God Let Ionah be cast into the sea and devoured of a Whale and he will pray out of the fishes belly and crie by reason of his affliction Let the woman of Canaans daughter be grievously vexed with a Devill and shee will pray to Christ yea follow after him and take no deniall Let there arise a storme that the Disciples are all like to be drowned and then you shall heare their prayers Lord save us c. Let Pharaoh be plagued and if he cannot pray himselfe he will intreat Moses and Aaron to doe it for him And surely amongst others this is one singular benefit of affliction that it provoketh prayer than which there is nothing more pleasing to God or profitable to our selves yea this is not the least benefit from the great troubles which have befallen the Church and people of God that God hath received many a sigh sob groane teare and prayer which else he had not knowne Well if Affliction be the Mistresse of Prayer surely never were Gods people more taught to pray than in these daies such warres and rumours of warres troubles distresses perplexities on everie side Oh pray for the peace of Ierusalem But alas herein we are generally too cold and negligent how are publike humiliations and solemne assemblies in fasting weeping mourning and confessing of sinnes laid aside and as it were worne out of date How justly may God complaine of us as sometimes he did of his owne people I called to fasting weeping mourning baldnesse and girding with sack-cloth But behold joy and glad nesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die Or who in private is so affected with the calamities of their brethren as feelingly and fervently to pray for them in the words of my Text Lord save them No no in stead of fasting and praying we feast and play we wanton and riot it still we thinke our selves out of danger in sure harbour and are therefore senslesse of the miseries of our brethren few as they ought doe pray for them a sinne which once God threatned This is revealed in mine eares surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till yee die saith the Lord God of hoasts Oh arise and call upon God in this troublesome time that we perish not Secondly hence we may learne how powerfull even a short prayer is with God so it be fervent yea therfore short praiers commonly most powerfull because commonly most fervent The counsell of Salomon is Let thy words be few The counsell of Iesus the son of Swach iâ— Make not much babbling when thou prayest Yeâ— Iesus â—he Son of God and wiser than Salomon biddeth When we pray to use no vaine repetitions In all which long prayers are not simply forbidden discommended or disgraced so they be with fervenâ—â— of spirit and without opinion of being heard for much babbling sake A great part of the day at a publike fast was spent in prayers and confession of sins And though our Saviour Christ many times were very briefe yet he spent whole nights in prayer And a large Chapter is but one of his prayers therefore most sweet and powerfull are the long prayers of Gods people when time place and occasion serve but because even Moses his hands grew heavie and though the spirit be never so wiling the flesh is weake and quickly dulled and distracted and no prayer is further heard or pleasing to God than it is fervent therefore the Scripture prayers which have most prevailed with God are most short and but as holy ejaculations Moses cried but spake never a word Annah powred out her soule and wept sore but spake not The prayer of the Leper was Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane The prayer of the blind men O Lord Sonne of David have mercy on us The prayer of Christ for himselfe Father if thou wilt let this cup passe from me and againe the same words and for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they doe The prayer of the Publican God be mercifull to mee a sinner The prayer of the father of the sicke childe Lord helpe mine unbeleefe The prayer of the penitent theefe Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome The prayer of Saint Stephen for his persecutors Lord lay not this sinne to their charge The prayer of the Disciples here because the time was short death at hand place inconvenient and distractions many they beg all in a few words and couch a great deale of devotion in a little roome Lord save us we perish All which I observe for the speciall comfort of such as mourne in their soules because of their want in this kinde and are much assaulted with this temptation that they cannot pray and therefore cannot be Gods children because they have not Gods spirit Indeed the Spirit of God is called the spirit of supplication and it is an excellent gift of the Spirit and much to be desired whereby a man or woman when times places and occasions serve are able to lay open their wants and in Scripture phrase to expresse their desires but yet the Apostle saith The Spirit doth helpe our infirmities with sighes and grones which cannot be expressed yea if thou canst say no more but as thou hast heard Lord save us Lord have mercy Lord remember Lord helpe mine unbeleefe If faithfully and fervently these are most powerfull prayers with God yet strive to increase in this grace for God may accept at the beginning what he will not afterwards be content withall yea whosoever useth this gift aright shall doubtlesse finde a gracious increase therein And so much be said of the petition in generall now let us view it more particularly It is short and in most languages that I know hath but three words I say in most for such is the elegancie of the Hebrew Language affixing the Pronounes that in it here are but two yet in Greeke Latine and English three Which three words containe so many vertues in this and in all godly composed prayers The first noteth the partie to whom all prayers are to be made Lord. The second the blessing they crave salvation The third communitie and love us Lord save us For the first they pray to the Lord not to the Lady to change the Gender is Popish wickednesse A Reverend Bishop hath truly observed that it is a sufficient challenge to all the Papists that in so many prayers of both ancient and righteous Patriarcks Prophets Iudges Kings registred in the Booke of God and in an hundred and fiftie Psalmes an hundred whereof at least are prayers and supplications and in all the devout requests that the Apostles of Christ and other his disciples sent into Heaven if they take the
Thus Christ hath shipped himselfe first and thereby assured vs that hee is with his Church and people in all their dangers and distresses and will witnesse that his presence either by miraculous deliverance or most mercifull supportance as he seeth it to be most for his glory and their true good The second sort of persons that were shipped are called his Disciples Disciple is properly a Latine word and doth signifie in English a Scholar or learner from the verbe Disco the Greeke also is of the same signification and is often so translated as where our Saviour saith Learne of mee And every one that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection In which and many other places which might be alledged but that these are sufficent for instance you have the word of the Text translated Learne as it properly signifieth So that every scholar or learner is called a disciple and of whom hee is taught or learneth he is called his disciple So we reade of Iohns disciples and of Moses disciples and so all Haeresiarches or Schismatickes that are factious and Schismaticall seeking to draw men to learne of them and embrace their opinions are said to draw disciples after them And thus all that professed Aristotle for their Master and were scholars in the schoole of the Peripatetickes Plato Pythagoras Zeno and others are said to have disciples that is scholars learners and professors of their doctrine and maximes The Hebrew also in Munsters Copie agreeth with both these And as from the Greeke word some speciall Sciences are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called the Mathematickes because of their deepnesse of learning and sharpnesse of wit and capacitie required in all the learners thereof so from the Hebrew word commeth the Iewes Thalmud that is Doctrinall a Systhema or composition of their doctrine The ancientest was composed about 230. yeares after Christ and was full of Iewish fables and Rabinicall Traditions but was afterwards refined and purged of many idle fables traditions and disputes by Moses the sonne of Maimon which is in great request amongst the Iewes unto this day and much alledged out of it by our best Writers You see then what the word Disciple signifieth according to the proprietie of holy languages Christ had two sorts of Disciples First in the largest sense all that professed the doctrine or Gospell of Christ were called his Disciples whether that profession was in sinceritie or but in hypocrisie so the Disciples were first called Christians in Antiochia