people and exiles from the Covenant in the day of their distresses much more will he comfort his own people A father will not take care of a Kite and neglect his child Hagar was comforted and Ishmael in a necessary instant when the bottle was spent and they knew not what to doe Further in temporall mercies God answereth his people seasonably When Aegypt's flower was spent then it rained Mannah I may instance in Sampsons thirst Elijahs fasting c. An Angel a Raven a Brook a Widow-woman were his Purveyers But I 'le enlarge the proofe in spirituall things and persons Daniel found divine assistance in the Lions den Dan. chap. 6. 22. chap. 9. 21 22. My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions mouthes that they have not hurt mee Forasmuch as before him innocency was found in mee and also before thee O King have I done noe hurt chap. 9. Yea whiles I was speaking in praier even the man Gabriel whom I had seene in the vision at the beginning being caused to fly swiftly touched me about the time of evening oblation David amidst multitudes of distracting thoughts found God his comfort Ps 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my soule Paul in a â—ore conflict met with seasonable refreshing comforts 2 Cor. 12. 9. And he said unto mee my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon mee so true is that Ps 126. 1. When the Lord turned againe the captivity of Zion we were like them that dreame then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great thinges for them Isai 16. 1 2 3. The spirit of the Lord God is upon mee because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meeke he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaime liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaime the acceptable yeare of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourne to appoint unto them that mourne in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse that they might be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified When there 's a double tale of bricks required Cum duplicantur lateres veniâ— deus then comes God and brings deliverance when 430 yeares for Israels comming out of Aegypt 70 for comming out of Babylon 13 for the daughter of Abraham 36 for the impotent cripple were expired then came seasonable deliverance So for morning for sin In that day and whilst Mary was weeping Christ came When the Disciples were going to Emmaus and discoursing of Christ then comes Christ and cleares up their judgments 2 Scripture Reasons Reason 1. The scripture reasons are 1. Because God hath prefixed and limited a peculiar time for deliverance When the fit season is come the appointed time of God then deliverance will come and will not tarry Heb. 10. 36 37. For yee have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry 2. God would have a people prepared for him Mat. 3. 3. This Reason 2 is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the wildernesse Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight 3. The price of the mercy will be the more esteemed O how Reason 3 welcome was a deliverance to Israel in the brick-Kilne misery will make us prizâ— mercy at the highest rate 4. The greater glory will redound to God when he helpes at a Reason 4 time of need Ps 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble 5. It 's usuall with God to looke upon a people in a low estate that Reason 5 it may appeare that none but a God can bring deliverance Isai 33. 9. 10. The earth mourneth and languisheth Lebanon is ashamed and hâ—wen downe Sharon is like a wildernesse and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits Now will I rise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my selfe Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left 2 Kings 14. 26. For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter for there was not any shut up nor any left nor any helper for Israel Thus was the poore woman healed by Iesus Christ when she lost all upon Physitians And joy came after a great mourning in my text 6. All the gifts and graces of the spirit will be set a working viz. Reason 6 of prayer faith love hope patience and when joy comes as the birth and issue of all these O how welcome will deliverance be Now I le cast the scripture counsells into an use of exhortation Vse 1 1. Be exhorted to possesse your soules with patience Luke 21. â—9 In your patience possesse ye your soules Heb. 10. 36. For yee have need of patience that after yee have done the will of God yee might receive the promise Be patient waite quietly upon God 2. Encourage your selves in God so did David 1 Sam 30. 6. 3. Learn to live by faith Heb. 2. 4. The just shall live by faith 4. Be much in prayer Aske and ye shall receive 5. Limit not the holy one of Israel to times or meanes It was the Israelites great fault in Limiting the holy one of Israel 6. Take heed of omitting duties or of abating of love zeale meditation c. Adde to thy duties If God send not comfort at one time it may come at another and that may be a more convenient time Knock harder cry lowder wrestle tug harder at the oare But the other doctrine is the Principall which I intend and I Doctrine 2 shall handle it more largly That there 's a fountaine c. The invitations are many Isai 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no monâ—y come ye bye and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price Iohn 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke Rev. 22. 17. And the spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say come And let him that is athirst come And whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely Rev. 21. 6. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely And the vertues of this fountaine are set forth John 4. 14.
