Spirit his power to sustain him his Grace to quicken him all earnestly desired these are the substance of this holy Psalm what the Father saith of that Verse Monachus qui non vigilat hunc versum non potest dicere Hieron in Psal 77. Psal 77 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking c. a sleepy Monk cannot say that Verse the same may I say in another kinde a sleepy secure Christian that mourns not for his sins and by faith and patience not earnestly trusting and waiting upon God cannot truly say this The Psalm is a congress for a Combat or a pitched field 'twixt faith and distrust the old and new man in the Soul of a sanctified man distrust of the flesh arms it self with a multitude of sorrows and fainting with waiting for Gods delayed help Faith in the new man comes strengthened with a multitude of Gods mercies against the multitudes of miseries waiting to spie Gods face though he do for a while hide it yea as winning the Battel Ver. 9 10 stedfastly concluding Though thou hide thy face yet art thou my God and my hiding place Here about Gods help we have David requesting and reasoning with God The request are two the reasons two to move the Lord to grant his re-requests 1. Request is for audience and that speedily Hear me speedily O Lord. And that is backt with reason why What haste why begest thou for so speedy hearing He gives the reason My spirit fails I can hold out no longer 2. Request is for light of Gods countenance Hide not thy face from me 2. Reason for that is the present peril he is in even ready to die If thou hide thy face Lord I shall perish and accompany them that lie in the pit We may frame him to our understanding as if he thus pleaded with the Lord Sum and Sense How long O Lord wilt thou shut out my prayers look upon me and behold how low I am brought O hear me quickly lest my tired spirit give over lest my faint heart which has now no more strength to subsist without thy help do quite break off as drowned in the whirl pit of my deep sorrows Now at length O Lord after my long waiting send and let shine the light of thy countenance upon me which may glad my Soul shew me thy face which may raise me up again else if thou still delay what is there can keep me alive any longer from the company of them that are laid in the grave and sleep under the câ—oâ—s of death my life without sense of thy love being worse than death .. Doctr. First request Hear me speedily David he is in trouble and he betakes him to prayer Prayer is the sovereign Remedy the Godly flie to in all their extremities The Saints in sorrows have fled for comfort and healing unto Prayers and Supplications Heaven is a shop full of all good things there are stored up blessings and mercies this the Children of God know who flie to this shop in their troubles begging for help from this holy Sanctuary Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. When any vexation makes our life grievous unto us what should we seek but help of whom should we seek but of the Lord how should we seek Psal 116.3 4. but by prayer My sore saith he ran and ceased not so his Soul ran and ceased not to pray to the Lord. When the sorrows of death compassed him and the pains of hell got hold upon him what was his course then he got hold of the Lord and prayed unto him right humbly Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul We have to confirm this for a sure and saving way Precept Practice Promise Performance 1. Precept God commands us to pray at all times especially in sad times Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me He commands us to depend on him for deliverance and calling upon him is the best dependance 2. Practise the Godly have walked in this way which God has prescribed All Davids Psalms will witness that he coupled his troubles and prayers together Psa 6. Psal 38. So Hezekiah Esa 38.2 at hearing the message of death sent to the Lord a message of Prayers So Nehemiah in Jerusalems destruction Nehem. 1.4 5. sought succour to her distress by prayer 3. Promise the Lord hath armed us in our Petitions with hope Esa 65.24 John 16.23 which is made up of sure Promises we shall not pray to one that is deaf assoon as we can finde our tongue we shall finde his ear Every humble praying sinner shall have a hearing and helping Saviour 4. Performance all Saints are ready to subscribe We prayed the Lord has performed and delivered This poor man cried Psal 34.6 and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles This poor woman even Hannah prayed 1â— aâ— â— 19 2â— and the Lord heard her he gaver her Samuel the thing she asked of God as the name signifies All the Saints cry and by experience witness the Lords performance upon their prayers we have swimmed say they in all Seas of sorrows ready to sink but prayer hath held up our heads I was in the stocks I prayed and am delivered saith Joseph in the Lyons den by prayer I muzzeled those cruel Beasts that they did not bite saith Daniel our bed was made in the fire our coverings violent flames prayer prevailed with the Lord to cool all this heat say the three Children God has thus performed he will still perform our evils are no greater God is not deafer he can still deliver for he is as strong he will still deliver for he is as loving and gracious he must hear and deliver us for he is faithful and will not deny his Seal and Promise which he hath given us Use Away then with all broken reeds learn we not to lean on or to trust to vain confidences flying to carnal remedies in our evils Is there any evil which the Lord hath not wrought Are we in some trouble the arm of Heaven sent it the arm of flesh cannot remove it Has God wounded thee seek not then to the Devil or the Witch his Agent for a Plaister Art thou in poverty trust not to unlawful shifts they may raise thee up again in the world they cast thee twice as low in the world to come O the folly of worldly men who think with pleasures to drown their sorrows with mirth to stop the mouth of Conscience and to laugh away the burden of their evils Jer. 3.23 In vain is salvation hoped for from the mountains if God wound worldly comforts are but foolish Physick There is no way like this to fly to him by Prayer when we trust to earthly helps we take no notice of Gods hand Secondly 2 Use Lawful means
