in cap. 30. Job till they were brought to extremities le ts them go to the utmost of their owne indeavours that the helpe of God might be more visible to them Iohn 2.3 4. Christs hour of helpe is when our glasse is out 2 God suffers it as to make his mercy conspicuous so to make his mercy great in their eyes The great designe that God doth drive is the advancement of his own glory and therefore hee suffers us to be brought into troubles and to extremities in those troubles that his glory the glory of his mercy of his truth wisdome might be advanced by men 3 To quicken us to prayer necessities do mightily stir up to duties and makes the soul earnest in it You see the Church in Hesters time c. Hos 5.50 4 To inlarge his peoples hearts with r Quia ex Dei beneficiis non satis agnoscimus illius bonitatem ideo deus salutis causa immittere adversa soler thankfulnesse things easily got are as soone forgot where a mercy in necessity will be set up as a living remembrance of praises c. These with many others might be named why God doth suffer his people to be brought to extremities before he help 2 Why God doth helpe us in extremities Reas 1. Because God is ingaged to relieve us in straits There are foure mercifull ingagements of God which moves him to relieve us in our straits 1 because wee are his people he is our God we are his Spouse he our husband we are his children he our father we are his members he our head what will not a loving father do for his childe c. We are his by choice his by purchase his by covenant and there is nothing he doth in the world with more delight then those things he doth for his people Indeed there is nothing to ingage him to make us his people before he did make us his people as Moses saith Deut. 7.7 8. He loved us because he loved us c. but there is something to ingage him to doe for us now hee hath made us his people because we are his people This is excellently set downe in the 2 Samuel 12.21 The Lord will not cast off his people for his great names sake and why what is the ingagement nothing but this Seeing it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people 2 Because he hath made many precious promises to us Promises of preservation take that in Isay 33.16 A place speaks fully He shall dwell on high out of the reach of all his enemies nay higher many heights but is it not possible to reach him if you did yet not hurt him he is in a place of defence but that is not so strong but we may come to him yea his place of defence is the munition of Rocks yea but we shall starve him out there is no plowing and sowing on rocks but bread shall be given him Yea but what shall he doe for water there is no getting of water out of the rock but he shall have waters too but though hee have they will faile no his waters shall be sure never failing waters And look downe in the twenty one Verse there another and Isay 43.3 4. I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee the Church of God was in bondage and captivity in Egypt and he gave Egypt for her ransome how That is because they could not be delivered without the losse of Egypt God would rather part with the whole land of Egypt then his people should not be ransomed he would sinke the whole land of Egypt if it stood between his people and deliverance So in the fourth Verse I will give men for thee and people for thy life I will not stick to give the lives of thousands to uphold thine multitudes shall be destroyed rather then that thou shouldest not be preserved 3 A third ingagement is because his people trust in him Trust is a kinde of ingagement upon a man although he had made never a promise But what is it when it is upon a promise No man will deceive another that trusts on him we use to say I cannot faile him he trusts upon me and do you think God will Assure your selves there was never any who trusted upon God who devolved his soule on him but he found God to be that to him that he expected faith ingageth all the power wisdome mercy of God to releeve you and if all these can helpe you shall not want succour in your extremities 4 A fourth ingagement because his people seek him He doth not say to the seed of Iacob Seek my face in vaine Isay 45.19 Faith and prayer will remove Mountaines nothing shall be too hard for that people to doe whose hearts and spirits he holds up to beleeve and pray There is a kinde of omnipotency in faith and prayer because these two set the great God yea the greatnesse of the power of the great God to work for us Luther used to pray Let our will be done Fiat voluntas nostra I have read of a story of him that having been in his study earnest with God about the businesse of the Church and having received a gracious answer he comes downe and cryes Vicimus Vicimus We have overcome the day is ours and so it fell out saith the story the Church prevailed Reas 2. God doth helpe his people in extremities that both we our selves and the generations to come might be incouraged to trust in him 1. We our selves We reade this the fruit of Gods helping Israel in extremity at the red sea Exod. 14.31 They saw the great work God had done and they beleeved God David thus reasons The God who delivered me from the Lion and Beare c. will Psal 63.7 Because thou hast been my helper therefore under the shadow of thy wings I will roioyce I have had experience of thy goodnesse therefore will I depend on thee where experience is the promise assurance may be the conclusion David was a man of many choice experiences of Gods goodnesse and he was choice of them he laid them up and made use of them at every need It is a passage not to be neglected when he was forced to flye from Saul comming to Abimelech the Priest he desired him to lend him a weapon for his defence hee told him he had none save only the sword of Goliah whom he had slaine There is none to that saith David give it mee 1 Sam 21.9 This was a Trophie of Gods former goodnesse it was both an experience and a weapon in carrying this he tooke an experience with him which might comfort him in straits So 1 Cor. 1.10 c. 2. That the generations to come might be incouraged to trust in him Psal 22.5 Isa 51.9 Psal 9.10 Thou hast not forsaken nor thou wilt not forsake them that trust in thee Reas 3. God will helpe his people in extremity for the disappointment and torture of
and disappointment of wicked men 151 u. Not to be too much cast cown though God bring us into extremities before he help 152 There are Five times when God will help 153. to the 155 1. When we know not what to doe 153 2. When we know not what God will doe 3. When we shall sin fouly or suffer sadly 4. When the enemie is at the top of his rage 155 5. When God holds up a mighty Spirit of Prayer d. Christ may come to save his people they not discerne him 159 d. Men may sometimes look upon their deliverers as destroyers 162 Three times Christ appears as a Ghost to his people In times 1. Of Humiliation 163 2. Of Temptation 165 3. Of Desertion 165 166 Four times Christ appears as a Ghost to wicked men 168 the 171 1 When he comes to Reform his Church 2 When he comes to reform their Persons 3 At the houre of death 4 At the day of Judgement u. As you desire Cerist should not be as a Ghost to you hereafter terrible at death c. Let him not be a Ghost to you now 172 d. Christ may come to helpe his people in such a way as yet the means of help may be a terrour to them 173 u. Not to be dsscouraged though the means of help carry the face of destruction 176 u. Yet to be humbled that God takes such sad wayes to doe us good 177 u. Though the means be terrible let not the salvation be a terrour 178 d. God doth often increase when he comes to remove our trouble 179 Reas 1. To discover our hearts 183 2. To lessen our sins 183 3. To increase our Duties 195 4. To increase our deliverance 197 5. To increase our thankfulnesse 199 u Judge not of Gods purpose by his proceedings of Providence 201 u. Lift up your heads under the greatest pressures 202 Some Rules to know when troubles are at the height 207 1. When we are at the height of our graces 207 2. When we are brought to the lowest First in Passive Second in active Humiliation 208 d. Mens fears may be increased when deliverance is neerest 210 Fear is not the way to drive away a Ghost c. 210 d. Men cry out because they cry not up act fear because not faith 212 d. Christians to be carefull of bringing ill reports upon Religion 214 u. Take heed the sins of Professors breed dislike of Profession 215 d. The same Word spoken to the hearing of all the comfort of a few 222 d. It is good to be in the ship with the Disciples though on a stormy Sea 222 d. God hath mercy upon many for the sake of a few 223 d. A Word from Christ can raise a Spirit sunk in trouble 224 u. To direct us whither to sly for comfort in our times of trouble 227 1. Obj. Did Christ speak to us as to them we might be comforted Ans Christ saith as much to us now as he did to them 228 2. Ob. But we want a particular word for Englands Deliverance Ans We have as much word for Englands Deliverance as they had for the preservation of the ship 229. 