And many of his Disciples went from him and walked no more with him Secondly and more strictly they were called his Disciples that not only learned and professed the Gospell but were also called and appointed of him to preach the Gospell to others And they were of two sorts first and of a lower order the seventie sent forth two and two before his face into every citie and place whither he himselfe would come to preach the Gospell and worke miracles And these both in Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall stories are known by the name of The seventy disciples Who these were though Eusebius Epiphanius and others tell us yet in the Gospell their names are concealed and Christ bade them reioyce that their names were written in heaven The other and higher order were the twelve Apostles many times called his Disciples and made knowne by their names The learned Divines say herein the truth answered ancient types both of the twelve Patriarches and seuentie Elders called their Sanedrim as some the seventie soules that came with Iacob into Aegypt Others the twelve fountaines of water and seventie Palme-trees in Elim Who those Disciples were that entred with Christ into the ship is a question because the Text doth not cleare it it is most probable that all the Apostles were there for confirmation of whose faith this miracle was wrought likewise that there were others as Mariners and it may be professours too for it is said the men marvelled but not the seventie I will not say none of those out of whom the seventie were chosen for that might be but not the seventie being chosen for by chronotaxie and harmonie of the Euangelists it appeareth that this miracle was wrought in the latter end of the first yeare of Christs Ministery the choosing and sending of the seventy was not till the third and last yeare of his preaching And this is all the light I have received from the Scriptures and Fathers concerning those Disciples that entred with Christ into the ship Now observe I pray you the passengers and observe it well that Iudas is gone aboord amongst the disciples a wicked man ever though as yet hee had not committed that transcendent wickednesse of betraying his Master What more observed by friends that stay behind Yea observe Christ hath a ship wherein Iudas was not but all passengers in it shall be saved beleeving one God one Faith one Baptisme one Church which is Holy Catholike and Apostolike out of which there is no salvation Therefore as the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved so every one that hath a care and desire of salvation must be sure that he be a member of that holy Church which is invisible an article of our Faith not but that wee see the bodies and professions of such but saving grace is not seene nor their election known but in iudgement of charity being that cōpany of the elect faithfull only gathered out of mankind by the Word and Spirit consenting in true faith here living and warring against the Devill world and flesh and this is called in Latine Ecclesia which yet is properly a Greeke word and commeth from such a theme as doth signifie to cal forth It was an ancient custome in Athens that a company of Citizens were called sorth by the voice of a Crier from the rest of the multitude to such an assembly wherein some publike speech was made or to heare relation of some sentence or iudgement of the Senate from whence it seemeth the Apostles translated the name Ecclesia to signifie such a congregation as commeth not together by chance but are called from the prophane multitude by the Crier of the Word and Spirit to professe God and true godlinesse I say againe that it is absolutely requisite to salvation that a man be a member of this Church called Company he that is not in this world a member of the Church Militant shall never in the world to come be a member of the Church Triumphant And therefore Saint Peter chargeth men to giue all diligence to make their calling and election sure Observe secondly that all the Disciples went into the ship where Christ was even Iudas amongst them for whose sake as some of the Fathers conceive this storme
in this life where there is no doubting at all no feare at all no striving against unbeleefe there is no true comfort no true faith but a proud presumption For the illustration of this point know first That corruption is not seene or discerned by corruption but by grace as foule things are discerned by the light not by darknesse and sicknesse discerned by health none being more desperately sicke than he that feeleth it not none in so dangerous case as they that see not the corruptions and feele not the wants of the soule but are in that spirituall Lethargie the Church of Laodicea was thinking shee was rich and increased in goods and had need of nothing when hee was poore and miserable wretched blinde and naked The more therefore we feele our infidelitie distrust rebellion the better our estate Secondly man must be considered in a double estate viz. as he is by nature and as he is by grace By nature he is altogether flesh That which is borne of the flesh is flesh he is wholly led by the flesh he delighteth in nothing but the works of the flesh and all the works of the flesh are his and if herein he continue he and they shall perish together But in the estate of grace though he live in the flesh he walketh not after the flesh he warreth not after the flesh he is led by the spirit Indeed the flesh doth continually lust against the spirit and many times prevaileth not only begetting evill motions purposes and desires but as a strong enemy leading the childe of God captive to doe that which hee should not he would not But these motions these actions they are not his they shall never be laid to his charge If Satan object them hee may renounce them and say Indeed these are the motions actions of the flesh and we were sometime all one but now we are separate and divided it only dwelleth as an inmate but I doe not partake with her never man and wife were more firmely divorced than I and my flesh therefore if the flesh have plaied the harlot and begot these brats cast them at her doore I will not owne them I will dash them in peeces against the stones Wherein you have the Apostle himselfe for a most excellent president Now if I doe that which I would not it is no more I that doe it but sinne that dwelleth in me If I should not have doubts and feares and discerne much evill in me I might then indeed justly doubt and feare I were all flesh but I doe dislike and detest them and lay them to the fleshes charge and even hereby I know that I have received the Spirit because it sheweth me the weaknesse of my faith and stirreth up holy grones sighes and desires to Heaven for the increase of it I say againe let none of Gods children be too much dejected or cast downe or grow out of heart with themselves much lesse call their estate with God into question because the remnant of corruption like a bold saucie inmate dwelleth in them and doth continually vex and disquiet them disturbe and trouble them crosse and hinder them in every good purpose and thing and still haling and pulling on to sinne with incessant importunitie and sometimes prevailing The experience of this made the Apostle so exclaime Oh wretched man With whom give thanks feelingly to God for victory through Iesus Christ for that hee hath delivered thee from the dominion bondage and slaverie of sin that it doth not reigne in thee also keep a very watchfull eye and ever give thy flesh a sowre look keep it under and in subjection make it not thy counsell be sure to make a covenant with eyes eares and all the senses they shall be strangers to it forbid thy strangers to be acquainted with it and then though sinne and corrupt flesh be such a shamelesse inmate to say as Ruth did to Naomie Whither thou goest I will goe where thou dwellest I will dwell where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried nothing but death can quite part and sunder us it shall not be able to hurt us Oh see what a sweet comfort the Gospell proposeth to Gods children even from sense and feeling of their wants and weaknesse of faith Concerning which I will not say as our Saviour did in another case He that is able to receive it let him receive it but I will even thrust it into the bosomes of weake and seeble Christians if any such be here present by removing two such Objections as are made against it and whereby as with both hands they even thrust it from them The first is this Oh I could comfort my selfe many waies if I had any faith though never so weake or small but I cannot discerne any at all but mine heart is full of infidelitie and rebellion I answer Great is the sense and assurance which commonly beleevers have of their faith otherwise the Apostle would never have said Prove your selves whether you are in the faith or not yet two times must be excepted viz. the time when God first giveth it and the houre or time of some great temptation Recount then the times which are passed and the yeeres of old yea remember the yeeres of the right hand of the most high Psal 77. 