the face of Religion and cry there there Psal 35.25 Job 4.6 so would we have it Is not this the fruits of your fear confidence uprightness of your ways and your hope This is the fruits of Religion and profession it spoils all our mirth see how it makes them melancholly and pensive they are all alike unsociable and uncomfortable who will enter that path which leads to such sadness Beseech God to let thy case be no impediment to his Glory by hindring and deferring those that are without from coming in lest they dislike Religion for thy sake God has sometimes said he would do good to his Children Deut. 32.26 27. that their enemies might not have cause to lift up their Horns Call on him to do it for his own Childrens sake that are within the Church Psal 69.6 Let not them that wait on thee be ashamed for my sake O God of Hosts let not them that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel As if he said There are many weak in the the faith O Lord who trust in thâ—e and if thou fail me they will be scandalized their weakness will make them stagger and start back when they see thy Promises fail towards me how shall they trust in those Promises for themselves which they see have failed others Nay Lord rather deliver me that the weak thereby may be the more strengthened thou shalt get glory by bringing many both to praise thee and trust in thee more confidently for my sake or for thy promises gracious performance towards me Psal 66.16 They that fear thee will be glad when they see me because I have hoped in thy Word yea the righteous shall then resort unto my company I will call them and tell them what great things thou hast done for my Soul Further in thus delivering me much praise and glory shall come to thy name thanksgiving shall be sent to thee by many in my behalf who will shout for joy and say Psal 35.27 Praised be the Lord who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant Use 3 If the comforts of the Soul be bought so dear as they will cost us the very fainting and almost failing of our Spirits let him be lesson'd who hath his Soul repleaâ— with peace and quietness in his God â—eatus es si cor tuum triplii timore repleveris ut tiâ—eas quidem pro accepta ratia amplius pro amissa nge plus pro recuperata â—rnard supra Cantic Serm. 4. to lock the Promises within his heart to cherish and keep burning that good fire lest witâ— many strong blasts of prayers he cannot get it kindled afresh when once it is somewhat quenched and dying out For this purpose it behoves those who are yet in the Sun-shine of peace and lightsomness of heart to rejoyce in God and his mercies to labour as much to keep it as ever they laboured to get it 1. To beware of sin that they fall not into any wickedness for that will devastate the Conscience and spoil its peace 2. They should cherish and make much of Gods Spirit and the joyous motions it stirs up in them Guests stay with us according to their welcome bad enteâ—tainment and neglect of them gives us their backs instead of their faces Ephes 4. Grieve not the Spirit of God 3. Keep we our hearts exercised in good things prayer hearing reading meditation those put forth our Talents we have to come in with more increase Take we heed if such good means be not used we may come to see our Candle burn dim and with perplexed hearts and sorrowing spirâ—ts as Joseph and Mary we may come to seek our Comforter and be long without him till our spirits be ready to fail in seeking because our care and diligence failed in keeping Use 4 Lastly though all the Saints of God have cryed ther spirits fail yet this may make for their exceeding comfort none of their spirits did ever yet so utterly fail but they have had their resurrection to some lively hopes who seemed hopeless We have our spiritual dejections and spirituaâ— resurrections Where is â—haâ— man and who is that Saint anâ— Servant of God that perished in waiting upon God and expecting his help Our comfort may be long in coming but at length it shall come and not deceive us either the tongue shall cry it after long waiting Mr. Gloâ—â—r Mattyr in Foâ—es Acts and â—onum He is come he iâ— come or the heart shall feel it or finde it it may be without but certainly beyond expressions It may be that the noon afternoon evening night may all hold him in the bonds of vexation but undoubtedly joy comes in the morning If it cannot be found in the beginning no nor in a long time in the proceedings yet Mark the perfect man Ps 37.37 and behold the upright for the end of that man shall be peace There are who have been brought from those desperate conclusions made in the strength of temptations Geoffry of Peronne in vita St. Bern. lib. 4. c. 3. I shall never be mermerry again so long as I live to tell the same party being strongly fill'd with new quickning hopes If I told thee before I should never in my life be joyful 2 Tim. 2. now I assure thee I shall never any more be sorrowful Though we should be so low as we were hopeless yet God must continue faithful he cannot deny himself 1 Cor. 10.13 he will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it Doctr. The next request is that God would not hide his face and the reason because in the light of his countenance is life in the hiding of it is very death From Davids request that God would not hide his face see this Position That God hath his times of hiding and shewing his face to his Children and all for their good both by declared favour and seeming displeasure God leads on his Children unto blessedness All the months of the year are not alike some make the earth horrid with frosts and mists and large expences out of the Lords Treasury of Hail and Sow as in Job Job 38.22 the Lord calls â—t others make the fiel◠〈…〉 with abundance of flower 〈◊〉 fruits the Sun with his reviâ—ing heat putting life into bird bud and beast Shall we thanâ— God for May and not for March The dispensing of fair and foul seasons are both acts of Divine Providence for the good of man and beast Epiphan He that is God of the Summer is as good a God of thâ— Winter in spite of the blaspheming Manichees procuring our good in the one as well as in the other Thus is it with Man the abridgement of Gods Creation and with the holy man the object of his more special love The Sun shines not always alike on