1. There may be a resting on Gods Neme though you want a particular Promise 229 Unto this Five other incouragements in the Generall are laid down 1. From our relations to God 2. His generall Promises 3. Certain experiences to others To our selves 4. From the Cause 5. From those who are our enemies 232 233 3. Ob. But these afford only probable conjectures where is the particular word 223 Ans We have something comes neer a particular word Two Rules 1. What God hath done to others of his people is equivalent to Promise to us if we be in the same condition 222 2. What God promiseth to any he promiseth to all his people 14 equall state Two things God will not disappoint 1. Faith 2. Prayer 239 246 3. We have a particular word for the destruction of Antichristo 239 241 4. We have a particular word that before the end of all things God will make his Churches glorious 240 242 u. Let us upon these considerations be raised up to beleeve and expect mercy d. The reliefes of Christ are proportionable to the necessities of his Saines 245 Reas 1. Because they are the helps of God 2. The fruits of his mercy 246 c. u. To direct us whither to turne our eyes in trouble 247 to 249 u. To exhort us to rest in Gods helpe alo e. 251 d. The spirits of Christians may even sink under their troubles 253 Reas It ariseth from the lownesse of their spirits not greatnesse of trouble 254 d. All comfort in God in troubles at seth from confidence in God in troubles 255 Some reasons why Christ allaid the storme in their hearts before the storme in the sea 256 257 d. God would not have our hearts sink under the greatest trouble 260 Reas 1. Because this is offensive to God 2 It is unsuitable to Christians 3 It discovers weaknesse of spirit 1 To your calling 262 2 To your cause 263 3 To your relations 266 4 To your expectations 266 4 It discourageth others of our brethren 5 It betrayes all the succours God tenders 268 6 tâ— doth gratifie the enemy It s our weakning 271 their strengthning 272 7 It doth expose the heart to dangerous snares 273 There are four snares these sinking fears expose us too 1 They will make a man shie to acknowlege the cause of God 273 2 They will make a man bauk and decline the cause of God 274 3 They will blind the understanding it shall not discerne truth 274 4 They will make us to deny and forsake the cause of God 275 Four sorts of men will not hold to any cause 1 Ignorant 2 Vnsound hearted 3 Worldly 4 Fearfull men 276 u. Banish these sinfull fears 278 279 d. Christians should learne to know Christ by voice 281 d. The same word may be a terror to some a comfort to others 284 d. The presence and appearance of Christ to the soule in trouble is to the soule as a resurrection from the dead 284 Instanced in four sad conditions 1 In times of humiliation for sin 285 2 In times of temptation 285 3 In times of desertion 287 4 In times of outward trouble 288 u. Incouragement to Christians in their saddest condition Christ is present 289 u. Beg his presence now c. 290 d. So full of bowels is Christ to his Church that he cannot long brook them in trouble when they cry 291 Reas 1 Because he loves us 2 He intends our exercise not our ruine 3 He intends our prayses God may stay long for many reasons 293 u. To rejoyce the Church in her saddest conditions 293 u. To incourage her to wait upon God 294 READER I am here drawn forth to acknowledge those faults which all my care could not prevent I have distinguished those in the Margin from those in the Leaf and must begge
in Israel that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed So it may be said of our present troubles And we have seene enough Treacheries and Apostasies enough falenes enough Oh! that God would now stablish the hearts of those whose hands have undertaken the worke that he would sift us no longer but now make us up in one Loafe At least thus far To be of one undivided spirit for the publike good And this is the first reason God doth often increase our troubles when hee comes to remove our troubles to discouver our hearts that the thoughts of many hearts might bee revealed that as the Apostle sayes of Heresies 1 Cor. 11.18 19. 1 Cor. 11.18 19. I heare there are devisions among you Schismes Sects and I partly believe it For saith he There must be Heresies among you that they that are approved might be made manifest among you That is that those who are sound whose hearts are upright might be discovered What the Apostle says of Heresies I may say of these troubles There must be troubles among you and necessary that these troubles should be increased that they who are approved might bee made manifest That the drosse might bee knowne from the gold the counterfeit from the true the corrupt from the sincere the Chast from the Corne the precious from the vile the Tares from the Wheat Which though it be not yet fully manifested yet I feare God will heighten our troubles and increase our difficulties till hee hath made further discoveries Our desire is rather that God would use naturall Spirits for Spirituall purposes stablish them we have than to lessen the number of them However it shall bee my admonition to you all which Christ gave the Churches in that day when they are to fight the great battell against Antichrist which some think hath beene begun these many yeares in Germany and now in Ireland whatever it is in England You shall find it in Rev. 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments clean lest he walke naked and they they see his shame You have many of you had a good esteeme in your places you have run well as the Apostle saith Gal. 5.7 you have been such as have sometimes appeared for God you have had a gatment of Profession frequented Sermons holy exercises given in some testimony against the corruptions of the times formerly Why this is my admonition Keep fast your garments lose not the things you have wrought 2 Ep. Joh. 8. lose not that esteem you have had keep fast your garments lest you walk naked and your shame be discovered That is lest all your former professions be discovered nothing else but hypocrisie lest all your former esteeme be lost your nakednesse and your shame the unsoundnesse and rottennesse of your hearts be discovered And so much for the first reason I have been too large 2. Reason God doth increase our troubles when he comes to remove our troubles to make the increase of our troubles the lessening of our sinnes God doth bring Troubles on us and by them doth lessen our estates our treasure our comforts it may be our relations And all this that he might lessen our sinnes He troubles us for sinne because wee troubled him by sinne He makes us bear a little for sinne because we make him to bear much He complaines under them that he is pressed as a Cart is pressed with sheaves 2 Amos 13. Christ hath shed his bloud for sinne and he desires not our bloud for satisfaction hee would rather have our teares than our bloud But because we will not give him teares therefore hee requires bloud Because we will not be humbled and reformed therefore he threatens to humble us to destroy us Doth God afflict us it is because we have sinned Doth God increase our troubles it is because we have increased our sinnes And if you would have God to remove them you must lessen your sinnes Are your troubles grievous let your sins bee grievous Would you have God to ease you doe you ease him There is no reason you should expect God shall ease you when you burthen him every day Would you not have God to put more Cords into your whip more Twigs into your Rod would you not have God to increase your troubles doe you lessen your sins lessen your pride let some plume fall off or God will humble you lessen your covetousnesse or God will lessen your store Lessen your drunkennesse or God will pull the cup from your nose and make you thirst for a drop Lessen your abuse of creatures or God will destroy the creatures 2 Hos 8. Hee will call for the corn wine and oyle in the day thereof Hos 2.8 Lessen your Blasphemies prophanation of the Sabbath Let it never be said of us as of that wicked Ahaz that in the time of his affliction he yet trespassed more against the Lord 2 Chron. 28.22 2 Chr. 22.22 He is marked in that Chapter and with this brand This is that wicked Ahaz Plectimur a Deo nec flectimur tamen corripimur fed non corrigimur Salvian as if God would note him our for the vilest wretch in the world who would grow worse by corrections who would sinne under all Gods lashings It is good when God humbles us to humble our selves Erudiri cupio flagellis non erui Bern. in Cant. 33. when God lessens our Comforts that wee should lessen our pride I will say thus much to you God will make the increase of your trouble to be serviceable to the increase of your Deliverances if you make the increase of your troubles to serve for the lessening of your sins 3. Reason God doth increase our troubles when he comes to remove them that we might increase our duties The louder God speakes to us the louder should we speake to God Ordinary duties will not serve for extraordinary times When God doubles his strokes we should double our strength to wrestle with God when he multiplies troubles wee should multiply prayers The greater out straites the greater should be our inlargements The greater our Difficulties the more earnest and fervent our Prayers Christians ordinary Prayers will not serve for extraordinary pressures Our present troubles are Gods Spurs and Goads in our sides to quicken our pace in our way to Heaven God drives us from our homes to drive us from our sinnes God fires us out of our houses that hee might fire us out of our Formalities Hee threatens to lay our outward condition low that hee might raise our Spirits high Difficulties should much quicken us to duties God saith so Hos 5. ult In the time of their affliction they will seek me early i.e. Diligently 5 Hos ult Then will they wrestle with God in prayer You reade when Iacobs troubles were increased Gen. 32.24 he went to Prayer he first wrestled with God before he went to encounter with his Brother not doubting but if he