10. Hast thou at any time had the assurance and comfort of faith Be of good comfort it will revive againe Heavinesse may endure but for a night ioy will come in the morning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy faith may be cast downe but cannot be destroyed Deliquium pati non penitus mori may sownd but cannot die Or hast thou never had the sense of faith but now desirest it and art heartily sorry thou feelest it not it may be this graine of mustard-seed is but now sowen in the furrowes of thine heart water it with Word Sacraments and Prayer and doubt not but thou shalt in good time have the sense and comfort of it Oh but I have no sense of Gods love therefore I have no faith I answer Christ had no sense of Gods love and yet beleeved when he praied My God my God why hast thou for saken me How void was Iob of the sense of Gods love when hee complained God accounted him as his enemy and made him as his butt to shoot at How far was David from despaire when he complained Is his mercie cleane gone for ever No no that is but infirmitie as he confessed God changeth not nor hath any shadow of change whom he loveth he loveth to the end his covenant is more sure than that of the day and night It is but thy triall In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting compassion have I embraced thee The Sunne setteth and hath a time to
Calfe hee told Moses hee would not goe any longer before them as he had done whereupon Moses grew very importunate with him that he would never carry them thence if his presence went not with them and never left him till he prevailed that he would goe with them as he was wont It was an heavie sight and the forerunner of great destruction that the Prophet in Vision saw the glory of the God of Israel gone up from the Cherub whereupon it was to the very threshold of the house as ready to depart Christ telling his disciples that he must goe away their hearts were full of sorrow yea and though Christ laboured to giue them comfort that they might take his departure well as that it was expedient for them and that he went to send the Comforter yea that he went to prepare a place for them and that he would come againe and take them to himselfe and they should be with him for ever yet all would not serve it was an heavy sight to see their Master taken out of their sight and Christ after his resurrection tooke notice how the two disciples that travelled towards Emmaus were sad If the disciples were thus distracted with feare notwithstanding Christ went into the ship before them and was there in the storme though on sleepe how would they have beene affected if hee had not beene there but left them alone Wherefore it behoveth all Gods people in times of dangers to make very speciall search and inquirie whether Christ be present or no And here me thinketh I heare that of Gedeon commonly objected who being saluted by the Angell The Lord is with thee thou valiant man answered Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us where be all the miracles which our fathers told us of If the Lord be with us why is all this befallen us our houses are burnt our goods and labours spoiled yea Gods temples demolished his servants slaine sword fire and famine prevaile I answer God testifieth his presence two waies viz. sometimes outwardly in the miraculous deliverance of his servants out of evils thus was God present with Daniel in the Lions den stopping their mouthes that they could not hurt him and with the three children in the fierie furnace not suffering an haire of their heads to be sindged Thus was God with his people in Egypt red sea wildernesse and Canaan a thing exceedingly to be wondred at that thrice a yeere viz. at their solemne feasts all the males going from all parts of the Land up to Ierusalem to worship and none left at home to keepe their frontiers from invasion Cities and houses from burning and goods from spoiling but only weake women and children yet so long as they continued in Gods feare and obedience he protected their lands houses and goods that no enemie invaded or offred the least violence for so God had promised at those times No man shall so much as desire thy land when thou shalt goe up to appeare before the Lord thy God Oh how marvellous was God in the famous victories which hee gave his people over their enemies in the daies of Moses Ioshuah Iudges David Iehoshaphat Ezekiah breaking the bow and arrowes knapping their speares and burning their chariots in the fire shewing his puissance and power making bare his right hand in the sight of the Heathen restraining the rage of enemies turning it to his praise and making himselfe terrible to the Kings of the earth But yet sometimes it pleaseth him when his ship is in a dangerous storme to sleep and only to testifie his presence another way suffering their enemies to prevaile to kill murther and spoile and only furnish his people with faith repentance patience humilitie zeale contentation comfort ioy and inward peace with other such like inestimable graces of his Spirit whereby his servants are inabled by suffering to prevaile and get most glorious victories howsoever flesh and bloud would perswade God hath forsaken that people in whose defense and preservation he doth not appeare yet the holy word of God teacheth us that it is an infallible Argument of Gods powerfull presence that his servants are able to suffer with patience and ioy whatsoever it shall please God to suffer their enemies to lay upon them The Apostle speaking of tribulation distresse persecution famine nakednesse perill sword yea that for Gods sake they are killed all the day long and counted as sheepe for the slaughter yet saith he In all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us Was not Christ with the Apostles when being scourged they went out of the Councel reioycing Was he not with Paul and Silas singing Psalmes of praise at midnight in the dungeon Was hee not with the Hebrewes suffering with ioy the spoile of their goods Was he not with those Saints of whom the world was unworthy though being destitute afflicted tormented wandring up and downe in wildernesses mountaines dens caves of the earth Was he not with Ignatius who being condemned to the beasts and hearing the Lions roare he cheerfully said he was Gods corne to be ground with teeth of wilde beasts that he might become pure manchet for God Was he not with those Martyrs in the Primitive Church who esteemed Tyrants as gnats and their torments but as flea-bitings Was he not with them who as Tertullian said to be accused wished and to be punished for Christ they accounted felicitie A certaine woman running in all haste with a childe in her armes towards the place of execution and being asked the cause of her haste O saith she I heare a great sort of Christians are to be martyred and I am afraid that I and my little one shall come too late How did many holy Martyrs in this land in the daies of Queene Marie most willingly forsake offices houses goods parents wives children libertie most cheerefully receiue sentence of death most gladly goe to place of execution and most comfortably kisse the stake embrace the faggots and clap hands in flaming fire And whence was all this Was it not from Christ who in that great tempest was in the ship with them Let the blessed Martyr Glâ—ver witnesse who having received sentence of death though the remembrance of the fire was so terrible that he was exceedingly perplexed made his dulnesse and heavinesse knowne which continued all that night and the morning till he came within the sight of the stake but then was suddenly filled with boldnesse and joy which made him call to his friend He is come he is come Oh this is a glorious victory indeed as one saith of the martyrdome of Saint Laurence God did more gloriously triumph in his patience and constancie when hee was broyled on the gridiron than if he had saved his body from burning by a miracle
