ did to teach us Doct. That when we are to have to do with God to dismisse the multitude you are to discharge your selves of the multitude of your affaires the multitude of your imployments cares thoughts c. If you dismisse not these before
have heard of Christs addresses to relieve them and upon a mistake the increase of their feares though not of danger And thus farre hath Christ exercised their graces discovered their corruptions now begins the rise of their comfort and deliverance Christ can neither deferre their deliverance nor conceale himselfe any longer And therefore it followes But straitway Jesus spake unto them saying Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid a Quomodo solemus trepidos compellara qui nos ex voce agnoscere possunt ego sum Jansen As the mother sometimes speakes to her childe in the darke of the night when it is afraid Peace child do not cry 〈◊〉 it is I thy mother be not afraid So doth Christ here speak to his Disciples when they were in their childish feare of a ghost b Alloeutus statim cos voce illis non ignota fignificat quis sit Chem. Peace be of good comfort It is I your Saviour be not afraid They deserved reproofe but he pitties their weaknesse In this Text Christ doth apply himselfe to the cure of three severall distempers under which they laboured 1 They were in feare of a Ghost 2 They were in feare of their danger of being swallowed up of the waves 3 They were even out of hopes of preservation and deliverance See here how Christ doth apply himself to the cure of these three distempers 1 To settle them aright in their misapprehension that he was a ghost he tels them It is I. 2 To quiet their hearts in the feare of the danger of the waves He saith It is I be not afraid 3 To comfort and strengthen their hearts in assurance of deliverance he saith c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem est consolamiui fiduciam habere Be of good cheere or beleeve be of good confidence It is I. This in a more generall way is observable in the Text. In particular cast your eye upon these foure things 1 Look upon the way which Christ takes to settle comfort incourage his Disciples in their fears dangers misapprehensions He spake unto them 2 Looke upon the incouragement it selfe which is double 1 Be of good cheere 2 Be not afraid 3 Looke upon the ground of this incouragement It is I Be of good comfort It is I be not afraid 4 Observe the time when and that is in the first words straightway But straightway Jesus spake unto them c. We will begin with the first The way Christ takes to settle comfort and incourages them Iesus spake to them But to what Them doth he meane to all in the ship or only to his Disciples If to all that might have been as bad as a ghost to some to tell them it was Christ Guilty consciences wicked men are ready to say with their father Art thou come to torment us before the time At the best it could be little comfort to those who had not an interest in Christ who had not Christ their friend Well might they thinke as Ahab sometimes said to Eliah Hast thou found me oh my enemy 1 It was spoken to the hearing of all 2 But to the comfort chiefly of his owne Doct. The same word of God may be spoken to the hearing of all but to the comfort of a few Christ spake to the hearing of all in the ship but yet to the comfort of his Disciples And yet we cannot but think the rest of the Passengers and Mariners might receive some comfort by it so far as they understood who it was that spake The newes of a Saviour to a man in misery is some comfort though as yet the man is not able to cleere his interest in him And it might be the more to them now because they were in the same ship with the Disciples and therefore like to be shaters with them in their deliverance Doct. It is good to be in the ship with the people of God though it be on a stormy and troublesome sea The Mariners found this to be true They were in the ship with them and therefore did partake of the common salvation It is good to be in good company in a good cause though you meet with many difficulties in it If any salvation come you shall be sure to heare of it there It is better to be on a stormy sea with the people of God then to be without them upon the shore you see that here They had not only their bodies but their soules saved too as you may conjecture charitably by the sequell of the story Verse 33. Againe in that the whole ship was saved for a few Disciples in it we learne Doct. That God may have mercy upon many for the sake of a few God would have spared Sodome for ten righteous persons Ierusalem for one Ier. 5.1 d Credit mihi Pii homines sunt civitatum sacre fulcra columna quibus se motis subrutis nihil nisi perditio Aug. Beleeve me saith Augustine holy men are the pillars of a Common wealth which being taken away we can look for nothing but ruine Eliah was called e Quia praecibus suis populum non aliter ac curru ab inimicis liberavit Aug. The Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof f Luther dum in vivis esset multas precibus suis calamitates a patria sua advertâ—bat semovit Luther is said to be the pillar of Germany who by his prayers did keepe back and helpe off many miseries upon them It is said Numb 14.9 Feare not the people of the land for they are bread for you their defence is departed from them The Lord is with us feare them not their