should they have stayed till Christ had dismissed them the ship might have been gone And therefore while Christ was sending the multitude away he constrained his Disciples to take the opportunity and go before him The words may be considered as a reason of Christs stay behinde and of sending the Disciples before But yet that which is expressed was the least of the reasons wherefore Christ dismissed them You may see greater reasons than that in the history 1. Because he would goe to pray 2. Because hee would now exercise the graces of his Disciples alone 3. Because he had a purpose to discover his divine power in their deliverance But this may be one while he sent the multitude away Doct. That though a bare command of God be sufficient to challenge our obedience to it yet so graciously doth God often condescend to our weaknesse as to give us a reason of imposing of it It was so here hee doth not onely command his Disciples to goe before him but gives them a reason why he doth Indeed when God commands it is the reason of reasons to obey because God commands The commands of God though they may bee above reason yet they are not contrary to right reason The obedience of faith is farre above reason but it is not against reason because it is all reason to believe what God saith and to obey what God commands In obedience to man we are to look for a reason of obedience or a rule of obedience which is according to right reason It is to put off man and to divest our selves of reason to obey against reason As the Pope who commanded the Monk to goe and water a dry stake for three yeares together morning and evening * Abrahamus a patria egredi justus paret licet quonam iturus esset ignoraret Chem. Caeca obedientia is proper to God alone not that our obedience is a blinde obedience but sometimes wee are to follow him blind-fold It is said of Abraham Gen. 12.1 that he went knew not whither God calls he comes and shuts his eyes and goes by Gods light he followes God as the blind man doth his guide mens commands are subject to bee scanned whether they bee according to the supream rule the Law of God or in Common-wealths governed by Lawes whether they be according to Lawes a Mandata Dei non adrationis nostrae examen revecanda Chem. Discamus nos simplie obedientia Dei mandatis parere absque nostrae rationis examine But Gods commands must not be scanned here we must obey because God commands 2. Ioh. 7. What ever he bids you to doe doe If Abraham had examined that act of obedience viz. The sacrificing of his sonne either by rule the Law or by reason or by the principles of nature they would all have cryed downe that act of Abrahams It is true the case was extrordinary and it was alone for tryall too God doth not command such things as are contrary to his Law his revealed will or right reason yet he commands such things as are contrary to corrupt reason and above right reason and therefore his commands are not to be scanned it is our reason and the reason of reasons to obey c Pareamus itaque mandatis Dei licet illorum ratio nobis non constet sufficit enim ea ipsi câ—nstare nos commendat obedientia quae in oculis Dei melior quamvictimae 1 Sam. 15.22 because God hath commanded But there is something more observeable from these words while he sent the multitude away Mark the order first Christ refresheth them and after dismisseth them First he feeds them and then he sends them away And the word seems to import something of consequence a Marcus verbo ut tur in dimissione populi quod usurpatur de iis qui valedicunt alicui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valdico 18 Acts 21. 2 Cor. 2.13 Mark useth a word which signifies valediction or taking leave with one It may be he did pray with them blesse them b Illos dimittit blandis verbis eo contentus quod in praesenti corum illicitum conatum represhslet Chem. or exhort them or instruct them in the nature of his Kingdome for these would have made him a King as Iohn hath it 6. Ioh. Something extraordinary there was Whence this Doctr. None come to Christ or have to doe with him but hee ever sends them better away He refreshed their bodies here and that was the least any had they did all eate and were filled 20 v. Nay hee refreshed their soules that was the benefit many had When Moses had been communing with God his face shone God stamps a glory upon those who doe converse with him The Jewes said of Peter he lookes like one of those who had bin with Iesus The bloud loseth nothing by comming to the heart it sends it away with spirits God makes every one better who have to doe with him To whom comming as to a living stone you also as living stones are built up 1 Pet. 2.4 Vse It speaks incouragement to us to have much to doe with God to love converse with him you shall have something left upon your spirits worth your labour Indeed there is reward in the work there is fruit in the labour The Rabbins say Every good worke is meat in the mouth f Praemmium ante praemium there is reward in the labour But that is not all the fruit you shall finde you shall not onely finde fruit in the worke but fruit of the worke either you shall bee dismissed more humbled more quickned or more comforted some impressions of glory God doth use to stamp upon the spirits of them who have beene conversing with him something he leaves upon their souls worth owning 2 Cor. 3. c. 2 Cor. 3.18 While looking upon him and beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord we are changed into the same image from glory to glory It may bee you may see little you may discerne of little in the time there may be the acting of many corruptions much deadnesse coldnesse formality may discover it selfe yet some impressions will bee left upon our spirits afterward which perhaps you were not aware of in the time If God doe not discover himselfe to you yet if God do further discover your selves to your selves it is worth the while of wayting upon God It is good to be in Gods way the blind man found this to be true who lying in the way where Christ came was cured of his blindnes and recovered his sight It is good to lye at the poole side though thou stay thirty eight yeares and receives no benefit as thou thinkst yet a Christ will come at last and work thy cure Though the Miller is not able to command a winde yet hee will set his Mill and spread his Sayles that if a wind come he may have the benefit of it
you enter the duty you will find they will be like the birds to Abraham that will eat up and devoure your spirituall sacrifice Men cannot doe their owne work in a crowd of people nor Gods in a crowd of thoughts Discharge your thoughts It is unseemly to have your tongues conversing with God and your spirits conversing with the world But we come to the second The place He went into a Mountaine A Mountaine That 's high above these cumbrances here below and its solitary Christ chose it he desired to be alone and chose a Mountaine for the fittest place k Preces in solitudine ardentiones quando mens curis objectis minus dâ—strahitur It speaks thus much to us Doct. That helps and advantages for duty are to be sought and imbraced by Christians l Adminicula quibus mentes ad precandum expeditae redduntur non sunt negligenda Chem. in loc Christ when he went to pray he got into a Mountaine not so much for his own need as to teach us when we go upon duty to take all the furtherances and advantages we can for the doing of it But yet remember * Media naturalia instituta Haec adeo vel abhominiâ—us though naturall helps are good and to be sought yet instituted helps such as are of mens devising are to be avoided We must not go to the Philistims to sharpen our tooles nor to the inventions of men to sharpen and quicken our devotions Those cannot be good affections which are either kindled or blowne up by the meanes of our devising and not of Gods commanding Of these kindes are our significant ceremonies as themselves call them the whitenesse of the Surplice was to put you in mind of the purity of the Church and to stirre up our affections after the desire of purity The decking of Altars the coping of Ministers the pargelling of wals the painting of the windowes with Mosaical devises the use of Organs c. were all set up and instituted of men for this end as they say to quicken the dull affections of man But being without warrant from God they are no better then the superstitions of men and being flesh too short to beget kindle or fewell any spirituall and holy affections Upon the same ground the Papists have the use of Images Crucfixes in prayer to stirre up and quicken their Devotions to bee incentives of worship these are condemned and how can the other be allowed when both plead the same ends and are set up on the same grounds Assure your selves will-worship in regard of prescription will never inable you to render the worship of the will in respect of performance If the will be an instrument of devising worship it wil never be an instrument of performing worship The Propet tells us so 29 Isay 13. This people draw neare with their lips but their hearts are farre from me And why so he gives the reason their feare towards mee is taught by the precepts of men We say the greater the body the lesse is the spirit of a man So the greater the body and bulke of humane ceremonies the lesse is the life and spirit of true devotion The Spirit of God will only blow with his own bellowes worke with his owne tooles not by instruments and ways of our devising And though our adversaries have cast us out with scorne as those in 66. Isay 5. Isay 5.66 Saying let God bee glorified by these additaments of ours these incentives of devotion adornments of outward service yet wee hope God will appeare to our joy and they at last shall be ashamed There is yet something more offers it selfe in these words He went into the mountaine Doct. A good heart seek occasions and meanes of conversing with God Christ had a mind to pray and he finds a mountaine The mountaine did not put him to prayer to seek prayer but prayer sought the mountaine It is the complaint of many Oh they want time they want a convenient place and therefore they are hindred in their converses with God they cannot pray I tell thee if thou hast a praying heart thou wilt find a praying place n Non inopes