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A73836 Seuen godlie and fruitfull sermons. The six first preached by Master Iohn Dod: the last by Master Robert Cleauer. Whereunto is annexed, a briefe discourse, touching, 1. Extinguishing of the spirit, 2. Murmuring in affliction Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625.; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634. 1614 (1614) STC 6944; ESTC S109731 185,148 341

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neither shall they haue grace by drops but whole flouds thereof shall be poured vpon them for God can as easily ouerflow their soules therewith as the ground with waters when it stands in need thereof But what shall they be the better for this what benefit shall they find thereby The Prophet telleth vs in that very place Vers 4. They shall grow as among the grasse and as willowes by the riuers of waters No raine can make the grasse so fresh and greene no riuer can cause the trees that are planted thereby so to flourish and prosper as the Spirit of God will euery thirsty soule when it is plentifully poured thereupon A second meanes to obtaine the Spirit with a daily encrease of the gifts and graces thereof is to pray for it as euery one will that doth heartilie long for it and to beleeue that wee shall haue it and that wee may doe so our Sauiour maketh a notable argument for vs. Luke 11.12 Aske saith he and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall find c. Obiect Oh but I am vnworthie might some say both to aske and to receiue any thing at Gods hand Ans Why saith Christ If yee which are euill can giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shal your heauenly father giue the holy Ghost to them that aske it As if he should haue said You haue no matter of desert in you and therefore you are discouraged from prayer but what merite is there in one of your little children which are full of frowardnesse of brawling and vnquietnesse yet if they aske any thing of you that you conceiue to bee good for them you will presentlie grant it vnto them Now if you that are sinfull can passe by the infirmities of your children and giue them such things as are needfull though you haue made them no promise and you cannot relieue them without cost and paines vnto your selues nay many times not without pinching your selues and sparing from your owne backs and bellies if you I say that are euill can deale thus louingly and kindly with your children how much more wil your heauenly father who is the God of all goodnes yea goodnes it selfe deale fauourably with his children hauing made a promise vnto them it being no paines nor charges vnto him to bestow a plentifull measure of spirituall graces vpon them and especially seeing that the more liberall hee is that way vnto them the more glory shall thereby redound vnto his great name If then we desire the Spirit of grace in an aboundant measure let vs craue it at the hands of the Lord who giueth of the same liberallie and casteth no man in the teeth and we may the more comfortably and confidently do thus because we liue in those happy times wherein the Lord hath promised to poure his Spirit vpon all flesh Ioel 2.28 and to bestow as excellent gifts and graces vpon ordinarie Christians as the most worthy men had in the time of the law A third meanes to get and increase the vertues of the holy Ghost is with reuerence and conscience to hearken vnto the word for as the Apostle saith Gal. 3.2 the Spirit is not bestowed for any goodnesse in vs or through any workes wrought by vs but God of his free mercy giueth it and conueigheth it vnto his children by the preaching of the Gospell And againe the same Apostle perswading the Thessalonians not to quench the spirit 1. Thes 5. for that is the best fire in the house and without it men must needs freeze in woe and sorrow and misery he saith 1. Cor. 14.3 despise not prophecying that is the ordinarie ministery of the word when it is truly expounded and faithfullie and wiselie applied as may be most for the edification of the hearers This is as it were the fuel whereby the fire of God is continued and increased in our soules and as we are more carefull in this duty of laying vp the word in our hearts so shal we find the warmth or rather heate of the Spirit to bee more aboundant and more constant in vs. Lastly if we would haue the holy Ghost continually working in vs with great efficacie let vs labour euermore to keepe an humble and broken heart and beware of pride and all vaine conceipt of our selues as the very rocke against which the ship wherein the Spirit is carried doth as it were make shipwracke for God resisteth the proud 1. Pet. 5.5 and giueth grace to the humble If one haue a hauty heart though there be no body else that seekes his ouerthrow the Lord will bring him downe but if any haue a meeke and lowly heart there is a palace for the Lord himselfe Isai 57.15 who will dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life to them that are of a broken heart In the last place here is an vse of comfort for all such as are endued with the Spirit of grace Vse 5 sith that is the foutaine of all happinesse therefore are they blessed people and shall bee blessed what crosses soeuer they meete withall And what oppositions soeuer they finde either from Satan himselfe or from any of his limmes those that are once ingraffed into Christ and are become plants of the liuing God haue the streames of liuing waters running through their hearts and therefore must of necessitie prosper and flourish though the beate of persecution or any manner of affliction beate neuer so violently vpon them Indeed if wicked enemies of the Church could withdraw and withhold Gods spirit from the hearts of his children then might they hinder their happinesse and make them truly miserable but seeing they can no more stay the operation thereof then they can stop the course of the wind from blowing whither it will Iohn 3. therefore shall they neuer be able to defeate Gods seruants of that blessed estate which in Christ Iesus hee hath promised vnto them and through his preicious blood-shedding purchased for them The Spirit of grace and of praiers From these latter words ariseth this second point that None can make any acceptable praier vnto the Lord Doct. 2 Faithfull prayers proceede from Gods Spirit vnlesse hee bee assisted and directed by the Spirit of grace Howsoeuer men imagine it to bee an easie matter to call vpon God yet the truth is that it is as hard for any of himselfe to make a faithful praier as it is to make a world Therefore it is said in the ●pistle to the Romans Rom. 8.15 Ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father So that none can confidently cal God father but by the helpe of his blessed Spirit If vnregenerate men will pray to their father Christ telleth them who he is when speaking to such kind of persons Iohn 8.44 he saith You are of your father the Diuell And how proueth he