to advancement When we look upon a man rowing in a Boat we see him look one way and row another way he looks from home but his boat goes homeward Whatsoever the Lords dealings be cast not away thy confidence O distressed heart though he seem to be a going from thee he is coming to thee Thou thinkest the Lord in anger turns away his face from thee yet the Boat of thy Soul for alâ— this is rowed homeward and Heaâ— venward These afflictions of thy spirit faintings of heart strong groans after sense of his love are infallible Sea-marks in thy way to the Haven of life and comfort only keep thy self in the Boat leap not out with diffidence though great waves leap in trust the Lord with the rowing commit thy ways unto him Psa 37.5 and he will bring it to pass Use 2 Learn to suspect rather than envy that estate which knows no changes It is the sinners saddest lot to be settled on the Lees and never moved nor changed from Bottle to Bottle Jer. 48.11 Let my Soul never sleep the sinners unbroken sleep of security they have no change Psa 73.5 and are not in trouble like other men But the righteous and whom God loves find manifold diversities of Gods proceedings with them because he means to make something of them His reason for his last request Lest I be like them that go down into the pit Not the Pit or Lake of Hell or Purgatory nor the depth and profundity of sins as some would have it but the pit of Golgotha the place of dead mens skulls the Chambers of mortality the Grave Elsewhere he seems so to reason Psa 30.9 Shall the dead praise thee what profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit Note here how David joyns Gods love and his life together and counts the hiding away his face to be death and that which carries him to the grave Doct. The faithful heart finds no life but in Gods love Gods favourable face is the Christians health and life his maintenance lies all in Gods countenance The basest low condition'd life is royalty with Gods favour and the royallist life is but a painted dunghill or a golden grave if his face be hid from it and shine not there Yea but David thou may'st be a living man eat drink and sleep though his face be hid from thee Thou hast Musick to chear thee art thou not a Prince thâ— hast the Sovereignty of a Kinâ—dom to comfort thee Nobles aâ— High Estates to attend and aâ— company thee thou mayst haâ— all the delights of the Sons of mâ—â— and earthly contentments to eâ—hilerate thee why dost thou thâ— speak of a grave or pit can man die among so many livinâ— comforts Thus indeed migâ— reason reason the case But Dâ—vid spoke advisedly he did nâ— as sometimes he did speak 〈◊〉 his haste he is often saying thâ— same Psal 119.77 ver 88. Let thy tender mercies coâ— unto me that I may live There 's nâ— life without assurance of his meâ—cies Quicken me after thy lovinâ— kindness He counts himself deaâ— without his loving kindness thâ— quickens him and puts new liâ— into him It is a great dignitâ— and comfort to a man to havâ— birds beasts fishes Sea Aiâ— Earth and all things to be madâ— for him and subjected to him Now David looks higher than thâ— Psal 8. 8th Psalm there must be more than all this to make a man to have a true and worthy life Though the body live by the Soul yet there wants Gods favour and face which is the Soul of the Soul and more to it than it is to the body The spiritual life to have to have the vital powers of grace the inspiration of Gods quickning Spirit an inward sight â—iewing of Gods face in Christ and sweet sâ—nse of his loving counâ—enance as John saith of the true â—ight so this is the true life In anotner place he has the very words His anger endureth but for a moment Psal 30.5 ver 7. Anima hominis Christiani Tulipae instar est quae se ad Spiritus Sancti radios explicat iisdem absentibus contristatur Causin Parab Hist lib. 10. and in his favour is life Again Thou didst turn away â—hy face and I was troubled There is death in â—he hiding of his countenance In the first Psalm the righteous man is compared to a tree and here methinks the righteous man is compared to a flower the Tuliâ— or Marygold if the Sun open hâ— bright lightsome face upon them these open their leaves but if 〈◊〉 set and shut up his shining shopiâ— Heaven these lour and clasp tâ—gether their leaves on earth Such is Gods favour and facâ— of love Davids Soul and evâ—ry Christians holy Soul rises aâ— sets with it Absalom couâ— tell us though he had lands aâ—â— maintenance from his father yâ— he lived bion ' abion Principis sideris absentiam gemere diceres a lifeless lisâ— so long as he might not come in his fathers presence and behoâ— his face The face of God recoâ—ciled has more ravishing sweâ—â—ness in it for every adopted Chilâ— who has tasted how gracious tâ—â— Lord is and how can they bâ— droop when that is hid froâ— them under seâ— and feeling of displeasure Psal 90.9 Redde oculos mea vita tuos ni cenere pergam Frigidus exanimi pectore dispeream Jan. Lernut in Poem Ocelli Cain Saul Judas Spira Wâ— thou art angry our days are goâ— The Idoliziâ—â— Lover will tâ— you his life lies in his Mrs eyes an amorous and pleasant look quickens him a frown or neglecting countenance casts him into deep vexations of heart This is but the Creature shall there not be thought there is more power of life and death in the Creator appearing graciously favourable or displeased Real proofs of this have been the horrible vexations even to dispair of wretched men when the ireful face of God has been set against them for their sins and presented to their Souls As also those bitter cries and prayers of the Godly in deep afflictions when no glasses could shew unto them the face of Gods favour this made them averse and pull back their hand from all offered comforts Natura speciem ita formavit oris ut in ea penitus reconditos mores effingeret Is qui appellatur vultus qui in nullo amimante esse praeter hominem potest indicat mores Cicero de Legib. lib. 1. Psal 51. because they wanted the sense and sight of this only comfort And this is a common phrase of Gods favour and love the shewing of his face because the heart acts all the parts of its several affections upon the Stage of the face it is the outward Map of the inward passions of the mind If there be fear within it may be seen in the trouble of the countenance and paleness clothing the face without If anger rise then cloudy frowns and angry demonstrations