to Christ that onely constrains us to suffer for him Thirdly They cannot sympathize with the sufferings of Gods people they are so far from being afflicted with them that they rejoyce in their afflictions and adde affliction unto affliction They that are of this temper will never suffer for Iesus Christ The second use shall be for Tryal and Examination whether you Vse 2. For Tryal and examination have a suffering Faith yea or no Many springs move many to suffer as a natural Conscience and a natural Pride and stoutness of Spirit A man may give his Body to be burnt and yet want love to Iesus Christ Here 's the grand Question What 's that Faith which will be a true Q. What 's that faith which wil be a suffering faith A Faith is a Christians life effectual suffering Faith For Answ 1. That Faith which is thy life amidst all deaths thy supply amidst all wants thy supportation consolation amidst all troubles thy meat and drink houshold-stuff thy Riches and Revenues this will carry thee through sufferings that Faith which makes thee live upon Christ in all straights srovvns crosses losses and hardships this will make thee undergoe the worst of evils for him who is the chiefest good It 's not said that a man shall live by his Wits Lands or Labours but by his Faith Hab. 2. 4. The Just shall live by Faith 2. That Faith which is rooted and grounded upon the love of Christ will constrain thee to suffer for him Love made Jacob endure 2. Faith is grounded upon the love of Christ his hard service chearfully for his beloved Rachel Love made Moses wish himself to be blotted out of the Book of Life And Paul wisht himself Anathema for the Jews none so ready to die for Christ as the love-sick Spouse Many waters cannot quench her love Cant. 8. 7. It s love to Christ that will make thee willing to do and suffer any thing for him 3. If thy Faith can carry thee well through the temptations of 3. Faith carryeth through temptations of Prosperity and Adversity Foelix ille quem nec fortuita attollunt nec adversa deprimuÌ„t Senec. 4. Faith keeps up the heart in the use of means prosperity it is probable that it will carry thee through the tryal of Adversity If Faith will keep thee from swelling in prosperity it will keep thee from breaking in adversity 'T is a strong Stomack that will digest much Honey It 's a strong Faith that will not be allured by the sweetness pleasures and profits of the world He 's happy whom prosperity lifts not up nor adversity breaks 4. That Faith will make thee suffer that keeps thy heart up in the use of good means even then when all things goe against thee David then most repairs to the Sanctuary Psal 73 17. Vntil I went into the Sanctuary of God I knew it not but hereby I understood their end And see his behaviour at Ziglag 1 Sam 30. 6. And David was greatly distressed for the People spake of stoning of him because the soul of all the People was grieved every man for his sons and for his daughters but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Rabshekah falls a railing and Hezekiah falls a Praying Observe well if Faith keep you in love to frequent Exercise of holy Duties though as yet you feel nothing coming in yet still continue in the practice of them and dare in no case sit loose from them but follow Christ from Ordinance to Ordinance and enquire every where after your Beloved this is that Faith questionless that will carry you through sufferings 5. That Faith which purifies thy Conscience reforms thy Life 5. Faith purifieth the heart and resigns thy Will wholly to the will of God this will make thee suffer for Christ Onely an holy unfained Faith will make thee to suffer Such a Faith the Apostle had which made him not be afraid of the King of Terrors Phil. 1. 21. For to me to live is Christ to die is gain That Faith will prove a sound suffering Faith that will engage thee to venture soul estate and body upon the free grace of God in Iesus Christ This will make thee to cast thy burthen upon the Lord and flie to him as a Sanctuary as a refuge from the Storm and as a shadow from the heat Examine whether thou canst produce these Symptomes of thy Faith The third Use shall be for Exhortation Be willing to undergoe Vse 3. For Exhortation any hardship loss or cross for Jesus Christ Consider what times you live in what contempt is powred out upon those great Ordinances of Divine Institution viz. Magistracy and Ministry Perhaps God intends thee for a Martyr A few preparations I conceive seasonable 1. Make account of suffering We may fear God is bringing confusion Prepar 1. Make account of sufferings and desolation upon the Kingdom If we consider the Ataxies and Anarchy's thereof we may take up that complaint Ezek. 19. 14. A fire is gone out of a rod of her branches which hath devoured her fruit so that she hath no strong rod to be a Scepter to rule this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation I neither profess my self Statesman nor Politician neither do I intermeddle out of my own Sphear and Calling onely as a Minister of God I counsel you in the Language of the Holy Ghost Jer. 6. 8. Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lâ—st my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a land not inhabited Prepare for troubles and afflictions for the end of one trouble may be the beginning of another as when a man hath escaped a Beare a Lyon meets him and after he hath escaped the Lyon and leans his hand upon the wall a Serpent out of the Wall comes and bites him know then that you are fore-appointed unto sufferings so saith the Apostle 1 Thess 3. 3. That no man may be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that we are apointed thereunto Praecogitati mali mollior ictus Xeno suffering Ship-wrack said Jam didici Philosophari By our sufferings let us learn to be better Christians The second preparative is to get a self-denying spirit 't is self Prepar 2. Get a self-denying spirit that makes us shye of the Crosse selfe must be first denyed Severall selfes must be denyed selfe-opinion selfe-counsels selfe-righteousness self-excellencies self-will self-comforts selfâ—ends All these selves must be denyed for Jesus Christ let it suffice onely to mention these at present I proceed to another Preparative And that 3. Is to set upon the practice of Mortification The Apostle protesteth Prepar 3. Set upon the practice of Mortification that he dyeth daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily Strive to get thy corruptions mortified thy ill humors purged thy affections crucified thy filthy garments took away
strength and power in the hands of men if they mis-imploy it God can give strength to wounded men to do great exploits For though ye had smitten the Jer. 37. 10. whole army of the Caldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn this city with fire And God can cause the lame to take the prey Thy tacklings are loosed they could not well strengthen their Isa 33. 23. mast they could not spread the sail then is the prey of a great spoil divided the lame take the prey Let us leave off murmuring and repining and wait to see what God will do with us and for us His time is next He will bring to pass his own work his own way to his own glory The third and last Argument I shall name shall be drawn from Arg. 3. Drawn from the benefit of waiting Isa 40. 31. the singular benefit and utility of the duty Art thou weak wait and thou shalt receive strength They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up on wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Art thou afraid of shame and disgrace lest contempt and ignominy be cast upon the Church of God see what the Prophet Isaiah saith It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers Isa 40. 22 23. that stretcheth out the heaven as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in that bringeth the Princes to nothing he maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity Dost thou desire Gods blessing wait and thou shalt have it And therefore doth the Lord wait that he Isa 30. 18. may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you For the Lord is a God of judgement Blessed are all they that wait for him God knows when and how to help his Cum duplicaÌ„tur lateres venit Deus Isa 3â— 9 10 people In the mount God will be seen When the Bricks were doubled then came God and delivered the Israelites from their Aegyptian bondage The earth mourneth languisheth Lebanâ—n is ashamed and hewed down Sharon is like a wilderness and Bashan and Carmâ—l shake off their fruits Now will I rise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my self When helps from earth have been cut off then help came from Heaven When Abraham was stretching forth his hand to kill Isaac then the Angel said Stay thy hand When David was hemm'd in on every side then a way was made for his escape by the Philistines Invasion When Paul was a killing and they were beating of him to beat out his life then came news of an Insurrection in Jerusalem and by that diversion Paul was repreived God hath a way of escape for his people in Fire and Water When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the Isa 43. 2 3. rivers they shall not over-flâ—w thee when thou walkâ—st thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Sometimes they have their lives for a prey other times they are made a prey and suffer in a common calamity Yet though the Saints suffer they have an hiding-place And a man shall be as an hiding-place from Isa 32. 2. the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shaddow of a great rock in a weary land They have a Pella a Zoar sometimes where they may securely escape with their lives yet they have always a refuge and shelter in the Divine Promises They have a rock higher then themselves from the end of the earth saith the Psalmist will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed Psalm 61. 2. lead me to the rock that is higher then I. It 's an obliged duty to wait upon the Counsels of God By waiting we may look for good successe because we goe Gods way by murmuring or reviling we cannot look for comfort because we goe the way of flesh and blood By patience the pain and anguish of our fore is mitigated by impatience it corrodes and is inrag'd Thus far of the Doctrinal part I shall improve all unto four Use 1. For Terror Uses viz. For Reprehension Exhortation Direction and Consolation It breathes forth terror and severe reproof unto the murmuring spirits of these present times Never more complaining in our Streets Oh! we would have peace upon any tearms when will the Sword be put into the sheath when shall the Kingdom be setled That complaint is frequently taken up Hast thou utterly rejected Judah Hath thy soul loathed Zion Why hast thou smitten us and Jer. 14. 