the Apostles and Disciples in the daies of Christ Christ generally in the spirituall and mysticall sense enjoyneth it unto all Whosoever doth not beare his crosse and come after me cannot be my disciple Yea lest any should yet thinke that this was only enioyned to all the faithfull in those daies the Apostle after Christ his Ascension biddeth the Ephesians and in them all Christians to the end of the world Be yee followers of God as deare children If any shall yet aske me wherein can we follow Christ Not in bodily manner as the Apostles and Disciples now did that is unpossible he is gone ascended above these visible heavens Henceforth the world shall thus know Christ no more As it is to us impossible so was it to some unprofitable it shall doe Iudas and many no good that they followed him from place to place for sinister respects as to see his miracles heare novell doctrine as himselfe said Verily yee seeke me because yee did eat of the loaves and were filled Some shall plead this at the last day saying We have eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets but marke what answer shall be given them I know you not whence you are depart from me yee workers of iniquitie All cannot follow him in the Ministery and preaching of the Gospell none but such as are thereunto called How can any preach except he be sent Few or none can now follow him in working miracles as giving sight to the blinde speech to the dumbe hearing to the deafe cleansing lepers curing diseases and raising the dead for these were miraculous and tended to the confirmation of his doctrine with which power though some in the Primitive Church were endowed for a while that as they preached new doctrine they might doe new workes yet now that the doctrine of the Gospell hath taken root it needeth no such watering this gift is ceased Bellarmine may well challenge it for it is a marke of the Antichristian Synagogue The Apostle saith Antichrist his comming shall be with all deceiveable signes and wonders But now the true Ministers of Christ are knowne not because they do but because they doe not miracles And saith S. Augustine Miracles now adaies are either the prodigious workes of lying spirits or fables and lyes of deceitfull men But let us goe to the cited text and see what following of Christ the Apostle now requireth What the word is which the Euangelist here useth you have heard and the signification of it viz. requiring a bodily motion and action and very rarely used in any figurative or metaphoricall sense but the Apostle useth another word which is properly referred to imitation of vertues as Saint Iohn biddeth us follow that which is good And the Apostle Paul biddeth us follow faith The signification of which word the Apostle expresseth in the next verse adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Walke in love as Christ hath loved us For the full clearing of this point know that man hath two feet whereby hee commeth to Christ and followeth after him the first is of faith whereby hee beleeveth his doctrine whereof Christ hath said He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall not thirst Where he sheweth to come is to beleeve And as we come so we follow which is by faith Secondly the practise of Christ his morall vertues he being therein the perfect copie and Exemplar To which purpose the Fathers have excellent sayings He saith not vnto thee Thou shalt not be my disciple except thou walke upon the sea or raise the dead But Learne of me because I am humble and meeke And againe the same Father expounding those words observeth That Christ doth not say Learne of me to make a world and create visible and invisible things But Learne of me I am meeke and humble And another Wee cannot follow Christ in power magnificence and the like but we may follow him in humilitie meeknesse charity And another saith No man is worthily called a Christian who so farre as he can doth not imitate Christ in his manners In this it is Christ biddeth vs learne of him and the Apostle biddeth vs be followers of him and another Apostle saith Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps and a third Apostle saith He that abideth in Christ ought to walke as Christ hath walked Then looke unto your copie if you would be truly accounted Christians looke unto Christ the Author and finisher of your faith If you be true members of the Church vow and performe as shee did Draw me and I will runne after thee Behold his povertie who being rich for our sakes became so exceeding poore that he had not wheron to rest his head and if it be required of thee for his sake and the Gospels sticke not to forsake all and follow him in this behold his meeknesse who being reviled reviled not againe broke not the bruised reed nor quenched the smoaking flaxe whose voice was not heard in the street Behold his patience taking a reed in his hand wearing a crowne of thornes mocked buffetted spit on and saith not a word Behold his charitie praying for his cruell enemies Father forgive them they know not what they doe Behold his contentation thanking God for barley bread Behold his diligence preaching working miracles til he was weary yea and on the night time when hee should have slept Behold his devotions spending whole nights in prayer Behold his zeale purging the Temple scourging out buyers and sellers and overthrowing the tables of money-changers Behold his humilitie choosing poore fisher-men and tole-gatherers for Apostles Wearing a poore seamelesse coat Fleeing when they sought to make him King Ioh. 6. and riding on an Asse into Ierusalem Behold his constancie who never gave over till the worke was finished Oh that wee could doe thus when Satan tempteth vs to pride revenge idlenesse discontent how would it dash temptations to say Avoid Satan I must follow Christ and he did not so Oh that wee could doe this when like men we have failed in our duties and sinned how would it breake the heart with godly sorrow and make us smite on brest and thigh and say Oh wretched man that I am Christ did not so and I should have followed him oh follow follow And here give me leave to encounter our Adversaries who falsly and full spightfully cal us Calvinists and Lutherans and Zuinglians as if wee taught you to follow Calvin and Luther to beleeve every point of doctrine to conforme your selves in all poins of discipline and government as they have prescribed No no we leave that to the Papists whose faith manners are tied to the Popes
sleeve and they depend on his mouth what to beleeve and doe and receive his decrees with greater reverence pietie and devotion than that of Christ himselfe it being most true in them that Christ imputed to the Pharisies they made the Commandement of God of none effect through their traditions yea teach for doctrine the commandements of men and do glory to be called Papists acknowledging the Pope to be their Nauclerus or Pilot we leave that to the Franciscans Dominicans Benedictines Iesuits and many other sorts which some of the best writers of our Adversaries well know as Orladius Salmeron D. Carr. pag. 158 Iansenius that have verbatim transcribed whole leaves and Pighius reading Calvin upon Iustification by Faith with a purpose to confute him was converted by him as Tapperus in his 2. Tom. 8. Artic. confesseth who sometimes was his fellow-pupill under Adrian the sixt What need I tell you what wonderfull testimonie Thuanus D. Stapleton and Panygirolla have given him though Doctor Carrier a seduced malecontent doe spight him a man not worthy to light his candle when he went to his studie More precisely observing the rules of their order and following the prescripts of their Founders than they doe of Christ As for Master Calvin and Luther whom they doe so extremely hate for that they have given an incurable wound to Popery we know they were learned men and singular instruments of Gods glory such as lived and died godly notwithstanding that lying Cochlaeus and Bolsecus most wickedly slandered them and Bellarmine in his Oration prefixed to his 4. Tome would make the world beleeve hee and his followers are the wickedest men in the world but we neither follow them no nor Saint Paul himselfe further than they followed Christ and so farre we have good warrant for Saint Paul biddeth Be followers of me and looke on them which walke so as you have us for an example And againe Be yee followers of me even as I am of Christ He nor they never required more to him nor them we never yeelded more we doe not make Master Calvin our Nauclerus Let men be never so learned and holy yet in this life wee know but in part are sanctified but in part never any so deare to God but have had their errors and blemishes none ever wrote so faire but blurred his copie only Christ is the perfect copie for doctrine and conversation and him only wee teach and perswade you to follow Oh follow follow him And thus that I have directed you in what societie to ship your selves and shewed you what men are Now be pleased that I encourage al such as are godly minded to this following of Christ whereunto I exhort them Which I shal the better doe if I remove such lets and hinderances which the Devill the world and their owne corrupt reason doe cast in their way to hinder them First me thinketh I heare some complaine Alas Christ is so perfect and absolute an example I cannot come neere him so faire a copie I am cleane out of heart to write or once to take pen in hand I answer that in following Christ requireth qualitie but not equalitie a similitude but not proportion a perfection indeed as Christ saith You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect but a perfection of parts not of degrees what we doe let vs doe it in truth and sinceritie be loving humble diligent zealous without hypocrisie and the Lord