hurries the Soul to Heaven first giving it clusters of Canaans Grapes and then making it walk through Jordan to come into the promised Land and eat of all the fruits of blessedness to the full The second Tractate was after the cure of the Heel at the celebration of the triumph in the Head Jesus Christ Titulum frontis erade ut mutasit pagina quod sufficit loquatur materiam non loquatur autorem Sever. Sulpit. in Epist ad Histor D. Mart. We say no more of the discourses and treatises but that they may still be profitable even after the hours of their first hirth they are of age whether they can speak much for themselves or no I know not you may see no great desire there was in the Author to send them abroad though they have been desired They were conceived and born in the year 1632. when the Womb they came from could plead nothing but unripeness and youth and therefore hopes his pardon may be the sooner sued out it is now fifteeen years since almost Horoces noâ—um prematur in annum It hath the same matter and form it had unaltered only that â—f Esay has the Conclusions all â—andled and so suffâ—rs a little â—ddition of what was not spoâ—en to fill up the Text. I have â—â—me reasons why I make this walk in publick for first I owe so much to her memory my self 2. There is some need of â—eviving her graces for others that knew her among whom â—uch examples are rare living â—nd are rarely thought of when the parties are dead for we are very prone to bury good examples but evil examples have a dayly Resurrection 3. No great reason appâ—ars but that now when so many Wild Goose Quills are writing and so many Soul poysoning and Faith blasting Themes are dayly printed and published to the detriment of many Souls set out with the plausible and gay flourishes of new Truth and new Revelations but it will stand the servants of God in hand to put out something practical and sound to fill the hands of their â—riends with that which is wholesome though it be not so gloriâ—as to the eye and fancy We run like the Dromedary in the wilderness after Doctrines of new Theories and we forget the old rules of holy practical Theologie O that in Science we were more sober and in Conscience more sound It was a true censure of our and former times that the Primitive and foregoing servants of God had less Science Beza in Epist lib. Epist 1. Andreae Duditio and more Conscience and our men and age have more Science but less Conscience that is less integrity and simplicity of Consciscience the former times were full of Fire and ours full of Glow-worms That good Soul about whom these ensuing lines were might for a wakened and right Conscience challenge some praise to set her forth as exemplary specially to her rank that they might not strive to be called fine Ladies Ladies always in the fashion but what is better Ladies in the faith and as St. John's Elect Ladies But living she desired it not and dead she needs not any such thing Flatterly commonly and Wit sometimes has gone very far in the praise of things Pirkhaimerus laudavit podagram Janus Dâ—uza umbram Joannes Bruno Italus etiam Diabâ—lum Frid. Taubman in Virgil. Culic where all was an occult quality so hidden as could not be found Augustine saith of Julian the Pelagian that he was idoneus dicere panegyricum Satanae He was fit to make an Oration in praise of the Devil And one Bruno an Italian did expresly do it But away with such fancies it will be better for us to enquire after the great Rabbies and Mastors under which she tutor'd did and we also may profit and attain to exact holiness and they were three great Tutors Melch. Adam in vit Luth. that Luther writes make a compleat Divine Meditation Prayer Temptation Reader peruse ponder practise thou mayst find what rightly considered may teach thee to be a Christian Centinell to watch thy Soul and keep thy spiritual peace carefully lest thou come to the mournning and great cries of Ramath with Rachel to weep if not for the Children of thy womb yet for thy peace and assurance the Children of the Lords womb and be much troubled because they are not A right use of the departure of good Souls may be learnt so much the rather because it is so neglected as if there were no more thoughts of heart to be had about the withering of Roses then the cutting up of Nettles the departure of a Stephen and the death of a Cain Thou mayst if thou wilt receive some benefit if not this is one witness more against thee then thou knewest of before good things if they profit not they hurt I will not abuse my small leisure to a larger prodrom or extended Epistle lest as the lips of a fool swallow up himself Cicero de Accio In orationibus multus ineptus De legibus lib. 1. so my lines might be censured If this and such like Treatises may keep any from conversing in the frothy todder of Pamphlets idle and vain or if any Soul may hereby learn better to mind duty and either keep or recover sense of sweet mercy he shall rejoyce Who is The Churches servant in the Gospel T. C. HEART-SALVE FOR A WOUNDED SOUL PSAL. 143.7 Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like to them that go down into the Pit IN this Psalm we have the Picture of David without his Harp having laid aside all his pleasant Tools he is now in his poenitential plight sadness sorts not with Musick If we ask the reason of the metamorphosis of this holy man from his heights of joy to such depths of sorrow he may answer with him who was a Patriarch of the same Tribe of affliction Job 30.30 31. My skin is black upon me and my bones are burnt with heat my Harp also turned into mourning and my Organ into the voice of them that weep Or with the words of this Verse My Musick fails for my spirit fails Let the living rejoyce but I am as one dead and ready to be laid in the pit The Septuagint intitle the Psalm In Hieronym quadrupl Psalterio Quum furgeret Saulem Piscator A Psalm of David when he was persecuted by his son Absalom the Original has no such matter The ground of the former is fetcht from the 3 and 9 and last Verses of the Psalm True it is this wicked Son often made his Father sing with a heavy voice where David was deceived in imposing on him the name of Absalom his Fathers Peace his life signified no such thing he being Benoni a Son of sorrow and mischief to his Father whatsoever were the occasion the matter of the Psalm is evident the light of Gods countenance Gods audience of his Prayers the comforts of his