defence is departed from them It is in the Margin Their Shadow The Rabbins say That this was Job and as long as he lived he was a shadow and defence to Canaan that they could not enter but now being dead they might goe in and enter they were all bread for them for their defence is departed from them Wicked men look upon Gods People as the Troublers of a Kingdome of a City of a Parish when yet God saith they are the Defence the Shelter of them The whole Ship was saved for a few Disciples in it nay a whole Ship for one Paul Acts 27. God hath oftentimes Mercy upon many for the sake of a few But wee proceed JESUS spake unto them This is the way that Christ took here to incourage and comfort the hearts of his people He spake unto them They were in a sad condition before Christ spake but now their souls revive Doct. A word from Christ is able to raise up and encourage the drooping spirits of Gods people in trouble I say Though the hearts of Gods People lie low in trouble and sorrow yet one word of Christ is able to raise them and revive them You see here The Disciples were in a sad condition before even at their wits end for feare g Quantaris
of thy children Isay 62.1 2. c. For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a Lampe that burneth and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousnesse and all Kings thy glory And thou shalt be called by a new name Thou shalt also be a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord Of which places I may say as the Eunuch to Philip Speaketh the Prophet this of himselfe or of some other So speaketh the Prophet these glorious things of the Church past or the Church to come Of the Church past it cannot be for hitherto it hath been like Noahs Ark on the waters like the ship on a stormy sea conflicting with insupportable troubles and difficulties Though she hath had her respites and breathings yet she hath still beene held down and humbled tossed and afflicted under bondage and persecution And therefore it cannot bee meant of the Church past and if not must be meant of the Church to come And is it to come that God will make his Church thus glorious That her enemies shall fall before her Will God do this yet before the end And is the end of all things at hand Are we now fallen into the last sands why this is something to speak incouragement to us And this is from a word And thus you see Christ speaks incouragement to us as well as he did to his Disciples here He speakes incouragement by his word by his workes by his promises his proceedings Every way he speaks incouragement and if you die die with this confidence That God hath laid the foundation of the Churches deliverance though the oppositions swell never so high God takes it well at our hands when we do entertaine and maintaine good thoughts of him towards his people He delights in them that hope in his mercy Though you have never a promise yet to hope upon Gods nature his love to his Church And there is ground enough of hope from that even his love to his Church If you looke but upon what hee hath done to compasse a Church nay what hath suffered how he hath shed his blood for her All this would afford us something for our hope Will he do so much to purchase her and will he now lose her It is most sutable to the Gospell and most sutable to our relations to God yea and expectations from God nay and most sutable to a Christian spirit rather to dye over-hoping then over-fearing We can never over-hope Gods thoughts of love and mercy to his Church people nor his purposes and promises to them And therefore let it be said of us as t was of them Heb. 11.13 All these died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afarre off were perswaded of them and imbraced them Let us doe our worke in our generation and leave our hopes and the remainder of the work if any remaine them that follow And thus much for the first thing viz. The way that Christ took to comfort and Incourage his Disciples against fears and dangers He spake to them A word from Christ is able to raise up up the drooping spirits of his people in trouble The end of the sixth Sermon WEE now come to the Second Scil. The incouragement it it self which is double 1. Be of good cheere 2. Be not afraid The Incouragement you see is doubled because their feares were doubled 1. They were in danger of drowning 2. They were in feare of a ghost Against this double Fear Christ gives a double incouragement Against the first Their danger in respect of the Tempest he bids them Bee of good cheare be of good courage believe Against the second their feare of the Ghost he bids them Be not afraid it is I one that comes not to destroy you but to save you It is I be not afraid In the generall from the double Incouragement observe That D. Christs help and reliefs are not onely sutable but they are proportionable to the necessities of his people Their feares and troubles were doubled and so were his incouragements also Single incouragement is too little for double feare as the one is doubled so is the other In the 68. Psalme verse 20. he is said to be n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus salvationum non frustra pluraliter loquitur non uno tantum modo Deus Saluiis est Deus sed inu meris modis Musc Mille mali species mille salutis erunt Read the 80. Psal 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God of