proceeding vnto arraignment and execution if there be not meanes vsed to stay the same therefore let vs get off the fetters of iniquitie as soone as we can and if we find terrors vpon our hearts for our couetousnesse and crueltie for our pride and insolencie for our filthinesse and impuritie c let vs labour with God for the obtaining of a pardon and then though we be plagued for our foolishnesse and brought very lowe yet crying vnto the Lord he will deliuer vs out of our distresse Psal 107. yea he will bring vs out of darknesse and out of the shadow of death and breake our hands asunder Heere is also matter of comfort to them that proceed in the waies of the Lord with a good conscience Vse 3 whose workes doe testifie for them that they are vpright and sincere and that though they be clogged with many infirmities yet they giue entertainment to no sinne at all though they haue many troubles and slanders raised against them and many temptations wants and necessities lying vpon them yet let them be of good cheere for albeit they be afflicted on euery side yet shall they not be in distresse they are not straitned 2. Cor. 4.8 but haue elbow roome enough and doe enioy the best freedome and libertie For they may come into Gods priuie chamber as it were and into his presence when they will they are not straitned in their soules but haue libertie to powre out their hearts before their heauenly father who knoweth and pittieth their distressed estate and will worke out their freedome and comfort in due time and in the meane while his hand shall defend and vphold them his spirit shall comfort and strengthen them his word shall reuiue and refresh them and in a word his grace shal be euery way sufficient for them so that such as are not chained and fettered with their owne iniquities and raigning sinnes are of all other the best freemen and the most happie and blessed people they walke at libertie they keepe the precepts Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord That is Let God proceed with the pestilence according to his pleasure which is called Gods sword and Gods hand because this pestilēce proceeded immediately from him without any second causes whereas many other iudgements doe not so In that he maketh choyse to fall into Gods hand the Doctrine is Doct. 2 The godly finde greatest fauour with God that Gods seruants neuer finde so great fauour as with God himselfe None can deale so fauourably with Gods children as their heauenly Father He goeth as farre beyond earthly parents as God is better then man They when they are prouoked doe oftentimes cease to be mercifull but God when he is most incensed is perfectly fauourable and when he is driuen to chastise his children he is exceeding moderate Which is liuely expressed Hos 11.8 where the Lord speaketh in this manner Hos 11. How shall I giue thee vp Ephraim How shall I deliuer thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim As if he should haue told them You haue deserued to be vtterly destroied as Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities neere adioining but my compassion that I beare towards you will not suffer mee to doe it Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are rowled together Man repents after hee hath done amisse but God before so that hee can neuer doe amisse and therefore to manifest his infinite goodnes and care for their preseruation hee addeth verse 9. I will not execute the siercenesse of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim and the reason is added for I am God and not man and therefore though a man if hee were so prouoked would haue done his best vtterly to haue spoiled them yet the Lord would not enter into their Citie viz. for that end but deale gratiously with them notwithstanding all their offences Moreouer earthly parents when they set vpon correction with best staiednesse doe want knowledge and discretion and therefore giue their children too little or too much 1. Pet 1.6 Isa 27.9 but the Lord is of such infinite wisedome that hee euer proportioneth his chastisements to the neede of the partie and the nature of the fault Againe earthly parents when they haue layde on stripes cannot take them off againe when they see their children weeping and grieuing and humbling themselues in good earnest for their offences they wish but all in vaine that their paine were ouer the smart remooued but as the Lord woundeth so can he heale as hee cast Iob downe Hos 6.1 so could he raise him vp againe and whatsoeuer our distresses be if wee can humble our selues and crie vnto the Lord hee is able and readie to relieue and to deliuer vs. In which regard wee should be most willing if we must needs be corrected to yeeld vp our selues into his hands For there is no comparison betwixt the compassions of men which are finite and of Gods who is infinite Which may serue to discouer vnto vs their folly that are so farre from submitting themselues to Gods chastisements that they cannot endure his rebukes Let any man of God admonish them and they are readie to flie in his face What hath he to doe with me say they let him meddle with his owne matters I will not take it at his hands with many bitter speeches of that kinde which argue in them great distemper and vexation of minde And let a man tell them in neuer so great loue that if they doe not amend their sinnes will abroad to their disgrace their friends will grieue at them their aduersaries will reproach them and all cry shame vpon them yet they will be no whit pacified but rather enraged against the admonisher not caring what be thought or spoken against them so Christians may not reprooue them Hence is it that men are so loath to be vnder any Christian gouernment Vse 1 where they must be instructed how to doe well and rebuked if they doe not well they will none of it to liue in such a family or congregation where they shall be catechized and restrained from the breach of the Sabbath and other leaud courses they will neuer endure it but will chuse rather to be vnder the gouernment of Antichrist and of Sathan himselfe then of Christ Iesus Let their maisters be Papists cruell oppressors as sauage tyrants as Pharaoh was they will rather dwell with them then with godly and religious gouernours that would vse them most kindly and reward them most liberally for their seruice Such were the Israelites Moses as the Lord testifieth of him was the meekest man vpon the earth and withall a most wise and couragious Ruler yet would they rather haue beene euery day vnder the whip in Egypt then vnder Gods gracious gouernment which was executed by Moses And as these are heere to be condemned of great want of