will accept according to that which wee have so there be an holy and honest endevour with godly sorrow that wee come so farre short and with Peter that we follow so farre off and heartie and continuall prayer with the Church Draw Lord and wee will runne after thee Hee knoweth what pase wee are able to make better than ourselves he will beare with our limping and halting and accept of the will for the deed Wherefore so there be truth and sinceritie in the inner parts let vs not be out of heart with our weaknesse but follow after though we creepe with the Snaile What dulnesse did David finde in himselfe when he said My soule cleaveth to the dust oh quicken me And I shall runne the waies of thy Commandements when thou hast enlarged mine heart How did our holy Mother Church finde her soule and affections fettered and shackled with worldly cares carnall pleasures vaine delights when shee prayed Christ to draw her with his Word Spirit Mercies Corrections Therefore streng then the weake hands and comfort the â—eebleknees Whosoever followeth with an holy endevour shall be sure to obtaine A good Scribe will beare with his scholar if against his will and purpose he make a blot or deformed letter and if he eye his copie and have a care and desire to imitate he will guide his hand but no man on earth hath that loving regard to his scholar that Christ hath to the weaknesse of all such as follow him Oh but hereby I shall expose my selfe to many euils checkes mockes taunts disgraces it may be persecution to the losse of goods libertie life Indeed it is true it many times fareth better here with those that follow the Devill world flesh that protesse any doctrine follow the Pope and Mahomet and live never so prophanely than it doth with the holy servants of Christ professing the Gospell in sinceritie and striving to live accordingly wherein Christ and his Apostles have dealt faithfully deceiving none with vain hopes he said his Kingdome is not of this world and telling him that with an earthly mind offered his service Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest The Foxes have holes and birds of the aire have nests but the Sonne of Man hath not whereon to rest his head And called Zebedees sonnes from the crowne to the crosse Are yee able to drinke of the cup and be baptised with the Baptisme I must be baptised with Whosoever will be my disciple must take vp his crosse daily and follow me Yea He that doth not forsake father and mother wife children house and lands for my sake and the Gospels cannot be my disciple And therefore would have all men to sit down and cast their account what it will cost them because to set hand to Gods plough and looke backe maketh a man utterly vnfit for Gods Kingdome And it were better never to have knowne the waies of godlinesse than afterwards to depart from the holy Commandements given unto them Oh no marvell that so many are so loth to goe from home and so hard a taske to get them aboord But see oh see the happie reward of all followers in the end Behold saith Peter in the name of all the Apostles yea of all disciples wheÌ„ ever living that for action or affection can truly say with him we have forsaken all and followed thee what shal we
could never enioy to Gods praise and our comfort but by the benefit of ships Againe God having enriched severall Countries with severall commodities and scarce any one that affordeth all things even for the being much lesse the well being of man but as some have great store of Corne others abound with Wine others have plentie of Fruits others stored with mines of Gold Silver Copper Tinne Lead or Iron others are for breed of Cattell that as in the bodie of the little world the head cannot say to the foot I haue no need of thee so in the body of the great world one Country cannot say to another I have no need of thee and though never so farre distant yet by benefit of Navigation the Commodities of severall Nations are exchanged merchandize with wonderfull encrease of wealth is maintained yea the knowledge of God propagated farre remote countries by this meanes being made as neare neighbours and daily passage from one to another as over a woodden bridge Lastly it is a wonderfull ease in journey shipping maketh great burthens light and long waies short conveying both persons and commodities from place to place both with more ease in shorter time and with farre lesser charge so beneficiall is the Art of Navigation Now to make Application Iacob blessing his Sonnes before his death and in spirit foreseeing their placing in Canaan as if with Iosuah he had seene the Lots cast and falne gave this blessing to his Sonne Zebulun Zebulun shall dwell at the Hauen of the Sea and he shall be for an Hauen of Ships In this Tribe was this Sea Corazin Bethsaida Capernaum which was so commodious gainful a dwelling that Moses before his death blessing the Tribes â—â—ddeth Reioyce Zebulun in thy goings out First in thy prosperous voiages whereby they did suck of the abundance of the Seas and of treasures hid in the Sands The people were so rich in Solomons daies that in Ierusalem Silver was as plentifull as stones but by his Ships he fetched it from Ophir England is a fruitfull Countrey and as compleat in it selfe as any I reade of a verie Canaan flowing with Milke and Honie specially abounding with such things as are for food and apparell which giue the Law to all other Merchandize Yet we want I say not Tabacco I would we wanted that Indian Gold and Silver and Wine and Weed and all rather than it should be so abused through wantonnesse and riot But we want Spices and thousands of comfortable blessings Our Merchants fetch them from farre in their Ships wherein they excell all Nations Lastly whereas Inhabitants in the maine Continents are subiect to sudden and violent incursions of enemies so as many times when no danger is suspected Cities and Castles are surprized and Princes led into captivitie by their enemies how doth Nature and Art secure us Islanders Nature having digged so great and unpassable a Ditch without great and long preparation and Art builded such strong though woodden Wals Castles and Bulwarkes Wherefore that we may be happie still as well in Earthly as Heavenly things let vs pray God to maintaine Merchandize the sinew of our wealth peace and welfare that they may cheerefully goe out and in and with Zebulun reioyce in their trading export such things as we can spare and import such blessings as we want And specially for his Maiesties Roiall Navie that that may be as a ready-well-furnished Wall and Castle of defense for the propulsation of everie invading Foe And so much be said of the Letter It is generally agreed by the ancient Fathers and later Divines both orthodoxall and heretical that the Ship is a most excellent Embleme and Hieroglyphick wherein is most lively almost in all things as may be gathered from the Scriptures and writings of learned Divines represented the state and condition of a true visible Church in this world The Ship I say resembleth the Church the Sea the world the storme persecutions Christ his sleepe his patience the Haven is Heaven the Pilot is Christ the Mariners Prophets Apostles Ministers the Passengers Christians divers roomes divers orders and offices the maine Mast Christs Crosse the Sailes profession of godlinesse the wind the Spirit of God the contrarie winds the counterblasts of Satan by false Doctrine the Card and Compasse whereby they saile Gods Word the pixis nautica which only eieth the fixed North Pole Faith the Cable and cordage Love the Anchor hope praiers and teares their Ordnance Word and Sacraments their food Gods good pleasure the Rudder and prosperitie the Remora which maketh the Ship stand still or saile verie slowly If I should now insist vpon these things and shew you both by what authoritie from Scriptures or Fathers or both I frame this Allegorie and how fit this resemblance is in all the passages thereof in many a Lecture I could not dispatch it I hasten to things more profitable and doe only in generall propose it and referre the particulars to your owne further meditation and now come to resolue the waightiest question which troubleth so many in these daies viz. Which is that Ship wherein Christ and his Disciples are seeing everie Ship saith he is there which is that true visible Church in these daies wherein to live and whereof to be a member is most happy To search all the Ships Pinnesses and Cock-boats which are or have beene upon the Sea were an endlesse labour there are or have beene so many Iewes Turks Arrians Anabaptists Familists yea and fruitlesse for many of them which formerly have failed faire and troubled the eies of beholders have suffered Ship-wrack and are long since sunck only some few peeces of their broken Ships doe float here and there and others have received great leakes and will sinke of themselues which shew that Christ is not in them I will only search two viz. the Romish Ship which they say is the only Ship of Christ and Peter and the Ship of the Reformed Church which they say is but an haereticall Cock-boat Have but patience and by Gods grace I shall resolve the question in whether of these doe Christ and his Disciples passe that so we may ship our selves with them For the Church of Rome there is nothing better pleaseth them than this Allegorie they say theirs is Peters Ship and therefore expresse it upon the Wals and in Tabletures in portraiture of a beautifull and goodly Ship vnder sailes the Pope at the Sterne Cardinals and Bishops and Shavelings the Mariners and plying their tacklings and the poore Protestants as Hereticks cast over board and swimming a while for life but in the end drowned And therefore they send out their Emissaries Iesuits Priests to draw all Disciples to board there But let me tell you I have searched that Ship and finde it a faire one to looke on and furnished with Masts Yards Cables Cordage large Sailes and mightie Ordnance a