salvations many troubles and many salvations as our troubles cannot over-swell his power be too great for him to help neither can they be too many in number for him to help As the evills of his people are many so the Salvations of his people are many if wee have a thousand troubles hee hath a thousand salvations As hee hath more blessings than one so hath he more salvations than one He saves our soules from sinne and there is mercy more than enough for the greatest of sinnes 1 Tim. 1.14 and sinners Hee saves our bodies from Troubles and there can bee no Troubles above the safeties of God He is not a Saviour onely but an All-sufficient an Almighty Saviour Not onely a Redeemer but a perfect Redeemer yea a plenteous Redeemer With him is plenteous Redemption Psalm 130.7 Full troubles full redemption Overflowing evills over flowing redemption The necessities of the Creatures can never be above the salvations of God Nor men nor devills can make us more miserable than God is mercifull nor lay us so low but everlasting armes can raise us up Are men full of malice God is fuller of mercy Are they mighty to destroy God is more mighty to save Do they multiply our troubles God can multiply our supports our comforts our deliverances You can never bee in such a distresse but God is able to proportion your deliverance to your distresse With him is power Psal 62. Gods reliefes are not onely sutable but they are proportionable to the necessities of his people And the grounds hereof are R. 1. First Because they are the Reliefes of God the Helps of God That which God doth he doth throughly hee doth to purpose Men may doe things overtly slightly but so doth not God what he doth he doth throughly Gods Helps are through-helps full-helps Men may be too weak to relieve us their helps may be too short But so are not the helps of God 2. The helps of Gods people doe arise from Gods Mercy Bowells of Mercy Now you know what a man doth out of Love he doth Throughly he doth Fully All that God doth to his people is out of Love Power and Love can doe all Those two Attributes which God doth chiefly exercise in the relieving of his people doe speak the Reliefs of God Proportionable to their Necessities What cannot Infinite Power
faithfulnesse truth Ignorance of the power of God of the mercy truth of God is the ground of all our unsteadinesse in depending on him Psalme 9.10 They that know thy Name will trust in thee If you will eye God more men lesse converse more with Heaven lesse with earth If you will have to do more with his word lesse with workes if you will shut the eye of sense and open the eye of faith You shall be more able to depend on him Thus we come from the generall view to the incouragement it selfe in particular which you see is doubled Be of good cheere be not afraid Be of good cheere That 's the first It seemes their spirits were much sunk their hearts cast downe And there was great ground if any thing below might be a ground to cast downe mens spirits They were first in the midst of the sea 2 Tossed with waves 3 The winds contrary 4 In the darke of the night and 5 Christ was absent God may exercise his people with such oppressing difficulties Doct. that their spirits may faile and their hearts may even be ready to sink under them It was so here with the Disciples It was so with David I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul And this ariseth not so much from the greatnesse of our straits as from the lownesse of our spirits under them We are too big in our successes and too little in our losses we are too high when things go well and too low when things go ill Men that are proud in successes are sure to be as base in losses We are apt to extreames Hard it is to be nothing in our selves when things goe well and all in God when things go ill but this lessen we must learne otherwise we shall be as unstable as the times themselves live and dye according to successes of things Labour for steadinesse of spirit get to be setled in unsetled times get to be fixed on God be as a Rock in the Sea Though the waves move the sea rises and fals yet the rock abides that stands firme where it was So let us It is said of a beleeving man He shall not be afraid of evill tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 But we shail passe this There is something more offers it self from the words Be of good cheere The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies three things 1 Courage r 2 Forti animo estote Be of good courage 2 Comfort ſ 2 Consolamini Be of good comfort 3 Confidence t 3 Fiduciam habete Juxta vulgarem versic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Be of good confidence u Firmam animi fiduciam requirit Musc Beleeve Have faith in God The same word that signifies comfort signifies confidence To shew us that all comfort in God in times of trouble doth arise from confidence in God in the time of trouble No more confidence then you have no more comfort you have We have so little comfort in our trouble because we have so little confidence We want comfort the reason is because we have misplaced our confidence God hath blasted our carnall confidences that he might be our only stay now in times of trouble While we have others to go to we will not go to God whiles we have Bulwarkes of our owne we will not take Towre in God Whiles we have any thing else to rest on wee