Jâ—â— 12.9 Esa 8.17 Psa 31.24 Esa 43.1 I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Habak 2.3 See Jonah 2.2 Micah 7.7 8 9. Psal 73.25 26 27 28. Psal 23.4 Psal 42.11 Psal 130.5.6 7. Job 23.10 11. Jerem. 30.11 Lament 3.24 25 26. and 31 32. Rom. 8.18 and 35. to the end 2 Tim. 1.12 Heb. 10.35 36 37. To this purpose the prayer of Fulgentius in his sore sickness was not ill-beseeming a Saints behaviour Doâ—ine da mihi modo patientiam postea indulgentiam Lord here give me a little patience and hereafter thy merciful indulgence Doct. My spirit faileth This is Davids first reason to move the Lord he is at the last cast and even giving up the ghost with long waiting for help from his low condition we may see what is often the condition of Gods Children That the best of Gods servants have waited for comfort â—nd the feelings of his Spirit to the very failing of their own spirit David a man after Gods own heart is yet brought low with the faintness and failing of his heart in waiting for help from God Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread this lies upon the Sons of men But here not to sweat of face only that were but small but to sighs and fainting of the heart lies upon the Sons of God in seeking and hungring after a taste of Gods Bread of life inward comfort assurance and joy of the Holy Ghost Thus the Church was brought to this sick bed ere her comfort came Lam. 1.16 For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runs down with water because the comforteâ— that should relieve my Soul is faâ— from me The Disciples spirits were even failing in the Tempest when Christ slept and seemed to neglect them as if he cared not though they perished How should our spirits do other buâ— fail when our Comforter sleeps when our only friend seems to bâ— our enemy Psa 88.15 I am afflicted saith the Prophet and even ready to diâ— while I suffer thy terrors distracted or with a troubled minde The good man of an house may sit quietly at peace within his own house and under his roof though there be quarrellings and tumults without doors but if there be no troubles without if there be wounds and fightings and terrors within this wounded spirit is hard to bear up have we never foâ— strong reins of patience all is little enough to keep it from fainting The heart of man is much like an unquiet Dame of an house if she be not pleased all is in a tumult the house is full of tempests this dry land is more stormy than the Sea and till she be pacified Pro. 21.9 Solomon thinks if a man get to the house-top he gets him not far enough from the mischief Such tumults in the thoughts such fears in the minde doth the heart disquieted stir up if it want a pacifying feeling an inward settling it disturbs all without and within it maks that there is no rest in the bones no soundness in the flesh all strength fails and all the Orderly Offices of this little Common-wealth of Soul and body are thrust out of order This spiritual inward War being like a Civil War in a State Faelix ille defectus non veniens ex infirmitate animi sed ex fortitudine desiderii iâ— promossum Dei Alhinus in Psal 98. which brings the strength of the best things in it to weakness So we hear the Saints complain of eyes failing with waiting hands with stretching forth Soul with sighing and body pining when God hides his face delays grant of prayer removes not the hideous face of sin from being presented to the Souls eye without hopes of pardon and thereby suffering the heart to be steept in gall and wormwood that if their strength were strength of stones and flesh oâ— brass yet it can harldly hold out as Job argued Job 6.12 Reas Unto such straits will the Lord have his Children brought because comforts thus earnestly and long sought and thus dearly bought are the best for Christians Ex difficultate delatione sanitatis fit diligentior custodia receptae sanitatis Card. de Aliaco in Psal 6. they will do them the most good when they get them When we come so hardly to the sense of Gods love it will make us hug it and embrace it the more and safely lock it up in our hearts that we lose it not to be put to as much cost and care in recovering it When as the Captain said of his Romish freedom so we can say of our spiritual freedom With a great sum I obtained this freedom we shall then count t a precious prerogative and look well to it that we lose not the comforts of it None is so careful of that Lesson 1 Thes 5. Quench not the Spirit as he whom it hath cost much labour to kindle the sparks of that fire Bid such an one in Pauls Text preached to him Quench not Ephes 4. and grieve not that good Spirit he will answer I have good cause to look that I grieve it not for with great grief obtained I the joy of it The Spouse in the Canticles represents every careful Soul that comes hardly to its comfort Cantic 3.1 2 3 4. when she has had weary heart and foot in seeking Christ in bed City streets broad ways at last when she finds him she lays not a slack hand on him but careful to keep her dearbought comfort she holds him fast and will not let him go and carries him to her Mothers house and Chamber is very watchful in keeping him whom she after long labour found And indeed if God should let us come to our desires more easily we should be the more careless in keeping those good things Short gettings have commonly short cares or less esteem and valuing of them Reas 2 Failing of Spirit is both a motive which God means to yielâ— unto and to be won withal and it is also his opportunity when hâ— usually helps It is a strong motive in our prayers to move him for he is pitiful and will not leâ— his Children utterly fail and perish he is a pitiful Spirit to failing Spirits I will not contend saitâ— the Lord for ever neither will be always wroth Why we deserve his wrath should last anâ— take fire for ever against us yea but saith the Lord this is the reason Esa 57.16 The spirit should then faiâ— before me and the Souls which 〈◊〉 have made I love and pity the fainting Souls and Spirits of men I will help my Children how can I see my Creatures whom I made and do love to perish for want of my help David knew the Lords nature and that this was a speeding argument in prayer which made him here and elsewhere so often use it A pâ—tiful Father will no◠〈…〉