temporis sumus sed prodigi and a praying time I hope thou art not superstitious that thou thinkst prayers more acceptable in one place than in another o Si quis locum ad orandum eligat quasi gratiam orationi concilietis errat Chem. in loc Indeed this would discover a great deal of blindnesse and ignorance in thee Prayer makes the place not the place prayer acceptable Time was that God had appoynted one place for prayer which was then called the house of prayer The Temple But now that is layd low the use of that being done Christ the true Temple being come and now the Apostle bids us 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray in every place lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting The Apostle doth not say I desire you or it is good to doe so But I will and in every place id est in all kind of places house and Church Closet p In cubiculum Christus nos secedere jubet ut ardentiore zelo preces peragete queamus nec ostentationem querere videamur c. Chem. i n loc Chamber and as Christ saith 6 Mat. 6. when you pray goe into your closet c. I have seen men sometimes in the passages through a Church to fall downe upon their knees q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Aristip apud Laertium where often a stone upon a stone here prayer doth not find the mountaine but the mountaine findes prayer the place surpriseth prayer prayer doth not seek the place I hope you are not thus superstitious to thinke one place better than another one place to make prayer more acceptable than another And if not thou needs not to want a mountaine thou needst not to want a place if thou dost not want a heart A good heart cannot want a place to converse with God There is yet something more observeable Look upon the place in an Allegoricall sence and see thus much Doct. It is good when you converse with God in duty to get upon a mountaine I speak not of a naturall mountain if any have such vaine thoughts that the higher they get the nearer to God I must tell them the way for them to draw neare to God is to get into the valley be humbled for your folly seeke to get low in heart rather than high in place I speake not of a naturall mountaine but of a mountain in an allegory When you goe to converse with God in duty get upon the mountain 1 Get above the world above men above imployments 2 Get into Christ Christ is the Mountaine whereon you must stand when you go to pray Set me on the Rock which is higher then I. Get into Christ The Temple it was the place of prayer it
is called the house of prayer from thence would God heare them The Temple was a type of Christ and speakes thus much that if ever you would have your prayers acceptable if ever you would have God heare your prayers get into Christ We come to the third the end He went into the Mountaine to pray To pray It is the speech of one upon this place * Maxime optarem novisse argumentum precum Chem. It were very desirable to know the argument of Christs prayer here what he prayed for Though we cannot infallibly conclude yet we may give some probable conjectures what was here the argument of Christs prayer and that 1 if you look backwards and 2 forwards 1 Look backward 10 11 12. Verses and there you shall reade the story of Iohn Baptists beheading which was the next occasion of Christs a Non prepostero metu sed prudenti â—â—nsilio secessit Pareus in loc withdrawing himselfe with his Disciples And this may give us some insight b Hic orat Christus ut pater pusillum suum gregem tueatar neque cum tyrannide mundi aut malitia Satanae opprimi patiatur Chem. Isay 59.15 Christ might be now praying that God would preserve his little flock from the malice and cruelty of bloody men Whence this Doct. That when wicked men stretch forth their hand against the Church of God it is high time to get into a Mountaine to pray When the Enemie comes in like a flood strongly swiftly c. then should the Spirit of the Lord lift up a Standard against them that is say some powre out their soules in prayer to repell their violence and put them to flight Then should we say We lift up our eyes to the hils whence comes our helpe our help stands in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth You know this hath ever beene the Churches practise and should be ours And the reason why we get no more into the Mountaine it is because we have and make Mountaine of our own we rest in the arme of flesh We have been ready to say with David Psal 30.6 7. I shall never be moved thou hast made my mountaine so strong Marke you there David had a Mountaine and it was strong and though he acknowledged it was all from God for he saith Thou hast made my Mountaine so strong yet he trusted in it as appeares after by Gods punishing of him thou hidst thy face and I was troubled and now his Mountain was nothing We have had means and those meanes of Gods gracious bestowing We acknowledge that God hath made our mountaine strong it is all from God that strength and concurrence we have but yet for all this we rest upon our mountaine and not upon God And this is our way to turn our Mountain into a Mole-hill this is the way to turne our strength into weaknesse and to make those things which otherwise would be usefull to us to be unusefull and unprofitable This is one ground why we go no more into the Mountaine why we are no more in prayer because our Mountaine is so strong because we rest upon the means afforded to us Davids Mountain might have strengthned his faith but his mountaine becomes his faith and confidence It is a sad thing when that meanes which should quicken our hearts to seek doth dead our hearts in seeking and that which should incourage us to trust in him doth take off our hearts from dependance on him This is the cause why God doth often lessen our mountain that he might increase our faith and deprive us of other comforts that he might be all our confidence weaken the arâ—e of flesh that hee might strengthen the arme of faith God often makes us fatherlesse in respect of creature reliefes that we might be fatherlesse in respect of creature reliance God blasts that meanes whereon we doe relye that he might be the alone relyance of his people he makes us nothing that we might be all in him and strengthen our selves in God 2 The argument of Christs prayer may be ghessed at if you look forward upon what followes The Disciples were sent to sea Christ foresees the storme he would not hinder it a Tempestas haec non fortuito exorta sed divinitus immissa ut fides navigantium exerceretur Pareus but suffers it for the exercise of their graces Yet he gets into a Mountaine to pray and no doubt for them that in this exercise of their faith their faith might not faile them As he prayed for Peter when Sathan desired to winnow him that his faith might not faile him if not Sathan had not only winnowed him like wheat but blowne him away like chaffe So Christ doth here pray for his Disciples that in this great exercise in this great storme their faith might not faile them Doct. That in all our difficulties and troubles Praevidit Christus futuram tempestatem eam non praevenit sua omnipotentia sed se convertit ad praeces ne in tempestuoso mari pereant neve ipforum fides quae tempestate illa probanda erat deficiat Chem. Christ is praying and interceding for us when we are on the sea conflicting with troubles and evils Christ is then upon the mountaine praying and interceding for us He is gone to Heaven for this end and this is his worke in Heaven If Christ had not sent succours from the Mountaine to the sea they had not only beene tossed but drowned not only exercised but destroyed So if Christ did not pray for us in our troubles temptations no affliction but would be too big for our little hearts Another thing is suggested to us Doct. That the outward providences of God towards his Church in the world should furnish his people with matter of Prayer unto God So here it did Christ Herods beheading John the Disciples going to Sea Let us not only enquire for newes how it fares with the Church of God but when you know it with Ezekiah w Hoc Christi exemplo nos moveamur ut oculos in mundo circumferentes ex iis angustis quas undequaque videmus ansam capiamus materiam desumamus piis precibus cum Deo Col. loquendi Chem. spread the Letter before the Lord unbosome your hearts to him in complaint and mourning if things goe not well in prayses and thankfulnesse if things succeed well We now come to the last clause in the verse And when the evening was come hee was there alone There seems to appeare some difficulty in the word Evening Iohn saith when the evening was come his Disciples entred the ship 6. Ioh. 16. Mark saith when the evening was come the ship was in the middest of the sea 6 Matth. 46. And here our Evangelist saith when the evening was come Christ was in the mountaine alone so that there seemes some ambiguity But this difficulty is easily cleared if we doe consider the Jewes had two evenings x