will never anchor on the Rock Would you have comfort from the Name from the Attributes of God Would you have comfort from the Promises from the Covenant of God Let God have confidence from you and you shall have comfort from him Assure your selves so much confidence as you lay upon God so much comfort you shall have from God But yet there is something more observable from the word Be of good cheere be of good courage be of good confidence You see before Christ wold allay the tempest without he applies himself first to quiet the tempest within There was as great a tempest in the ship in the hearts of the Disciples as there was in the sea Isay 57.20 Their hearts were like the sea casting up nothing but mire and dirt doubtings feares and unbeliefe Here was the greatest tempest w Non primum res adversas tollit ut postea suos quietos reddit sed contra Musc Christ applies himselfe to lay this to quiet their spirits before he did quiet the sea And this for three reasons 1 Because that this was the root of their troubles even their lownesse of spirit their diffidence and distrust in God All the troubles without had not troubled them if they had not had an unbelieving distrusting heart within Hence Musculus upon this place x Timor non habet causam ex rebus adverfis sed ex diffidentia animi imbecilitate Musc Feare doth not arise so much from troubles without as distrusts and weaknesse within 2 Because the greatest trouble was that within The other did but in danger the body this the soule The minde was most oppressed y Mentes afflictorum solumodo fiducia pacificantur Musc and therefore Christ applyes himselfe that the minde might be first relieved Bono animo estote Be of good comfort Christ applyes himselfe first to succour that part that doth chiefly labour under any trouble and that is the minde If once the minde be set right the heart cheered strengthned troubles will easily be borne 3 Because till their hearts were raised up to believe they were not fitted to receive mercy God loves to put his people into a posture for mercy before he bestow mercy on them They were not in fit posture for God to work till he had raised up their hearts to beleeve and expect It s an observation that z Nunc vero etsi opportur num erat ferendi auxilii tempus quando Christus apparuit tamen in illorū exercitationem salutem distert quae in manu habuit Calvin Calvin hath upon this Verse Although it was now a fit time for Christ to helpe yet the tempest is not laid because his Disciples were not yet awaken'd to pray and beleeve in his mercy Therfore faith hee wee must know it is not without cause that God doth often times deferre that helpe which he is ready to bestow God loves to have his people in a posture of mercy before he doe bestow it Hee would lay the tempest within the storme in their soules he would lay their fearfull unbelieving thoughts and put them on to believe to hope to expect to pray for mercy before they had it The mercies God bestowes upon his people he is willing should come in a believing praying way therefore doth God shut his hand sometimes and with-hold his help that we might believe And here is work for faith And therefore doth hee make obstructions in the breast of the promise that we should suck that we should
to satisfie their unbelieving hearts their feares were above all the security God tendred as you see in the sixteenth verse and you see how God meets with them Take another place in Isay 7. You may reade of a confederacy between the King of Assyria and the King of Israel to come up against Iudah and Ierusalem And in the second Verse you read how the hearts of the men of Judah were moved even as the trees of the wood are moved with the winde Now in this their feare and danger God sends a Prophet to them to tell them he would bee their security if they would trust on him the third and fourth Verses Be quiet fear not neither be fainthearted I will helpe you Verse 7. But notwithstanding all this their feare prevailed against their faith whereupon God sends the Prophet againe in the tenth Verse and bids the King Ask a signe either in the depths below or height above That is if he desired to have his faith confirmed by any visible signe either in Heaven or Earth God would condescend so farre to the weaknesse of his faith to afford it to him but yet his feares prevailed against his faith and against all the security God offered and he puts all this off very cunningly Verse 12. I will not ask a signe neither will I tempt God One would thinke he spake well he would not tempt God in asking a signe he would beleeve on his bare word doth not Christ blame the Scribes and Pharisees for asking a signe but it is one thing to aske a signe when God doth not offer it and meerly out of temptation too as the Scribes Pharises did another thing to refuse a signe when God tenders it and that for the confirming of their faith That hee spake wickedly The 13. verse tels you Is it a small thing to weary men but yor will weary God also Indeed the meaning is he will not tempt God That is he will not trust God hee would not trust on Gods promise Gods security he would run to the arm of flesh provide the best means for his own safety for he would not trust on Gods security hee would rather trust to the provision feare could make then to the provisions faith could finde in God * In periculis non bebemus