1â— there is no healing for us we looked for peace and there is no good and for the time of healing but behold trouble For Answer I expostulate with Jehu What Peace What Peace with Rome What Peace with Benhadad What Peace with falshood Peace upon such tearms will prove but a Body massacring a Soul-murdering Peace What Peace with our lusts and corruptions Till they be slaughtered what peace can we expect Can we expect a cessation of punishing before there be a cessation of sinning Can we expect peace with men as long as we continue at War with God For all those Monethly Fasts and days of Humiliation where 's a serious Reformation of our hearts and lives You know how hasty Saul was he forced himself to sacrifice and would not stay till Samuel came it cost him his Kingdom The Israelites would not wait Gods time but were hasty for an encounter with the Amalekites and you may see what they got by it they fell before them and were discomfited unto Hormah Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill and smote Numb 14. 45. them and discomfited them even unto Hormah And what 's the ground of this hastiness of spirit It 's infidelity because we believe not God upon his Word we are such hot spurres we out-run Providence and antidate Deliverance We go devised ways untract pathes according to secret impulses quite contrary to the rode of the Word did we believe the faithfulness of God That he is faithful that hath promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church we should possess our selves with patience and wait quietly for deliverance We usually say that hasty men never want woe Rash preproperous and preposterous practices are the ruine of practitioners An impatient man is a gate without an hinge Janua sine cardine What shame is it for a Christian to be like Hercules furens or like the Demoniack mentioned in the Gospel rending and tearing himself An impatient male-contented person is Felo de se his own Executioner What a weakness was it in
David so to be overwhelm'd in sorrovv for Absalom and in Jonah so to lament the loss of his Gourd The loss of Revenues profits in the Trade Liberty Oh how doth it stick near a man But where 's the acting of Faith Now the just shall live by faith and if any man draw back my soul Heb. 10. 38. shall have no pleasure in him A true Believer lives by Faith when Trading decays Lively-hood and Profit decays Now let 's learn to live by Faith Though thou shouldst loose all there is enough in the Promises to make up all with Interest if thou canst but make them thine ovvn by particular Application Much time is thrown away in passing our censures one upon another reviling this or that instrument I plead not in the least for any but utterly abhor any irregular practices or indirect ways but I press patience and submission unto Gods will to look thorow all instruments and secondary causes unto the first cause to hear the rod and who hath appointed it The Lords voice cryeth unto the city and the man of Micah 6 ◠wisdom shall see thy name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it It 's a doggish quality to snarle at a stone and not look at the hand that throws it Pray then fervently and watch against infidelity and an impatient and murmuring spirit The Lord lay them not unto our charge We might have been in Canaan long ere this had we not been murmurers in the Wilderness I know well that our condition is so lamentable that we can neither bear diseases nor remedies And complaints finde no better entertainment then in those times wherein the best of Historians lived and said in his Presace That complaints Querclae ne tum quidem gratae cum sorsan necessariae Liv. Praef. are not pleasing no not then when they are necessary There 's much bitterness and implacableness upon mens spirits devouring and calumniating one another Such expostulations are rise where is the promise of his coming Where 's the reformation so much spoken of Where 's the removing of the burthens letting the oppressed go free breaking the bread to the hungry cloathing the naked such are peculiar duties for a Fast Is there not rather fasting for strife and debate to smite with the first of wickedness I aggravate these things no further but onely let me tell you as there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spots in your Fasting-days Let 's bewail them with tears of blood let 's fast for our former Fastings and be humbled for our out-side Humiliations and lay to heart our negligent services and deprecate that curse that hangs over our heads for performing the work of the Lord negligently The Lord may call us to an account as justly as he did the Jews Zech. 7. 