Howsoever they may shew faire weather without they have grievous stormes and tempests within though sometimes and on some occasions their consciences do rage more horribly that at others Shall I make this cleare by a few Examples When God had summoned arraigned examined convicted and sentenced Cain for the murther of his brother oh behold a tempest My punishment is greater than I can beare thou hâ—st driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and vagabond in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall kill me When Sathan in the habit of Samuel had told Saul that the morrow after he and his sonnes should die and the Host of Israel should be delivered into the hand of the Philistims oh behold a storme He fell along on the earth and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him When Belshazzar in the midst of his feast saw the palme of an hand write on the plaister of the wall oh behold a storme His countenance was changed and his thoughts so troubled him that the ioints of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another When Iudas had betrayed his Master and saw he was condemned oh behold a great tempest yea as ever did arise in the soule of a wretched man and as Mariners in a great tempest as in the stories of Ionah and Paul wee may perceive sticke not to runne up and downe and cast out goods and tacklings so he ranne into the Temple and cast out his sinnes by confession and threw his money in the Temple and all to calme his tempestuous soule but it would not be and being perswaded that death would ease him he desired to die yea he cared not what death so hee did die and rather than not die he would die a dogs death and be his owne executioner hee went and hanged himselfe Cardinall Crescentius the Popes Vicegerent at the Councell of Trent and a notable enemie to true Religion and the professors thereof on a time writing long letters to Rome full of all devilish policie and plotting all manner of mischiefe against the Protestants and the cause of Religion had a strong conceit that the Devill in the likenesse of a huge dog walked in his chamber and couched under his table which raised such a fearefull tempest in his soule that neither Physicians nor friends could calme but he died in a most comfortlesse manner Oh Tyrants and learned men abusing their power and policie may raise up strange tempests in other mens bodies goods and estate but withall they raise up such stormes and tempests in their owne soules as are intolerable incurable according to that of Salomon The spirit of a man will beare out his infirmities i. if a mans conscience be quiet and comfortable in God he will beare with patience and cheerefulnesse manifold paines and diseases tortures and torments in his bodie and all outward crosses as we have most memorable examples in many holy and glorious Martyrs but a wounded spirit who can beare A spirit or conscience full of horror and anguish through guilt of sinne and apprehension of divine indignation who can beare that It is the Hell on Earth as you have seene in the former examples and many moe such might be produced curelesse and remediiesse for nothing can calme them but Christ who rebuketh winds and seas and him they have not without whom all other meanes doe faile There is no sicknesse but Physicke hath some medicine for it no sore but Chirurgerie hath a salve for it no restraint so great but freedome and inlargement may be procured by friends or money no disgrace so great but time will eat it out no plague so hot but a man may flie from it but as there is no strappado racke wheele or most exquisite torment comparable to this so no helpe for it I meane in the wicked that flie from God no physicke can purge no cordiall can comfort no corasive can eat it out no lenative asswage it Friendship intreatie gifts may deliver a man out of prison and captivitie but who can unlocke the prison doores of a guilty conscience or knock off the bolts of horrour and distresse of minde Men may flie from plague but cannot from this because he ever carrieth it in him he may flie from field to citie from citie to his owne house from house to chamber from chamber to closet from closet to his bed but where-ever he becommeth the Hellish Hags and Infernall Furies of evill conscience doe vex and torment him Though their Assistants were an Armie of millions of men their friends the great Princes of the world their dominions as large as the Sunne shineth on their meat Manna their apparell as costly as Aarons embrodered coat their palaces as stately as Nabuchadnezzars their musicke like that at the setting up of Nabuchadonozars Idol yet nothing can calme this tempest but when they die they are cast into Hell where they shall be tormented for ever Oh labour then for the peace quietnesse and calmenesse of your conscience the greatest jewell in the world a continuall feast and brasen wall against all oppositions Oh beware of sinne the cause of stormes and tempests yea as Salomon saith If sinners entice thee consent not be not deceived Thou shalt heare them insult against this exhortation and say Tush I have thus and so sinned and yet have I as chearefull light and merrie an heart as any man in the world I eat and drinke and sleepe as well as ever I did I am not troubled with melancholike thoughts and passions I never had experience of such stormes and tempests as they speake of Indeed great is the securitie of some men whose consciences are seared as with a glowing iron and who are given over to a reprobate sense to sin with greedinesse long custome in sinne having taken away the sense of sinne but conscience though it sleepe it cannot die it may hold peace but it cannot forget this is Gods truth The wicked have no true peace and first or last tribulation and anguish shall seaze upon them where sinne is there will be a tempest which whensoever it riseth they shall never see end yea eternitie it selfe shall not over-live it it shall live when they die and make them live that faine would die that so they may die eternally in which endlesse tempest I leave the wicked I come now to speake to the comfort of Gods children who have experience of great and grievous stormes and tempests in their soules and consciences and what only wayes are to be used for the calming of them Observe then that as Christ being entred into the Sea there arose a great tempest so into what soule soever Christ entreth by Faith to inhabit there will first or last arise a tempest which will
neighbour either we flatter him and say All is wel or never rebuke saying Why doest thou so or else with scorne contemne despise and reject him never considering our selves that we also may be tempted But marke how meekely mildly and lovingly he reproveth them not one word of any sharpnes rigour or asperitie no nor so much as affirme This is your great sinne to be fearefull but as God asked Ionah a question about his anger Dost thou well to be angry So he only asketh them a question about their feare Why are yee fearefull intimating their feare was excessive and causelesse and so the reproofe tended rather to comfort and encourage them q. d. Be not so afraid you have no cause of such feare Oh it is the gentle reproofe the milde and loving objurgation and crimination which pierceth deepe The Lords servant must be gentle towards all This is the reproofe that David so much desired Let the righteous smite me friendly and reprove me And the Apostle biddeth us restore such an one as is overtaken in a fault with the spirit of meekenesse But for want of love it commeth to passe we reprove not at all or with such fiercenesse gall and bitternesse as tendeth not to restore but harden sinners Oh let us from this Example learne to be gentle and meeke towards poore and weake sinners and if any be too fearefull because themselves or the people of God are in any great danger let us labour to comfort them to strengthen the weake hands and comfort