brought into straights but he doth heighten their straights and raise up their difficulties higher and higher before he do deliver them It is plaine here and also in the stories of Israels troubles in Egypt their troubles were great before u Quo proprior est salui eo magis pericula crescere sinaet Chem. but they were heightned before God delivered them Insomuch as they looked upon the beginnings of their deliverance as bad as the worst of their sufferings and were rather content to be in their former slavery then to indure the paines of a deliverance But yet though they were higher they were not at the height till they came to the Red Sea when a sea before them not to be passed an inraged enemy behinde them not to be resisted mountaines on each side them that they could not tell what to doe whither to betake themselves which was the rise of their deliverance a Quando ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perventum est tum Christus salvator adest Chem. God useth to take a rise of deliverance from the lowest step of his peoples sufferings Read but the stories of David of the Jewes in re-building the Temple and you shall see the truth of this that God doth heighten the troubles of his people before he do deliver them And this God doth Reas 1. To heighten our graces your faith not your feare your hope not your discouragements b In veris Christianis crescit amor fidei quantum ipsa pericula crescunt Chem. As difficulties do arise so should the faith of Gods people rise too As it was with Noahs ark the waters rose higher and higher and still as the waters arose the Ark arose the waters never arose above the Arke y Non cogitan lum quantum sit periculum in quo agimque aut quid vireÌ„s nostrae possint sed quid is cui fidemus potest Cartw. So should it be with a Christians faith as troubles arise so our trust should arise no difficulties should arise above our faith if God have weakned the arme of flesh we should strengthen the arme of faith if he have shortned us in the reliefe of creatures we should strengthen our selves in our relyance and rest upon God It is our sin we are too high in successes and too low in losses we are too big when things go well and too little when things goe ill and it must needs be so men that are proud in successes will be as base in losses This is the nature of faith it makes us nothing in our selves when things go well and it makes us all in God when things go ill Nothing should pose our faith but what poseth God if there be any thing too great for God to doe then there might be something too big for us to beleeve but so long as there is nothing above his power and love to doe for his people why should there be any thing above our faith to beleeve God will doe for them It is better to dye over-hoping then over-fearing though we had no incouragements from below yet we have enough from above We have incouragements 1 From Gods name a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen magnum gloriosum appropriatum existentiam oâ—nibus promissis suis adhibens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortis pronom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficiens hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus omnipotens sufficiens ad omnia praestanda in se a se sufficientiam abundantiam omni modum habens Sufficiens absque alicujus ope Ad opem conferendum ad suos protegendum ad promissa servanda explendos defectus omuium every name of GOD speaks incouragement 2 We have incouragements from Gods Attributes his Power Wisdome Mercy Justice c. Every thing in God speakes incouragement to faith because every thing in God is for the good of his people 3 We have incouragements from his covenant his promises to us where can you look and not finde something to speak incouragement to you 4 You have incouragement from the experience of Gods dealings with others of his people nay from the experience of his dealing towards our selves Enough enough to hold up our hearts Though there be weaknesse below yet there is strength above though a famine on Earth yet there is no dearth in Heaven as the Nobleman thought Infinite power and infinite love cannot be posed It is a kinde of limiting Gods power and taking away the Almighty not to rest upon God in the greatest of difficulties He is not only the God of the Vallies but of the Hils also He is not only able to helpe in the lesser but in the greatest difficulties You can never swell a difficulty above the power of God you can never be so low * Deut. 33 2â— but everlasting armes are able to relieve you You read in Zach. 8.6 God had promised them deliverance but it was almost above their faith to beleeve it they thought it almost impossible that ever those dead bones should live But saith God Because this is marvellous in your eyes is it marvellous to me oh house of Israel things wonderfull to you are familiar to me things marvellous to you are yet easie to me My thoughts are not as your thoughts God would not that any difficulty should rise above our faith this were to raise a difficulty above God himselfe he would have our faith rise as the trouble riseth And therefore he doth heighten our troubles that he might highten our faith which indeed if it once worke and bottome on God there is no difficulty can rise above it c. Reas 2. God doth heighten our difficulties before hee doth deliver us to heighten our duties hee heightens our troubles to heighten our prayers a Quo profundiores angustiae eo profundiora suspiria Mol. in 130. Psal The greater our straights the greater should be our inlargements the greater our difficulties the more earnest and fervent should be our prayers Difficulties doe mightily quicken the soule to duties God saith so Hosea 5.1 In the time of their affliction then they will seek me early me diligently Then will the soule wrestle with God by the strength of faith of Christ of promises c. Jacobs prayer in his great straight is called a wrestling with God See the stories of David of Hezekiah of the Church in Hesters time Jehosophat c. they were in great straits and their prayers were wrestling prayers Difficulties are to grace as the bellowes to the fire to intend it and make it burn more vehemently then will the foule pray more fervently with more extension and intention of spirit and will joyn teares with prayers humiliation with supplication as you see in Hesters time Nehemiah Ezra And now doth the soule gather up arguments from God from his prâ—nises attributes from the miseries of the Church c. and
wicked men When Haman had prevailed so far as to get a bloody decree against the Church of God no doubt hee joyed exceedingly as one that promised to himselfe the utter ruine of them and he brought it up very high there was mans extremity But you see how God crosseth it and who is able to expresse the vexation and torture of Haman for his disappointment He goes home and vexeth himselfe he could not eat nor drinke nor sleepe for very vexation that his designe did not take The like of Achitophel he hangs himselfe for very pride and madnesse God hath wayes enough to make wicked men to gnash their teeth before they come to hell and this is one way to bring his people into straits and put the wicked in a kinde of hope of having their will on the godly and then relieving his people and disappointing them no man knowes what vexation and torture this is to their spirits These with many other reasons might be named as because now deliverance will be most welcome his people most thankfull helpe most glorious Vse But to conclude this Let us not be cast downe and too much troubled though God do bring us into extremities before he helpe us you see it is Gods time of helpe When the extremities of a people are above the reliefes of creatures it is not only our time to seek but it is Gods time to helpe us You see it Psal 108.12 Give us helpe from trouble for vaine is the helpe of man There are five speciall times when God will helpe his people 1 When we know not what to doe when we are brought to the utmost of our thoughts and know not what to doe Such a strait was Israel in at the red Sea they knew not what to do the sea before them the Egyptians behinde them But this was the time of Gods help Deut. 32.35 It is there said concerning the enemies of Gods people Their feet shall slide in due time but when is that he shewes in the 36 Verse when he seeth that his peoples power is gone c. when they know not what to do Such a strait was Iehosaphat in 2 Chronicl 20.12 Wee have no might against this great multitude that comes against us neither know we what to doe but our eyes are upon thee This was Gods time of help Gods time of help is usually when mans time of help is gone 31. Jerem. 36 37. There is hope in thy end when there was in a manner an end of all hope when they had spent up all their stock of hopes then doth God say there is hope in thine end You read in the 33. Isai 7 8 9. verses of a strange introduction to mercy and deliverance Behold their valiant ones shall cry without the Embassadours of peace shall weep bitterly the high wayes lye waste and the wayfering man ceaseth the earth mourneth and languisheth Lebanon is ashamed and hewen downe Sharon is like a wildernesse Here is a sad Preface what can be expected to follow but as sad a story * Sic consuevit dominus vehementiones labores immittere veluti indices vicinae liberationis Et gravirsima certamiua sunt certissime nuncia liberationis But God makes the pressures of his People to be Prefaces to his mercy and therefore it followes verse 10. Now will I rise saith the Lord now will I be exalted now will I lift up my selfe Indeed now God should get most glory and for that end he stayed till now As you see the like 30. Isa 17.18 2. When wee know not what God will doe when God seems to forget his People and in his outward Providences to walke contrary to his owne promises When wee are brought to a stand and know not what to think then is there a time for God to step forth David when hee was brought to that stand by present providences to him that hee begins to question the truth of Gods promises All men are lyars He was now wound up to the height it was time for God to come lest all break assunder A third time when God will helpe when we are brought to such straits as 1. Wee must either sinne foully Or 2. We must suffer sadly In this strait was Daniel and the three Children either they must sinne foully or suffer sadly if they bowed downe to the Image they sinned foully if not they were to be cast into the fiery Furnace and so were to suffer sadly And now was the time that God took to deliver them 4. When the enimies are carryed on with most rage and promise to themselves most successe against the Church and People of God then is the time for God to step into relieve us when they are on the highest Pinacle once then they are nearest their ruine 14. Is 13 14 15 16. When men shew themselves malicious then will God shew himself gracious You see this in the 15. Exod. 9 10. when the enemy said in his heart I will pursue J will over-take I will divide the spoyle my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them then it followes Thou didst blow with thy wind the sea covered them they sunk as lead in the mighty waters 5. When God doth give and hold up a mighty spirit of prayer in his People to seek him A cloud of Incense is a presage of a shoure of mercy 16. chapt Levit. 