â—his Children utteâ—â—◠〈…〉 opportunity he usually helps when all other helps fail that we may â—he more strongly cleave to him and ground our selves upon him as knowing how infirm we are if he confirm us not When mans Cruse of Oyl is dry and fails can drop no more then is Gods time to prepare his Thus helpt he the Israelites at the Red Sea when all mans strength and wisdom was at a stand He loves to be seen in the Mount in extremities These are the truest glasses to shew Gods truth power wisdom goodness and to shew to man his own Nothingness Valeant humana praesidia quae nos deserunt modo in anima spes firma maâ—eat Deum nobis servatorem non de fore qui saepe gentem harc eripuit exitio Philo Iud. in Legat. ad Cajum Emptiness Vanity that he can do nothing with the strongest brawn of his own fleshly arm We should never learn rightly this Lesson of dependance upon God alone if he did not delay deliverance oft-times to the very failing of our Spirits 1. Art thou then in that shiâ— which is tossed and Christ sleepâ— and helps thee not doth thy spâ—rit fail in struggling with the stroâ— sense of inward misery want 〈◊〉 Grace or want of the joy 〈◊〉 Grace Learn at that time tâ— look on thy condition aright Looâ— not on thy self in thy self but looâ— upon thy self in the Saints seâ— thy case in the Saints commoâ— case Thou art not singular God sheep have commonly been thuâ— markt Thou thinkest God has forgotten thee yes he has forgot thee as he forgot his Children heretofore Thus he forgot David Job Paul they were brought to perplexity though not to despair we are cast down but not destroyed I intreat thee tell me if this â—hy comfortless estate shall bring thee the jocund offspring of the world whom conscience sleeping never troubles â— Cor. 4.8 9. Cain the Builder Jubaâ— the merry Musitian worldly Nabal carnal Ishmael temporizing Demas or any of that fleshly Tribe who never knew one sigh of a penitent heart nor ever came â—ear to the failing of their spiâ—it in waiting upon God O no â—hou sayest it is fearful to be sorâ—ed with these whose Candle God will put out who spend their days in jollity Job 11.13 and in a moment â—umble into the grave But now the Lord has dealt well with thee having joyned thee to the number of his own thus hath he scourged though not in the same degree every Son and Daughter he has received thus have they been taught to mourn before him Great joy ought it to be to us that we bear the same Livery and Badge upon earth which they once wore who are now the blest Courtiers of Heaven The Apostle was so far from troubling himself for it that he bids all others cease troubling him and take heed what they do to him for he carries in his body the noble marks of sufferings and wounds for Christ he gloried in it Gal. 6. Let no man henceforth trouble me for I bear in my body the marâ— of the Lord Jesus O high dignâ—tion to be like Christ in any 〈◊〉 state yea though it be in hâ— sweating suffering and sighiâ— out his My God my God why haâ— thou forsaken me 2 Cor. 4.10 For if we bear â—bout the dying of the Lord Jesus is for our future comfort that the liâ— of Jesus may be manifest in our moâ—tal bodies Remember we theâ— always that be our spirits neveâ— so low Gods dearest Childreâ— have been in the same pit yea anâ— lower than we and yet God aâ— length raised them up from thesâ— hopeless depths Psal 22.15 Psal 119.82 They cried tilâ— their tongues failed with long praying for deliverance theiâ— eyes failed with waiting theiâ— hands failed with being lifâ— up And yet which of these waited upon God in vain None of them tell us amongst all these failings that God failed and did not at length give them their hearts desire Meque istis potius societ quam congreget illis Prosper in Verse de Providentia Quos jam summoto permisit verbere cursu Ire voluntatis Use 2 Let the failing spirit be directed to take Davids course though he cried out of failing yet he failed not of crying to his God The weaker we are it should make us cry the faster So long as the Spirit of prayer fails not in us so long the Spirit of power will not fail to uphold us only cry we as men far cast down Lord if thou wilt forsake me yet Lord forsake me not long Psal 119.8 Defect enim Spiritus meus ut impleat me Spiritus tuus Prosper in Psalm Esai 40.29 30 31. My spirit now fails me that thy Spirit may help fill me for so some gloss upon this Verse For this is is the ground of the application of Gods Promise and for our encouragement Are we weak now is the time come he promised to help us He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength Even the youths shall faint and be wearâ— and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lorâ— shall renew their strength c. Anâ— again when we are thinking 〈◊〉 I shall never get out of this troublesome evil the Lord answers Fear not Esa 41.10 for I am with thee be nâ— dismayed for I am thy God Yeâ— but I have no more strength tâ— wait upon God then have wâ— Gods answer I will strengthe thee I will help thee O but thâ— Cross is so heavy I shall fail anâ— perish under it No saith he will uphold thee with the right hanâ— of my righteousness Here is 〈◊〉 large and liberal promise Thoâ— hast Gods Word Gods handâ— Gods help Gods strength thoâ— mayst utterly fail if his strengtâ— fail thee If thou criest on him tâ— look at his Promises and remember his Covenant with his Children he cannot finally neglecâ— thee unless Christ sleep in his seaâ— of intercession or his memory perish that he forgets his Children or he forget his own hands where his Childrens names and necessities are ingraven Esa 54.11 For this end in crying and calling upon him the failing spirit may plead with these two strengthening Arguments As first that it stands much for Gods glory that he do help us in respect of ungodly and impious men Thus may it be urged If thou suffer my spirit to fail and me to perish then Lord thou losest not only thy Creature but thy Glory also let none of thy glory be diminisht Psal 79 10. For why should the Heathen say where is now their God If God cast off his Children and give them not deliverance Religion would receive a great blow and ungodly men would speak evil of his ways and worship They whose service is sin when they see Gods devout Children are at a low ebb in a deep extremity then they throw dung in