the feeble knees Speake to the heart of Ierusalem Feare not thou worme Iacob though thou be but a worme And againe Feare not ye men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer So much for generall observations Now more particularly consider what was it he reproved Fearefulnesse not simply feare for that is ingraffed in our nature neither did Christ goe about to rob them of their affections that they should no more feare danger than the mast of the ship yea Christ himselfe had our affections and namely this of feare but our Saviour reproveth the excesse of it called fearefulnesse The word in the Originall is of harsh signification both amongst prophane Authors as miserable weake and wicked and in the Scriptures for such as shall die the second death such a feare as God hath not given his children the Spirit of a feare which maketh men miserable weake and feeble in minde wicked in practise to use any meanes to escape the evill they feare the high way to hell and that timiditie which the wise Heathen have opposed to the vertue of Fortitude and therefore reproved Why are yee fearefull Wherefore this reprehension must teach us both by divine and humane praier and all worldly wise meanes to bridle and restraine our passions that they exceed not measure nor we be transported with the violence of them to say or doe that which is evill but to remember the Apostolike caution Be angrie but sinne not be merry but sinne not be sory but sinne not be afraid but sinne not If you give way unto it it is a most painfull passion yea as Saint Iohn saith Such feare hath torment and maketh men bondslaves Heb. 2. 15. Christ had passions but blamelesse because his nature was most holy and pure And therefore as a glasse of snow-water though never so much shaken yet abideth cleare and pure but the glasse of muddie water though whilest it standeth still the mud sinder to the bottome and the top is cleare yet no sooner is shaken but the mud ariseth and all is defiled So howsoever in times of peace health and prosperitie our passions be moderate and calme and seeme cleare yet no sooner are troubled but they grow muddie yea defile our selves and all that come neare the raging sea did not more cast up mire and dirt than their troubled affections spirituall defilements for which cause Christ here reproved them Why are yee fearefull The second particular observation is What was the object of this feare Was it God or his judgements No they did feare a temporall not the eternall death water but not fire sea but not hell drowning but not burning a creature not the Creator they may truly say with David The terrors of death are fallen upon us fearefulnesse and trembling are come upon us and horror hath overwhelmed us Which our Saviour reproveth Why are yee fearefull And he teacheth us that Gods people should not immoderatly feare no not any manner of death A lesson which it behoveth us in these daies specially to take out for as the Apostle said If the word spoken by Angels was sted fast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recoÌ„pence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation So if these Disciples having heard and seene but a little and being now in such great perill yet are reproved for immoderate feare how much more shall wee be reproved to whom the Gospell of Christ hath beene so clearely revealed who have seene so many workes of Gods goodnesse mercy power as the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Christ into heaven Here is therefore a good lesson for us to labour that we be not immoderately afraid of death I say not not afraid of death at all for the best of Gods servants mentioned in holy Scripture as Moses David Iob Eliah Ezekiah and the rest have been I may say of them all as the Apostle saith of Eliah they were subject to this passion as wel as we Therefore he doth not say Why are yee afraid but fearefull yea as if the word were not sufficient to expresse the measure of their coÌ„sternation which yet is very significant as you have heard hee addeth thereunto an Adverb of affirmation So qâ—d Why are yee so exceedingly fearefull so fearefull beyond bounds and measure This being that he reproved in them and is reproveable in all his disciples viz. immoderate and excessiue feare of death Let us now see by what meanes Gods children may moderate the feare of death in them wherein I doe specially commend unto you these foure things viz. 1. A good cause 2. An honest life 3. A strong faith 4. Godly meditation on the good of Death First a great meanes to suppresse immoderate feare of death is to die if not for yet in a good cause Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall finde well doing Matth. 24. 46. It is a true saying It is not the punishment but the cause maketh a Martyr Christ hath not absolutely pronounced all blessed that suffer persecution but all such as suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake This was the joy of the Saints in old time that they could truly say Lord for thy sake are wee killed This caused the holy Martyrs of Christ in
desire for God heareth no prayer that is not made in faith And againe He will fulfil the desire of them that feare him Christ hath pronounced Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And againe To him that is athirst I will give to drinke of the well of life freely Hereunto I subscribe as unto the undoubted truth of God and Tenet of our Church which hath taught us thus to pray O God mercifull Father that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor the desire of such as be sorrowfull Whereupon I inferre this comfort for the refreshing of any wearied soule Doest thou see thy sins many great and grievous whereby thou knowest thou hast offended God and standest guilty and liable to all his curses and punishments in this life and the life to come Though in strength of faith thou canst not say Christ hath redeemed me from the curse of the Law Christ hath by his obedience reconciled me unto God and all my sinnes are forgiven only thou hopest thy sins are pardonable and thou desirest unfainedly that God would pardon them and be reconciled c. Be of good comfort here is the bud and seed of faith and in Gods acceptation true faith and thou shalt have thy desire And for confirmation hereof marke these two things First the true desire of Grace as Faith and Repentance is a sanctified desire a sanctified affectiō Now where the Spirit of God once beginneth to sanctifie he doth sanctifie throughout the minde memory and will as well as affections and he that is sanctified doth beleeve and is iustified Secondly this holy desire is a plaine evidence and fruit of the Spirit which stirreth up fighes and grones These desires cannot proceed from the flesh For that which is from the flesh is flesh and being from the Spirit it is an infallible argument that Christ dwelleth in us as Saint Iohn saith Hereby we know that Christ dwelleth in us even by his Spirit which he hath given us And doth Christ dwell in us Then surely we have faith For he dwelleth in the heart by faith Oh then be of good comfort humbled soule these holy motions and desires may assure thee thou art truly sanctified thou hast the Spirit of God thou hast a true faith though very little weake and feeble But me thinketh upon the delivery of this doctrine I see both the Wicked to lift up head set up bristles saying Nay if good desires will serve the turne we are well and shall be saved for I am sure we have enow of them and the Godly yet still to be of a deject countenance saying Alas what wicked man is there in the world but hath sometimes good desires I answer It is true that God sometimes bestoweth common gifts on the Reprobate and so in the judgement of man they goe often farre in the way of salvation but never any Reprobate ever had or shall have the least measure of justifying and saving faith that is only of Gods Elect and of such as are ordained to salvation And therefore all the fleshly desires of the Reprobate may be discerned from this true spirituall desire of the Elect. First by the continuance of it for the desires of the Reprobate are but like a flash of lightning sudden motions arising from hearing of the Word or some heavie judgement of God that lieth on them as Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly and did many things and had doubtlesse many good motions but all like the mornings dew if he be pleased with the dancing of a wanton Damsell he will cut off the Baptists head When the plague is on Pharaoh hee will send for Moses and Aaron and crie Pray pray but no sooner the plague removed but he is worse than before But the true desire abideth and increaseth as the light unto a perfect day Againe true faith is of an active and operative nature according to the measure of it it will work He that hath the true desire of peace and reconciliation with God by the merits of Christ it will make him use the meanes whereby the