13. ver You see this in the deliverance of Israel from Babylon at that time God stirred up a mighty spirit of Prayer in them 9. Dan. 23 i Praecibus nostris Deus saepe se id tribuere testatur quod alioqui sponte ex promissione facturus est Mol. in loc And this was Promised in the 102 Psalme 13 14 15 16 17. Å¿ Argumentum redemptionis a piorum conjuncte votis Molerus Populi restitutionem praecibus fidelium adscribit Deus Thou shalt returne and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her the set time is come But how shall we know that he tels us in the fourteenth verse for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof That is they mourn t they pray u Tempus miserandi ejus c. hinc Musc Tempus supplicandi est tempus miserendi quando corda contrita sunt tunc tempus miserendi and it is thy time to help and deliver As you see in the seventeenth ver Thou shalt regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their cry As when the Lord hath an intent to destroy a People he doth either expressely charge them not to pray for them as hee did Ieremiah 14. Ier. 11. Or hee doth secretly dead and strayten their hearts that they cannot Pray So when he doth stirre up the hearts of his People to seek him it is an evident demonstration that God will doe great things for a People Prayer is the Harbinger of mercy When God purposes to give he
stirres up us to begge and this begging puts us into a frame for receiving You read in the third Chap. of Ieremiah 19. verse God had promised to doe great things for his People but at last saith How shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land As if hee had said I have purposes of mercy to thee I have thoughts of deliverance c. But what way shal I take to bring about this How shall I doe with thee that I may bring about this purpose Mark what followes and I said thou shalt call me me Father As if he had said I have now bethought me of a way I will poure a spirit of Prayer upon thee thou shalt call me Father and so I will put thee among my Children I will give thee a pleasant Land Thus much for the 25. Verse Christs addresses to help them the manner the time we shall now come to the 26. Ver. which containes the Disciples apprehension of him The end of the third Sermon WEE are now come to the 26. Verse Hitherto our times have been so unhappy as to suit with this History and I feare they will carry too great resemblance with what followes Wee will come now from Christs addresses to help them to the Disciples apprehension of him they took their Deliverer to be a destroyer 26. VERSE And when the Disciples saw him walking on the Sea they were troubled saying it was a Spirit and they cryed out for feare In which Verse you have 1. The Disciples discovery of Christ They saw him 2. Their thoughts and apprehensions on hjm It is a spirit 3. The effect and fruit of these apprehensions How they worked 1. Ad intra They were troubled 2. Ad extra They cryed out for feare Here was Terrour Clamour We begin with the first The Disciples discovery of him And when the Disciples saw him And yet I cannot say it was the discovery of Christ it is said they all saw him but it is not said they saw Christ they saw him but they knew not who it was if so they could not have beene troubled As for Christ they knew they left him on the shore and therefore could not conjecture that it was hee that was now upon the Sea Doctr. Christ may bee comming to save his People and yet they not able to discerne him Sometimes mens eyes are blinded with ignorance and sometimes bleered with Passion Hagar cryes for water and yet the Well was neare her her eyes were so bleered with present Passion that she could not see the waters though they were at hand So the Disciples were so clouded with present passion of feare and trouble that they could not discerne a deliverer from a destroyer Here was their mistake and that is the second thing 2. The Disciples thoughts and apprehensions of Christ It is a spirit Or It is a ghost w Spectrum terriculamentum aliquod quale in nocte apparrere solet daemonis illusione Jans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sy r. interp visio mendax visio fallax illusio diabolica terriculum diabolicum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Visio vel res aliqua perambulans in tenebris homines terrens Chem. It is a ghost a lying vision a Diabolicall illusion c. We read in the 20. Iob 8. x Of a vision of the night something walking in the night which terrifies men So they looked upon Christ as a ghost y Ad navim evertendam veniens Chem. which came rather to overwhelme the ship than to helpe them on the Sea And the Mariners they thought these kind of sights did z Hujusmodi visa presentis naufragii presagia Chem. presage their present wrack a Hujusmodi visa presens exitium portendere navigantibus Brugen that they did portend immediate ruine and destruction b Dicuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in aere â—a quae somniantibus occursant c. Artius in loc It is a spirit or it is a ghost c. Do. That men may sometimes think their deliverers to be their destroyers I say they may sometimes look upon those who come to deliver them as such who come to destroy them Christ comes here to help his People he comes to deliver them but they think him to bee a ghost one that comes to destroy them Thus you see the Israelites looked upon Moses God sent him to be their deliverer but when their taske of brick was doubled when their burthens were increased Moses then appeares to them as a ghost as a destroyer rather than a deliverer 5 Ex. 19 20 21. Such false apprehensions they had of him You may read their own expression in the 5. Exodus 19 20 21. And the Officers of the Children of Israel did see themselves that they were in an evill case and they met Moses and Aaron who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh and they said unto them The Lord look upon you and judge because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to put a sword in their hand to slay us Here they looked upon their deliverers as their destroyers How did c Non tantum Herodes turbatur quan tum diabolus in Herode Herod and all Ierusalem looke upon d Christus non erat per se cuiquam formidabilis sed si fuisset agnitus summe amabilis Musc Christ as a ghost as soon as borne who yet came so to reigne as not to unthrone any but the Prince of e Quid metuis talem regem qui sic venit regnare ut te nolit excludere Christi nativitas spectrum formidabile Musc darknesse f Ex ea re quae ad summam consolationem instituta erat summae excitantur angustiae And the Scribes and Pharasees how did they look upon him as a ghost if we let him alone all men will believe on him and what then why then the Romans will come and take away our place and nation Christ came to bee their deliverer but he appears as a ghost as one that came to g Non solum inaniter metuamns quae nocere non possunt sed perverse etiam horreamus ea quae ad salutem faciunt Musc in loc destroy them And thus men look upon Christ and the wayes of Christ to this day if they admit of Christ in his Kingdom worship Discipline oh then this will be the issue or that will be the sad consequence of it we shall be all undone in the seeking of of our spirituall wee shall hazard wee shal lose our temporall Priviledges And thus mens hearts doe act A sad thing it is when Christ shall appeare as a ghost any way Christ in his Person Christ in his Ordinances Christ in his Lawes Worship Government h Amant impii veritatem lucentem oderunt veritatem redarguentem Aug. confes lib. 4. cap. 26. Truth And
thus he doth to wicked men he is as a ghost to them in his Ordinances they cannot away with him they flye from them and cannot endure the faithfull dispensation of them hee is a ghost to them in his Lawes and therefore they cry depart from us wee will have none of his wayes i Evangelium Christimundo semper spectrum fuit sed inculpa sunt nocturnae tenebrae Musc He is a ghost to them in his worship they cannot brook with and endure the simple single plainenesse of his government c. There are three times Christ appears as a ghost to his owne People 1. In time of humiliation for sinne when he writes bitter things against us and makes us to possesse the iniquities of our youth as Job complaines k Adversarium tuum in sinu gestis tamen amicum Cypr. Now the soule is filled with the sad apprehension of his displeasure and looks upon God as a severe Judge his bench set a Jury impannelled evidence cleare and his sword drawne ready to doe execution on a sinfull soule It was the speech of one who was in this condition his conscience opened and his sinnes set in order before him and his soule bleeding under the sad apprehensions of a wrathfull displeased God he said that he never looked up towards Heaven but he thought hee saw every Cloud lined with thunder and ready to doe execution on him for sinne It would be endlesse to tell you the ghostly apprehensions that poor soules have had of God and of all his dealings even the best of his mercies to them in this condition Conscience now arming all the faculties against it selfe l Faelix conscientia in qua luctamen hujusmodi c. Bern in vig. nat dom Ser. This is the day of Jacobs trouble but God will deliver them out of it Therefore doth he wound thee that hee might heale thee kill thee that hee might cure thee m Et si timet a judice sperat a salvtaore Bern. 29 Ierem. 