5. Did ye at all fast unto me even to me In the second place I proceed to an Use of Exhortation Let me Use 2. For Exhortation press home the duty of the Text to wait for the fulfilling of the Vision in these concussions and commotions when men are at their wits end and wonder what vvill be the issue Oh let 's take heed of impatience and murmuring let 's bevvare of tumultuous murmuring spirits of tempestuous affections Though there be a storm abroad vve should endeavour after a serene quiet spirit at home A calmness upon our spirits vvill be of singular use for us amidst the fluctuating condition of the Kingdom Every one will be ready to ask What shall we doe How shall we demean our selves in these dark times Such questions as these require an answer and a word spoken in due season is like apples of gold in pictures of silver I will advise nothing as a States-man that 's out of my Sphere nor as a subtle Politician for such Policy is the bane of Religion but from direct warrant out of the Word of God By way of advice I commend unto your thoughts these ensuing Propositions which I take to be Propositions of Eternall Truth 1. It 's unlawful to do any evill that the least good may come Prop. 1. It 's unlawful to do evil that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. thereof And not rather saith the Apostle as we slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just God needs not our lies to maintain his cause This was Rebockah's and Jacob's fault for the compassing of a good end to betake themselves to indirect means This is a broken refuge Isa 28. 15 17. and will fail Because ye have said we have made a Covenant with death and with hell are we at agreement when the over flowing scourge shall passe thorow it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falshood have hid our selves Therefore thus saith the Lord Judgement will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow the hiding place Augustine is resolute that if it was possible by an officious lie to compass the Redemption of the whole World yet so weighty and universal a good must be rather let fall then brought about by the smallesst evil 2. Another Proposition for confirmation is That no good intentions Prop. 2. Good meanings cannot justifie a bad action 1 Chron. 13. 10 and meanings can ever justifie the doing of any evill action Vzzah's intention was good but because against the rule he was punished with death He invaded the Priests Office and therefore the Lord smote him dead upon the place 3. It 's the duty of Christians to walk by rule and keep close to Prop. 3. We must walk by rule Isa 8. 20. it and that 's the written Word of God To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to these it is because they have no light in them Let 's not be a rule to our selves nor follow extraordinary impulses upon our spirits and revelations but bring all to the touch-stone Let 's try all things and hold fast that which is good and let the Scripture be the Umpire let 's acquiess altogether in its determinations As many as walk according to this rule peace be on Gal. 6. 16. them and mercy and on the Israel of God 'T is not any rule but this rule If an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Doctrine then what is contained in the Scriptures let him be accursed Whatever Seekers Familists Enthusiasts c. pretend to live above Ordinances and so they are indeed as much above Ordinances as a Swine is above a Pearl which it tramples under feet I say all their Lights however new are but Ignes fatui false Lights to lead us into dangerous destructive ways Let 's therefore for every action look unto the rule bring every thing to rule and square all by
us to repentance to Dan. 4. 27. break off our sins by repentance that our tranquillity may be lengthned and that there may be a healing of our errors The use we are to make is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 6. Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Let us not pass uncharitable censures upon others as greater sinners for greater sufferings but remember that except we Luke 13. 5. repent we shall likewise perish Seventhly and lastly Let us consider how the Spirit of God 7 The Spirit strives by personal judgements strives by personal Judgements inslicted on our selves There is a Judgement of chastisement and a Judgement of revenge God sends Judgements by way of revenge upon the wicked of the World but by way of chastisement unto his own children When God takes away thy riches and other outward comforts as a childe a wife c. by these the Spirit of God strives with thee and sends thee to God to inquire into the cause and walk more closely and humbly with God and thy duty is to pray to God to teach thee what thou understandest not If God send thee a sore disease a grievous pain suppose the Stone Strangury Collick c. by all these the Spirit strives with thee and reads thee a Lecture of thy Mortality and warneth thee to make a serious and speedy preparation for death Afflictions are sent by God as Scullions to scour away the rust and canker of Gods children They are the Shepheards Dogs to bring home the straying Sheep Luther saith Afflictions teach us to understand Scripture Where God teacheth with the rod there he bestoweth a choice blessing Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law God sends affliction on an errand Go affliction take down such a mans pride goe awaken another from his security Affliction is Gods Ordinance and with the same hand he gives Jesus Christ that he gives correction to his own children Thus the Spirit strives by personal judgements and afflictions The use we must continually make is Heb. 12. 5 6. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Hence saith the Apoâ—â—le Rom. 5. 