give warnings of it If love and favour sweeten the disposition of the Soul then a pleased look a chearful eye a gladsome contented countenance will declare the good pleasure and acceptation of the mind According to those variations of Gods face do the Saints vary their prayers one while praying the Lord to shew them his face and the light of his countenance to shine upon them that is to shew them his divine favour and fatherly good pleasure otherwhiles praying him to turn away his face that is his angry countenance and face of displeasure Reas Reason why the life of the faithful lies in Gods loving face is because it is the very life and happiness of the Saints in Heaven For those even in Heaven in the presence of all good things and want of all evils had but a miserable happiness if either God were not present with them or being present if they did not always behold his blessed face of â—ove and favour If this be the â—ife of Heaven much more must â—he comfort of it quicken the â—aints upon earth Use Here will be a fair trial of the â—incerity of a good Christian â—eart hereby may be known 2 Corintâ— 8.8 To â—nesion tes ' agapes the sincereness and genuineness of our love wheâ—her our service and obedience be grounded upon a right love to God or no. How are we affected to the Lord do we lay up all our treasure in his love and loving countenance can we content and â—uiet our hearts with this that God is well pleased with us in the midst of our calamities Canst thou say in the midst of ease riches friends honour and the fullest streams of wordly contentment Alas foolish vanities one glance of Gods face the perswasion of Gods favour do I delight in more than all you yea I had rather be the basest footstool of the world with Gods love than a glorious Monarch with a graceless Soul Wicked men always love Gods hand better than his face the gifts better than the giver Give them the worlds marrow and fatness let their Corn and Wine and Oyl increase let them walk in Sunshine of earthly prosperity and they never finde a want of inward assurance of Gods love in the Soul they want eyes to see the want of spiritual life and want Grace to long after Gods countenance to shine upon their Souls in sanctification and true peace The worlds voice is who will shew us any good that is gifts of Gods hand but the Godlies voice is Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us If thou canst make it all thy care to keep the assurance of Gods love and all thy joy to rejoyce in his face when thou hast it and make it all thy grief that nothing can comfort thee when thou wantest it all thy labor for to regain it doubtless thy love to God is sincere and true you are reconciled ones for one friend cannot brook the absence of another Use 2 What esteem will this teach us to give to the life of a wicked man doth he live who wants the Spirit of life the face of Gods favour which is better than life No his life is a spiritual death he may live in the eyes of men but he is a dead stinking Carrion in the eyes of God Dead nay that is not enough he is thrice dead and pluckt up by the roots Jude ver 12. For first he is dead in sin next he is more miserably dead because Gods face is turned away from him he loves him not delights not in him and which is worse than death this wretched Soul perceives it not and is not grieved for it O man pray for an Heavenly light that thy eyes may be opened to see thy misery Thou art merry and jolly for all things fall out to thy wish Thou growest from weak to strong from young to old this is but the life of trees and plants Thou walkest eatest drinkest sleepest well this is but the sensual life of birds and beasts Thou buildest talkest reasonest this is but the life of men even Heathens and strangers to Christ thus thy life passes but alas among all these thou wantest the life of Grace the loving countenance of God in Christ the assurance of salvation by faith in him Thou yet wantest the seeds and principles of a true Christian life and therefore art a poor dead wretch before God and canst not but perish if thou seekest not for better comforts and a better life than these even that Christ may be thy life and visit thy dead Soul with his quickning Spirit Colos 3.4 and set his face of favour upon thee for his own chosen One. This is the misery of a senseless sensual Soul Ahab like to grieve for no wants but only of earthly things If the Children of the most High so hardly come to Heaven with faintings of spirit and approachings to the very grave and pit in seeking Gods face what shall become of them then that count Gods face not worth looking after sure against such the Lord hath set his face of wrath and displeasure for ever Use 3 This will discover the common spring whence these troubled waters arise which so often almost drown the godly Their anguish flows from a mistaking and misinterpretation of this face of favour Facìes hominis est speculum cordis Bernard ad sorot de modo bene viv cap. 65. Whensoever they fall into any temptations they pass an hard sentence against themselves that God has turned awy his face from them and is angry with them because their anguish continues and he doth not presently deliver them When Gods face is towards thee why dost thou deny it the Sun shines though there be a Cloud 'twixt it and me and even now Gods face shines upon thee though Satan hath placed some foggy vapours and clouds of distrust and temptations 'twixt thy Souls eye and it It is no difficulty to prove that we complain of Gods hiding his face when it is not hid from us The best parts of a mans face for comfort is the eye and the ear the one to see and look kindly on us the other to hear us willingly Dost thou though sore afflicted trust in God and wait on him are thy eyes to him then I am sure his eyes are upon thee his eye of pity of love of tender compassion he will not withdraw his eyes from the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayer What wouldst thou have more than an open ear and piteous eye what dost thou in this thy trouble thou callest on God by prayer thou mortifiest every known sin thou labourest to finde God in every promise who guides thee to do this not the tempter for this is the way to break in pieces all his Temptations not thy self for thou knowest not aright what course to take it is because Gods eye is upon thee for his eye guides thee to