11. Cast thee downe that he might raise thee up terrifie thee that hee might comfort thee in his due time It is sweetly expressed by Christ It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish n Ludit suavissime cum nos putamus omnia esse perditissima Luther in loc I know the thoughts I thinke to thee they are thoughts of peace thoughts of good and not of evill to give thee at the last an unexpected end answerable to thy expectations nay an end above all thy expectations Assure thy selfe God will make thy comforts proportionable to thy conflicts thy joyes to thy troubles thy raising up to thy casting downe The same proportion that Gods spirit doth observe in the Law in humbling of thee believe and wayt for the same proportion in raising and comforting of thee God is skilfull at all diseases he heals all our infirmities 103. Psalme 3. But he is most soveraigne at the binding up a broken heart He hath fitted Christ for this work It is his charge 67. Esay the Spirit of the Lord is upon me Isay 61.1 because the Lord hath anointed me to preach glad tydings to the meek to bind up the broken hearted A second time when he appears as a Ghost to the Saints and that is in times of temptation In temptation saith Luther we look upon God otherwise then in trueth he is we doe not think him to be God In tentationibus singimus Deum alium quam revera est putamus Deum tunc non esse Deum sed phantasma hoc est horribile spectrum quod nos velit devorare Luth. in loc but a Ghost one who will destroy us slay us The Devill doth now suggest false notions of God to you he presents you with false Ideas erroneous apprehensions of GOD sutable to the darknesse of the condition and the blacknesse of the temper the soule is now in None know the * Non promotus sed expertus Doctor est Luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.24 profunditates Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machinationes 2. Cor. 3.2.14 methods p Non promotus sed expertus Doctor est Luth. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2.24 profunditates Satanae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 machinationes 2. Cor. 3.2.14 the depths of Sathan but those who have been in depths those know the wiles of this prince of darknes the methods machinations devices of undoing souls A third time when he appears as a Ghost to his own people and that is in times of desertion when God hath withdrawn himself and seems to be an enemy to the soul fighting against it with all his terrours as Job complaines And Heman at large 88. Psal 7.15.16 Verses Psal 77.3 Nay thus David looked upon him in the 77. Psal where you read him in a deserted condition and professing in the 3. Verse that when he remembred God he was troubled A strange Expression the thought of whom did erst-while fill his heart with a confluence of comfort far above all created Comforts that now thoughts of God should be a terrour a trouble to him And why was he now troubled at the remembrance of God but because he had false apprehensions q Deum inspectum transformant tunc timent Musc in loc he had erroneous conceits of God now either Sathan doth present him falsly to him as he doth in these conditions he represents God in a terrible manner to the soul or else he looked upon him with a disturbed eye Sathan hath disturbed the eye he hath raised up corruption and that cannot look upon him but be disturbed As those who have the Jaundisse all they look upon is yellow Or if the Organ whereby we should see God be not disturbed yet the medium whereby he is represented is a false medium and that presents things like to it self as if a man look through a red glasse all he beholds is red And therefore it is well said of Luther on this place r Quando in Augustiis sumus non est Credendum nostris cogitationibus de Deo Luth. in loc when we are in troubles we are not to give credit to our owne thoughts and apprehensions of God we are not to look upon God as our disturbed imaginations doe represent him but as he is represented in his Word We see Reason doth correct sense if we put a straight stick into the Water sence will give it to be crooked the eye doth represent it crooked but now reason corrects it and concluds it straight and if reason correct sense why should not Faith correct Reason It will be your wisedome in these conditions when sense and reason give in false apprehensions of God To shut the eyes of sense and look upon God only by Faith not to think on God as you for the present see him and apprehend
attention as any thing which hath yet been delivered They were troubled a Quid hoe est Domine venis ut metus tollas illis occasionem praebes qua vehcmentius timent Baez What is this LORD Thou commest to take away their feares and givest occasion of more fear b Timent Apostoli ut solvat timorem vehementius auget Baez The Apostles feared and that he might deliver them from fear he augments their fear was it not terror enough to be in the midds of the Sea tossed with waves the winde contrary and in the darke of the night But that CHRIST should adde fear to fear It speakes thus much c Quanda urgentia mala expulsurus sit tum graviora teribiliora inducat Chrysost Doct. GOD doth oftentimes encrease our troubles when he comes to remove our troubles The Phifitian doth often cast his Patient into a Fever to cure a Lethargy He makes him a Little Sick for his Greater Health Wee often make the Patient more sick for the present to Cure him of his sicknesse The Chirurgion doth Cut and Lance which is increasing of the pain for the present But yet it is for the removing of the Paine for the future d Plagam sanaturus aliam graviorem priori infliget Cartwr So God doth usually Increase the troubles of his People When he comes to Remove the troubles of his People You see this in the Israelites GOD had taken notice of the afflictions of his People in Egypt and he came down to remove them and for this end he sent Moses and Aaron to deliver them But if you observe the story you shall finde That their troubles were far more encreased before God did Deliver them Their Bondage was made more heavy The Task of Brick was Doubled Insomuch that they were rather content to be in their former slavery then to endure the paines of a Deliuerance And therefore the quarrell with Moses and Aaron * Exod. 5.19 20 2â— they grow weary of their Deliverers any of their deliverance too and desired rather to be as they were even in their former bondage then to be at the pains and costs of a Deliverance A story which runs parallell with our Times and which is worse our Spirits too Which of us with them doe not look upon the Beginnings of our Deliverance because of the paines and costs of it to be as bad as the Bottome of our sufferings And doe not many of us wish There never had been a Parliament doe we not wish That they had never sought to Deliver us Are we not weary of our Deliverers Nay are wee not weary of our Deliverance Rather content to be As we were nay worse then to endure the Paines to be at the Costs to run the hazard of a Deliverance Thus God increaseth our Troubles Signum est in propinquo adesle consolationem a Domino si quando tentatio ad supremum usque crevisse deprehenditur Muse when yet he comes to Remove our Troubles Thus you see in Iacob God intended to Deliver him and yet you see before God did deliver him hee Increased both in his Fears and his Dangers as you may see in the Story both of Lahan and Esau * Gen. 25 26. Lahan followed him and would be avenged on him for taking away his gods * Gen. 32.6 7.8 And Esau he came out against him for to be revenged for the taking away his Birth-wright An Hard Father And a Cruell Brother And God was in the way now of Iacobs Deliverance So you see in David God had a Purpose to Deliver him as he had promised But yet you * i Sam. 23.26 27 28. 1 Sam. 24.3 4 1 Sam. 26.2 3. see how God did Increase his Troubles before he did deliver him Insomuch that he saith I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1. Sam. 27.1 To such a height were his troubles raysed that now they had overswelled his Faith and in regard of the strange proceedings of Gods Providence to him he begins to doubt of the truth of the promises made to him I shall one day perish I cannot ever hold out I have escaped this time miraculously out of his hands as you see in the former Chapter 1 Sam. 26. But I shall one day be a prey to his cruelty certainly I cannot ever hold out I shall one day perish To this height did God raise histroubles before he delivered him So Iob. God intended to Deliver him But yet you see Quo magis salus appropinquit eo magis acuit dolores Baez The neerer he grew to Deliverance out of Trouble the more was his Trouble increased on him And if you should aske me Why God doth increase our Troubles when he comes to Remove our Troubles I would tell you God doth it to make the Increase of our Troubles 1. The discovery of our hearts So you see in the Eighth of Deutr. 16.17 where Moses tells them the reason why God led them Fourty yeers through the Wildernesse It was e Timorem auget ut nostram fidem probaret suam vertutem declarat To try them and to Prove them and Discover what was in their hearts Not but that God knew it But God would have them to know it And this was one reason here why he did send his Disciples to Sea and suffered them to be tossed To discover their Spirit their Faith their feare their Patience their Impatience c. Hence Troubles and Afflictions are called Gods Fanne that will discover Wheat from Chaffe and Gods Fining Pot and Fire that will distinguish between drosse and Gold Gods Touch-stone that will discover Counterfeit and True Coyne Wee had never known Abrahams Faith and Love Davids Piety Jobs Patience Pauls Courage and Constancy If they had not been brought upon exercises Nor should wee so well discerne either our sinnes or our graces our strength or our weaknesse if God did not exercise us with troubles and difficulties If Gods children should ever lye in Garrison neither their strength nor their weaknesse their sins nor their graces would be known And therefore God doth bring them out into the field doth exercise them with many difficulties and troubles that so they might be discovered both to themselves and to others Hence you read in 1 Pet. 1.7 You are in heavinesse through many temptations that the triall of your faith might be found to the glory of God And it was upon this ground GOD brought Iob into so many difficulties that his Faith and Patience might be discovered and Satan for ever confuted and confounded You know it wes the Devills argument concerning Job and it was true in the mayne God said that Job was an holy and patient man Why but saith Satan what thanks is there to him for that he must needs be patient who hath nothing to disturbe his patience or provoke impatience And the Argument was true in the main when all things which