3. We glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience and Jamâ—s 1. 2. My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations The rod hath a voice and we are call'd upon Mich. 6. 9. Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Thus you have heard how Gods Spirit strives by its motions by the Ministery of the Word the checks of Conscience tenders of Mercy exercise of patience and long-suffering inslicting of exemplary and signal Judgements upon others and personal Judgements upon our selves Now the Lord give us his Grace and teach us to make much of and cherish the strivings of his holy Spirit and let us all deprecate the fearful judgement in the Text My spirit shall no longer strive with you Iudgement and Mercy Set forth from Gen. 6. 3. HAving dispatcht those two Particulars according to my Serm. 3. at St. Mary's Oxon Jan. 19. 1651. Three Reasons of the Doctrine Reas 1. From the Text because man is flesh method propounded in the unfolding of this Text In the third place I am to enquire into the Grounds and â—easons for the further confirmation of the Point Amongst many that may be given I shall reduce the Reasons of the Text into three Heads The first shall be drawn from the very reason in the Text for that he also is flesh Man is corrupted by reason of sin Man was created statu integro in integrity and innocency resembling the Image of God in righteousness and holiness but now statu corrupto by reason of Adams prevarication he became depraved in the faculties of his soul and all the members of his body and they are become instruments unto wickedness The Holy Ghost sets forth sinful man in a full Character Psal 14. 1 2 3. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doeth good The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men to see whether there were any that did understand and seek God They are all gone aside they are become altogether filthy there is none that doth good no not one Suppose we heard the Lord thus expostulating the case Is this man Is this he that I advanced to the highest rank of visible Creatures whom I created after mine own Image whom I endowed with noble faculties an understanding the bright luminary of the soul to know his Maker and a will to obey him Is he now become flesh fleshly in his imagination fleshly minded Doth he walk after the flesh minding the things of the flesh Hath he thus turn'd Apostate rebell'd against his Lord and Maker This charge being all very true wherefore should I have any more to do with him wherefore should my Spirit strive with vile sinful flesh Thus God might plead and in judgement withdraw the strivings of his holy Spirit Betwixt the spirit and the flesh what agreement can there be The Spirit will not thus be unequally yoaked since man is become thus fleshly thus depraved such a degenerate Plant so corrupt its just with Gods spirit to strive no longer with man By flesh in Scripture is comprehended a Mass of corruption Apostoli verba docent haec duo affectuum genera esse opposita Quae ut intelligamus constitutuÌ„ fit affectum carnis nihil aliud esse quam usum virium humanaruâ— semotâ gratiâ Affectus autem spiritus est impulsus divini afflatus usus gratiae Christi Pet. Mart. in Loc. man in his worst estate Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh What is predicated of it v. 6 7 8 9. To be carnally minded is death because the carnal minde is enmity against God So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God And what an Antithesis is there between flesh and spirit v. 13. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live The same disproportion there is as between death and life heaven and hell salvation and damnation That God strives with any is a great mercy that the Spirit waits knocking at our doors when as he might knock us down dead O great mercy But when the Spirit strives and flesh resists its motions the Spirit spends his sacred breath wooing us and inviting us to do good unto our own souls and the carnal minde bids defiance unto the Spirit of grace when notwithstanding all the beseechings wooings and sollicitations of the Spirit the flesh rebels carnal
not be bitternesse in the end but where God is the most bitter pill of affliction is sweet and pleasant St Bernard hath a speciall Bernard Orat de bonis deserendis observation in a declamation de bonis deserendis non Isaac sed aries morietur c. If you be willing to sacrifice your Isaac which signifies laughter i. e. your pleasure your Isaac your pleasure shall not dye it is the Ramme the stubbornesse of spirit which shall dye but your Isaac shall live you shall have pleasure still Wherefore cast downe all your joyes comforts and pleasures at Gods feet in an humble submission saying Lord here they are do with me and them what seemes good in thine eyes When the heart is thus took of the world it 's in a fit temper and is best qualified for the comforts of God and over and above when thy spirit is in this frame of resignation of all unto God he in mercy may vouchsafe unto thee the comfortable fruition of them Thus you have heard what Demonstrations I have propounded for the evincing of this pretious Doctrine that all joy and comfort amidst the greatest discomforts is to be found in God Now that I may presse what hath been said home unto your Applicat practice 1. I shall inferre something by way of comfort unto those that make the Lord