otiose pendere a divino auxilio sed omnia facere quae sunt in nostra potestate Quamvis credamus in Deum faciamus tamen quae facienda sunt ne praetermittentes ea Deum tentare videamur Aug. Sometimes we tempt God in trusting upon God in the neglect of means and sometimes we tempt God in the trusting upon means in the neglect of God so did he See 2 King 16.5 to the 10. verse And so you see feare is a heart infeebling sin it betrayes the succours which God tenders God and all God is too little to secure an unbelieving man 6. It doth gratifie the enemy our feares are our weaknings the enemies strengthnings 1. Our weaknings I say feare is an army in battalia against it selfe the heart doth arme the head and the head useth all its enginery to batter the heart the heart makes use of the head to heighten a danger and that againe layes battery against the heart to lessen that Hee needs no enemies without who hath a fearefull heart within how can he stand out against enemies from without that is not able to stand against it selfe This is the nature of fear where courage lessens difficulties and makes great things conquerable such a spirit looks through a lessening glass and sees great dangers to be small the heart still riseth above the difficulty This is the nature of feare it looks through a multiplying glasse and makes small dangers great and unresistable Assure your selves feare will make a man weake amidst all the provisions of strength your forts are nothing if you retaine your feares you will be naked in the midst of armes weak in the midst of strength fear is an armory of weapons against it selfe It is our weaknings 2. And it is the enemies strengthening your feares are their courage and your courage their feares It is said in Iudges 2. That Israels sin was Eglons strength so our sin of feare is the courage and strength of our adversaries you weaken your selves and strengthen them you disarme your selves and arme them you unweapon your selves and put weapons into their hands to destroy you It is a dangerous sin and therefore God would not suffer such to goe to war they were unfit for wars Deut. 20.8 there were two qualities that were to be casheered malitia molities wickednesse of life and fearfulnesse of heart the one makes our enemies weapons successefull and the other makes our owne uselesse 7. It is a sin that indangers our forsaking of the Cause of God Solomon saith 29 Prov. 25. Prov. 29.25 The fear of man worketh a snare if once base feare get the possession of the heart what snares wil they not expose a man unto I will name some to you 1. They will make a man shie to acknowledge the Cause of God You see Nicodemus and many of the Iewes of whom it is said They believed but durst not confesse him for feare of the Scribes and Pharisees 2. Fear will make a man-decline and bawk the Cause of God the Rulers were afaid to acknowledge Christ because of the Romans if they had done so the Romans would have come and taken away their place and nation 3. Fear will blind the understaning hinder us from decerning good from evil and evil from good It is a Maxime Sin in the affection will breed Error in the understanding a corrupt heart will cause a corrupt head feare in the heart will cause darknesse in the minde It is a hard thing for a man under the power of any sinfull passion either by-assed with corrupt affections or blinded with corrupt passions to judge of the truth and justnesse of any cause though it be never so evident Men in feare are apt to judge those things good which yet are evil and they themselves would so acknowledge if they stood upon even ground if the feares and dangers had not got the hill of them And I believe this is a great ground of mens judgings in these times They think if they should acknowledge things as they are they should be at great costs for the present and run great hazards for future and therefore they will rather smother the Light and Evidences they have then let in more to their danger and cost Thus our enemies make us drive their mills with our owne breath and doe their worke with our own hands a fair policie Pyrrhus used to say of Cyneas That he had gained more Cities with his eloquence then he himself had done with his sword It is wisdom to expect most venom where there is most Art the Spider hath much Art but yet a great deale of poyson 4. The fourth snare that this
should they have stayed till Christ had dismissed them the ship might have been gone And therefore while Christ was sending the multitude away he constrained his Disciples to take the opportunity and go before him The words may be considered as a reason of Christs stay behinde and of sending the Disciples before But yet that which is expressed was the least of the reasons wherefore Christ dismissed them You may see greater reasons than that in the history 1. Because he would goe to pray 2. Because hee would now exercise the graces of his Disciples alone 3. Because he had a purpose to discover his divine power in their deliverance But this may be one while he sent the multitude away Doct. That though a bare command of God be sufficient to challenge our obedience to it yet so graciously doth God often condescend to our weaknesse as to give us a reason of imposing of it It was so here hee doth not onely command his Disciples to goe before him but gives them a reason why he doth Indeed when