same is procured he that doth truly desire forgivenesse of sins and Gods favour will hate his sinnes and whatsoever he knoweth doth offend God The wicked cannot doe so Herod reverenced Iohn and heard him gladly but his heart was still set on Herodias and boiled in filthy incestuous lust Balaam would fain die the death of the righteous but careth not for their lives nor will use the meanes whereby such a blessed death is procured but his heart is still set upon the wages of ungodlinesse If then thou hast but the fore-named desire but thou feelest it powerfull within thee to worke more and more an hatred of thy sinnes and of all the meanes and occasions thereof and to use carefully the meanes which God hath appointed for the increase of faith and holinesse assuredly thou hast received the good seed of faith into thy heart and thou hast the bud which will in good time blossome knit and beare Thus that I have declared the least measure of saving faith let me for their further comfort that have it deduce a few most sweet conclusions The first is this The least and weakest true faith doth as perfectly justifie as the greatest and strongest The poore weake beleeving man that prayed Christ to helpe his unbeleefe was as perfectly justified as Abraham that was so strong in faith that he staggered not The Reason hereof is because faith doth not justifie in respect of it selfe as it is a gift or action or vertue inherent in us for then as it is more or lesse stronger or weaker so should we be more or lesse justified but faith doth justifie as it is the instrument whereby we apprehend and receive the object The object or matter of our justice is Christ and Christ is not received more or lesse according to the measure or degree of faith but Christ is either wholly received or refused and he that hath whole Christ hath his righteousnesse which is so perfect being the righteousnesse of God as cannot receive any augmentation or increase So that justification consisteth not in the strength and quantity but in the truth and quality of our faith God hath a touchstone to trie our faith 1 Pet. 1. 7. but not weights to weigh with regardeth the goodnesse not greatnesse heartinesse but not heavinesse The dimme and weake sighted were as well cured by beholding of the brazen Serpent as the cleare and strong the old poore sicke weake and palsie trembling hand may receive a precious pearle or a peece of gold as well as the young steddie and strong Oh what a comfort may this be to such as mourne and are grieved for the weaknesse of their faith that howsoever God may make a great difference and they may
the great wisdome of God glory shame power and weaknes majestie infirmitie so twisted mingled together that if the one trouble and offend the other may comfort and content He was borne but it was of a Virgin He was borne in a stable and laid in a manger but the Angels proclaimed him Herod sought to kill him but Kings came from the East to adore him He was baptised of his servāt but his Father gave testimonie and the Holy Ghost descended from heaven in likenesse of a Dove and rested upon him He was hungry in the Wildernesse but rebuked Sathan He sate on Iacobs Well weary but told the woman of Samaria that came to draw water all that ever shee did He wept for Lazarus but bade him come forth of the grave and he did so He did spit on the ground and made clay but with it he cured a man that had beene borne blinde He hanged on Crosse betwixt two theeves but the Sunne was darkned and the earth trembled He slept but rebuked the wind and sea Remember your question What manner of man is this A man but an extraordinarie man Remember your answer This man is the Sonne of God and that doth the reason of the question shew which commeth now to be considered viz. That even the winds and the sea obey him In which words the Reason both of their Admiration and Interrogation as the cause and effect is rendred To which purpose the words in the Originall are very significant For first there is a double particle which in the former place is augmentative translated even etiam as else-where also With authoritie commandeth he even the uncleane spirits and they doe obey him q. d. What manner of man is this that not only men women children birds beasts but even the very uncleane spirits and even winds and sea obey him The word in the Hebrew copie translated obey doth also signifie to hearken diligently to intend earnestly and to obey readily and perfectly The Greeke word also signifieth no lesse that winds and seas did heare intend and speedily and faithfully obey the voice of Christ Here then is represented unto us the soveraigne dignitie power and authoritie that Christ hath over all creatures and which all creatures though never so sturdie rebellious or senslesse doe acknowledge It is a Doctrine I have already handled but suffer me suffer me willingly I beseech you to inlarge my meditations and ampliate my discourse What sweeter Argument can I handle or you heare What Subject doth not delight to speake of the majestie dominion power wealth and glory of his King And can I speake of any Argument more pleasing and delightfull than of his kingdome majestie dominion glory seeing all these he hath for our good Oh that my tongue were as the pen of a ready writer to indite his honour yea that I had the tongue of an Angell to speake of the glory of thy kingdome and to talke of thy power to make knowne to the sonnes of men thy mighty acts and the glorious majestie of thy kingdome Thy kingdome is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations Yea I should have an hand to write a tongue to speake if with Solomon I had an heart as large as the sand for of the abundance thereof both hand doth write and tongue doth speake Oh that I could say with the Apostle Mine heart is inlarged and my mouth opened but alas I am straitned in mine owne bowels Oh that I had the spirit of David when hee penned that most excellent curious Alphabetical and Encomiasticall Psalme How did he abound in zeale when he said I will extoll thee my God ô King and I will blesse thy name for ever and ever Every day will I blesse thee and praise thy name for ever and ever Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised there is no end of his greatnesse One generation shall praise thy works to another and declare thy mighty acts They shall abundantly utter the memoriall of thy goodnesse Oh that I had the spirit of S. Augustine when he wrote upon that Psalme wherein if ever he exceeded himselfe Shall Christ in such a famous miracle set forth his glorious majestie and dominion and shall wee thinke and speake so little of it We must be content here to wish and desire hereafter we shall enjoy here to serve God according to the weaknesse of the flesh hereafter according to the perfection of spirit here to praise God in briefes and semibriefes hereafter in larges and longs here but to tune our Harps and instruments when ever and anon a string breaketh or starteth and causeth an harsh jarre sweet shall be the musick in the Quire of heaven when Angels and Saints shall without wearisomnesse or end praise him whose glory and dominion hath no end As there is no end of his greatnesse number of his wisdome nor measure of his bounty so shall there be no end number or measure of our praise But now alas our spirit is strait wit dull speech dumbe that we may justly complaine with the Apostle when we take even the best dutie in hand To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not As Christ said of his Disciples it is most true in the best of us Though spirit be willing flesh is weake Wherein this is our comfort that we serve so good a Master as accepteth of that we have and so there be a willing minde it is accepted Let me then expresse my willingnesse striking once againe upon the same string for a close but varying in the descant from that you have heard already Herein Lord Iesu leade me with thy good spirit as thou art the King of Maiestie as well as of mercy untie my stammering tongue that thy name may be glorified by thy weakest creature and a worme of the earth may speake wisely of thy Maiestie who art King of Kings Prince of the Kings of the earth and hast on thine head so many Crownes yea the winds and seas obey thee Amen First let us see how this great King of heaven hath commanded all creatures to serve for the temporall good of his children according to his gracious promise They that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good they that seeke the Lord and his kingdome shall have all earthly things even cast upon them Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth Being Christs all is theirs All will helpe nothing hurt them Doe they want bread or flesh The clouds shall raine it Do they want water The rocke shall be a fountaine Doe they want apparell Sheepe with fleece and skin shall clothe them Doe they want gold or silver God hath laid it up in veines of the