the joy of their soules 2. In the next place I shall exhort you unto so excellent and necessary duty 3. In the last place I shall lay downe some Directions how this sacred duty of rejoycing in God ought to be exexercised within these limits I shall confine my ensueing Application In the first place this discovers unto us the comfortable condition Vse 1. For Comfort of the Children of God O blessed men whose hope and comfort the Lord is comfort yee comfort yee my people saith the Lord to these comfort appertaines as their peculiar right and interest let them amidst greatest calamities lift up their heads for their redemption draweth nigh All the sufferings of Christ his sweating of drops of blood were for them Christ wept that they might rejoyce he drunk a cup of gall and vinegar that they might drink a cup of new wine in the Kingdome of Heaven and he wore a Crowne of Thornes that they might weare a Crowne of Glory Oh! be not dismayed at any evill tydings and mourne not as men with out hope notwithstanding the confusion and troubles of the Land of our Nativity Let faith hope and patience be exercised Hope is the propp of the righteous that stayes the soule from falling were it not for hope the heart would breake in these conflicting daies of sin where there are such sad thoughts of heart for the afflictions of Joseph and for the divisions of Reuben We know not what to do we have no strength of our selves but let me tell you as Nehemiah did the Jewes Neh. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is your strength Hee 's a fountaine inexhausted though the Cisternes of the Creatures are drawne dry he continues a God of strength though all sublunary things are as weak as water when Parents forsake a man then the Lord takes pitty upon him when riches make themselves wings and flye away as an Eagle towards heaven God becomes thy riches and inricheth thee with grace and so thou gainest by thy lossesse As Joseph told Pharaoh God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace so say I God shall answer thy doubts and let in peace and tranquility into thy soule Melchior Adamus records this observeable passage in Melchior Adamus In vita Oecolampadii the life of Oecolampadius when some of his friends askt him whether the light did not offend him Tangens pectus inquit abunde lucis est he clapt his hands upon his breast and said here 's light enough When the light of God shines in thy bosome and thou discernest Gods reconciled countenance in Christ thou hast enough Strive therefore to exterminate all thoughts of doubtting and diffidence feare not stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord. However things go with thee though clouds hang over thee and they resolve and melt thy heart into abundance of teares and sorrowes yet let my Prophets resolution set thy affections a working yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation 2. In the second place suffer I beseech you my brethren the Vse 2. For Exhortation word of Exhortation Oh! that I could perswade you to your duty I shall branch it out into three particulars 1. To make God your joy 2. To account him your treasure 3. To have recourse to him as your refuge 1. Make God your joy There 's no man but hath some principle Dut. 1. Make God your joy of joy or inward working motion within his own bosome and according to the variety of fansies and humours the joyes and comforts are bottom'd upon a various and different ground 1. One man fixeth his joy upon his riches A 2. Upon his honour and reputation A 3. Upon his delights and pleasures But the Godly mans honours riches pleasures are wholly terminated upon the Lord his God When the man in the Gospell had bought the field wherein he found the pearle of price he was ravisht with joy beyond expression and apprehension The grace of God revealed to the soule of man is this Gemme of superlative estimation thou must part with all thy riches pleasures and comforts nay with all the world for this and thou hereby makest the wisest bargaine that ever was made For by the losse of earth thou gainest heaven what joy possest the spirit of the Eunuch after Phillip had baptized him and brought Christ home unto him the Text saith he went away rejoycing Such is the joy of a spiritualliz'd man whose God is his joy and Consolation though troubles and miseries come thick and threefold yet his heart is fixed upon Mount Zion that it cannot be removed nay upon the God of Zion There 's some inward working principle that will swallow up all discomforts whatsoever This spirituall joy dasheth all carnall joyes This is the only true sollid joy arising from Gods reconciled countenance in Christ which makes a man rejoyce in the Holy Ghost with joy unspeakable and full of glory It 's said in Judges that the young Levites heart was glad when the children of Dan proffer'd promotion to him much more joy resides in the spirituall mans soule and conscience when he thinks of his Crownes and of the joyes of Heaven and of the sweet uninterrupted Communion with Jesus Christ unto all eternity Oh! then make God thy joy The serenity of his countenance will dissipate all these clouds the refreshings and those soule ravishing comforts of Christ will infinitely exceed the greatest discomforts in the Universe The joy of the world may be took from thee by the men of the world There are many Anabaptisticall Antiministeriall spirits