God commands it is the reason of reasons to obey because God commands The commands of God though they may bee above reason yet they are not contrary to right reason The obedience of faith is farre above reason but it is not against reason because it is all reason to believe what God saith and to obey what God commands In obedience to man we are to look for a reason of obedience or a rule of obedience which is according to right reason It is to put off man and to divest our selves of reason to obey against reason As the Pope who commanded the Monk to goe and water a dry stake for three yeares together morning and evening * Abrahamus a patria egredi justus paret licet quonam iturus esset ignoraret Chem. Caeca obedientia is proper to God alone not that our obedience is a blinde obedience but sometimes wee are to follow him blind-fold It is said of Abraham Gen. 12.1 that he went knew not whither God calls he comes and shuts his eyes and goes by Gods light he followes God as the blind man doth his guide mens commands are subject to bee scanned whether they bee according to the supream rule the Law of God or in Common-wealths governed by Lawes whether they be according to Lawes a Mandata Dei non adrationis nostrae examen revecanda Chem. Discamus nos simplie obedientia Dei mandatis parere absque nostrae rationis examine But Gods commands must not be scanned here we must obey because God commands 2. Ioh. 7. What ever he bids you to doe doe If Abraham had examined that act of obedience viz. The sacrificing of his sonne either by rule the Law or by reason or by the principles of nature they would all have cryed downe that act of Abrahams It is true the case was extrordinary and it was alone for tryall too God doth not command such things as are contrary to his Law his revealed will or right reason yet he commands such things as are contrary to corrupt reason and above right reason and therefore his commands are not to be scanned it is our reason and the reason of reasons to obey c Pareamus itaque mandatis Dei licet illorum ratio nobis non constet sufficit enim ea ipsi câ—nstare nos commendat obedientia quae in oculis Dei melior quamvictimae 1 Sam. 15.22 because God hath commanded But there is something more observeable from these words while he sent the multitude away Mark the order first Christ refresheth them and after dismisseth them First he feeds them and then he sends them away And the word seems to import something of consequence a Marcus verbo ut tur in dimissione populi quod usurpatur de iis qui valedicunt alicui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdico 18 Acts 21. 2 Cor. 2.13 Mark useth a word which signifies valediction or taking leave with one It may be he did pray with them blesse them b Illos dimittit blandis verbis eo contentus quod in praesenti corum illicitum conatum represhslet Chem. or exhort them or instruct them in the nature of his Kingdome for these would have made him a King as Iohn hath it 6. Ioh. Something extraordinary there was Whence this Doctr. None come to Christ or have to doe with him but hee ever sends them better away He refreshed their bodies here and that was the least any had they did all eate and were filled 20 v. Nay hee refreshed their soules that was the benefit many had When Moses had been communing with God his face shone God stamps a glory upon those who doe converse with him The Jewes said of Peter he lookes like one of those who had bin with Iesus The bloud loseth nothing by comming to the heart it sends it away with spirits God makes every one better who have to doe with him To whom comming as to a living stone you also as living stones are built up 1 Pet. 2.4 Vse It speaks incouragement to us to have much to doe with God to love converse with him you shall have something left upon your spirits worth your labour Indeed there is reward in the work there is fruit in the labour The Rabbins say Every good worke is meat in the mouth f Praemmium ante praemium there is reward in the labour But that is not all the fruit you shall finde you shall not onely finde fruit in the worke but fruit of the worke either you shall bee dismissed more humbled more quickned or more comforted some impressions of glory God doth use to stamp upon the spirits of them who have beene conversing with him something he leaves upon their souls worth owning 2 Cor. 3. c. 2 Cor. 3.18 While looking upon him and beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image from glory to glory It may bee you may see little you may discerne of little in the time there may be the acting of many corruptions much deadnesse coldnesse formality may discover it selfe yet some impressions will bee left upon our spirits afterward which perhaps you were not aware of in the time If God doe not discover himselfe to you yet if God do further discover your selves to your selves it is worth the while of wayting upon God It is good to be in Gods way the blind man found this to be true who lying in the way where Christ came was cured of his blindnes and recovered his sight It is good to lye at the poole side though thou stay thirty eight yeares and receives no benefit as thou thinkst yet a Christ will come at last and work thy cure Though the Miller is not able to command a winde yet hee will set his Mill and spread his Sayles that if a wind come he may have the benefit of it