way to Heart even as matter of joy that the Land or place is well rid of them Are the Righteous taken away from evil which is to come upon others then much more from evil to come upon themselves 1. Then away with Purgatory the righheous are taken from thaâ— evil to come An evil it is where there is the punishment of loss and want of Gods presence yea which differs nothing in punishment of sense from Hell but for the continuance If the Lord take away the Righteous from evils on earth much more from that evil of a temporary Hell When they die they go to rest and peace but small is the rest that those torments will afford them 2 Kings 22.20 2 Again it will cut off prayers to Saints departed they are taken away from evils they know not our evils Dr. Field in apprehend to the fourth book of Church chap. 22. shews the very pontificians doubting this cleer Glass they see not the miseries we suffer upon earth So the Lord saith of Josiah his eyes shall not see all the evil that he will bring upon that place No he shall not see it in that Glass of the Trinity The Saints departed see not our particular miseries they can help us living upon earth with their Prayers but when they are dead Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel doth not acknowledg us Esay 63.16 Scultetus in Esaiam 63.16 ibi plura contra specul Trinitatis imaginarium Our praying to them to see and help us out of our evils is like the vain breath of a bowler who having thrown his Bowl out of his hand calls after it and intreats it to run this way or that way If the Saints be taken away from seeing or knowing our evils then do we call upon them for help in vain Use 2 Let this give warning to a nation and people yea to our nation and us people to take notice of the Lord 's of late takeing his Saints fast from among us holy Sons zealous Hearts Heavenly Spirits faithful Preachers Hast thou not taken these from us O Lord what wilt thou do with us art thou not separating us for some judgment O Brethren let us meet the Lord and hold his weapons for doubtless when he comes thus he comes with a purpose to strike Zac. 3 2. For are not these as brands pluckt out of the fire Now the Lord may deal with us as our sins deserve and God knows that is an heavy doom for the Righteous that would have broke the strong streams of his indignation are carried away If the Righteous abide among us though they do but hold up their hands Amalek shall not prevail Exod. 17.11 but if we have no Moses left to do it then Amalek the enemy may over-run Israel Why did not the plague now of late destroy all where it came why came it not among us thanks be to God for the prayers of the Righteous for their sakes we are kept from the infection But what if the Lord thus deal often with us to take from among us such praying Soule as this what shall we then do God being provoked and we have none to quiet him and appease him none to clap the hands and stamp with the feet and cry Ezek. 6.11 alas for the abominations of the house of Israel O let us be intreated as wise Christians to observe these evil days and not be so sensual and senseless as no think but meanly of the death of Gods dear ones In them we lose our horsemen and our Chariots 2 Kings 13.14 the strength and munition of Israel consists in them We had better lose many Pieces of Ordinance then to have one of these taken from among us for it is to be feared God has a controversie with that place where he picks out these persons in their flourishing age and the prime of their years Hard before the destruction and overthrow of Jerusalem there was a voice heard in the Temple Migremus Migremus hinc Let us away Josephus Sepe etiam stellas vento impendâ—â—â—â— viâ—â—â— Precipites celo labi Virgil. Georg. lib. 1. let us away from hence We have heard this voyce many of Gods Saints both have cryed let us go away and they are gone away from among us yet we fear not yet we tremble not and never dream of any evil to come And though we see the Stars falling have not the wisdome to Collect that it is a sign of some great Winds to blow upon us The prophet David might teach us to make better use of these things who seeing the number of the godly dayly diminish'd he creis out Help Lord. He crys as if the axietree of Heaven and Earth had bin split asunder as if the poles had knapt in pieces and the World had received an inrecoverable loss and what is it that makes this good man thus cry out nothing but this that the godly grew scarce and the righteous fell into a small number whereby some great judgment was likely to follow and destroy the corrupt World Besides Nations it may be a warning to our Towns and families if the godly in our Towns or houses be taken from among us it will not â—e â—n 〈◊〉 â—â—r us to â—oâ—k eâ—râ—estly to 〈◊〉 yâ— lest â—he Lord make this as 〈◊〉 â—â—ologue to some Judgement coming upon us These are like good Angels while we have them to guard and procure blessings to our dwellings and inhabitations Q. It may be asked yea but how shall we lay their deaths to hrart Answer This way and by this means First Prayer beseeching God and praying for these two things 1. That his taking of them away be in mercy and not in Judgment It is in mercy always to them but pray we that he do it in mercy to us also 2. That he would raise up holy and righteous ones in their room that there may never want some holy ones to stand in the Gap Secondly Repentance so laying it to heart as that we seek out and repent of those sins of ours for which the Lord might take them away and bring his wrath on us Thirdly Imitation so thinking of the righteous gone from us that we labour to tread in those holy footsteps and imitate those Graces which were eminent in them and left for our pattern Thus though they be taken away for evil to come yet by this our laying it thus to Heart the Lord will avert the evil from us Vse 3 This will teach us how to lay the death of the wicked and unrighteous to Heart that is to be considered of us also As the Righteous are taken away from evil to come so should we consider that the wicked are taken away for evil to come They dying in impenitency and unbelief cannot scape the deserts of vengeful wrath that is their evil to come When prophane and Godless wretches die the wicked should lay it to heart that live lest they die so