are fewll for patience are enjoyed when a man hath what his heart can wish what tryall of Patience Therefore doth God bring Iob into the Field exercise him with an hard Battell wherein hee had not onely to deale with Satan but his friends too as enemies Nay God himselfe seemes also to joyn with Satan not only by withdrawing of himselfe from him but by possitive inflicting of displeasure upon his spirit Thou fightest against mee with all thy terrours and overwhelmest me with all thy waves Iob 13. And all this while God increased his troubles to discover his heart When God brings judgements and calamities on a nation he is said to sift a nation Amos. 9.9 Troubles are Gods sieve The greater the troubles the smaller and finer is Gods sieve smal troubles they are but a course sieve they will not bee able to discover the flower from the bran much bran notwithstanding this sifting will passe through Orpha may goe farre with Ruth but will not goe throughout The Scribe came to Christ and would have gone farre if you will believe him upon his solemne protestations Master 8. Matth. 19 20 21. I will follow thee withersoever thou goest but when he heard it was a matter of paines and hardship he must bee content to lye with Christ in the fields The Foxes have holes and the Fowles of the ayre have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head then hee returnes home to his warme bed f Quid fine domo si non sine domino sine lecto non sine Christo fulgens rather contenting himselfe to have his bed without Christ than Christ without a bed And as big professions the young man made also 19 Matth. 16. he would follow him too but when it came to the discovery that it was a matter of cost to follow Christ he was to goe sell all and give to the poore then he leaves him though sorrowing While Peace and Plenty Religion and injoyments go hand in hand together so long many will be religious but if once godlinesse comes to bee a matter of cost if once Religion and riches shake hands and must part if the world goe one way Christ another then with the young man they leave him and follow that Master they love better The Stony ground went far too 13. Matt. 20 21. It received the seed aswel as the best It sprang up promised as much as the best But the Sun scortcheth in the times of persecution when troubles and persecutions arise because of the Word by and by he is offended Many that are good for want of temptation like the Weather-Cock they stand this way for want of a stronger wind It is a strange thing to see upon what slight and easie grounds many doe adhere and more doe fall off from the cause of God Some there are that adhere to it as the Beare-bind to the Wheat * Hic est nos vulgi quod magno ex par te religionem ventris causa emolumenti colit hoc corruptum vulgi ingenium notat Propheta Chem. 2 Micac 11. or as the Ivie to the tree not because they love it but because it nourisheth them they can suck leaves and berries from it these hold to it for matter of gaine others againe because it is matter of cost therefore they fall off from it the more costly things the lesss lovely Some againe that hold to it out of private and personal ingagements Quicunque occupati sunt negotiis reipublicae debent hoc ipsum facere propter Deum Rab. Gaâ— friendship love relations and others upon the same ground or else upon some personal grudges to some that appear in it fall off from it what dis-service we have had by such private spirits wee all know to our cost It was the behaviour of Themistocles and Aristides when ever they were imployed in the publike service of the state they left all their private enmities in the borders of their owne Countrey and did not resume them till they returned and became private men It had been well for us if the publike affections to the cause in those who have appeared in it might have swallowed up all personall and private grudges and discontents Thus you see the many slender grounds and ends that weak and deceitfull spirits have and doe propound to themselves in their adhering to and falling off from the cause of God pitty it were that Religion so precious a thing should have such assertors to whose defence I know nothing so meane but is too good to bee intrusted Woe bee to us if Religion stands in need of such defenders Men whose Morives are from without are like unto clocks carried about with waights have no principle of motion within therefore * Nullum violentum est perpetuum Simulata non diu durant can never hold long to any cause he that will serve God for outward respects may be drawne to serve the Devill for the same if hee may mend his wages hee is unfit for a souldier of Christ who hath an eve to things visible 11 Heb. 27. but wants an eye to see him that is invisible 11. Heb. 27. That which inabled the Apostles to goe through all those difficulties as true souldiers of Christ which you may read at large in the 2 Cor. 4 8 9. c. 2 Cor. 4.8 9 10.17.18 It was this they looked not at the things that were seene but to those things which are * Eternitaâ—â— pingo better aeternitate pugno not seen verse 18. Christians these times will uncase you they will discover the bottome of your hearts they will not make them that are good bad but onely discover mens badnesse It is true what one saith A hypocrite is but an Apostate vayled and an Apostate is but an hypocrite revealed Had wee not had these times of tryall wee had not had so many hearts discovered As the Apostle saith â— Tim. 5 2â— Some mens sinnes goe before them to judgement some follow after So here though many had been discovered yet some men had passed this life for Saints whereas now their sins goe before them to judgement their hearts are layd open before those bookes are opened How many that in former times would have said Come see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts with Iehu who would have sided against the corruptions of the times who now with Iehu doe march furiously against the Reformation of them And as it was said of the Spaniards of Aldens Company in Germany they fired the Castle of Lippa which before they pretended to defend So now they set themselves against that which before they pretended to advance * Ficta Cito ad naturam redierint suam Luke 2.34 35 And therefore to discover the bottome of mens hearts and spirits as it was said of Christ Luke 2.34 35. That he was set up for the fall and rising of many
have heard of Christs addresses to relieve them and upon a mistake the increase of their feares though not of danger And thus farre hath Christ exercised their graces discovered their corruptions now begins the rise of their comfort and deliverance Christ can neither deferre their deliverance nor conceale himselfe any longer And therefore it followes But straitway Jesus spake unto them saying Be of good comfort it is I be not afraid a Quomodo solemus trepidos compellara qui nos ex voce agnoscere possunt ego sum Jansen As the mother sometimes speakes to her childe in the darke of the night when it is afraid Peace child do not cry 〈◊〉 it is I thy mother be not afraid So doth Christ here speak to his Disciples when they were in their childish feare of a ghost b Alloeutus statim cos voce illis non ignota fignificat quis sit Chem. Peace be of good comfort It is I your Saviour be not afraid They deserved reproofe but he pitties their weaknesse In this Text Christ doth apply himselfe to the cure of three severall distempers under which they laboured 1 They were in feare of a Ghost 2 They were in feare of their danger of being swallowed up of the waves 3 They were even out of hopes of preservation and deliverance See here how Christ doth apply himself to the cure of these three distempers 1 To settle them aright in their misapprehension that he was a ghost he tels them It is I. 2 To quiet their hearts in the feare of the danger of the waves He saith It is I be not afraid 3 To comfort and strengthen their hearts in assurance of deliverance he saith c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem est consolamiui fiduciam habere Be of good cheere or beleeve be of good confidence It is I. This in a more generall way is observable in the Text. In particular cast your eye upon these foure things 1 Look upon the way which Christ takes to settle comfort incourage his Disciples in their fears dangers misapprehensions He spake unto them 2 Looke upon the incouragement it selfe which is double 1 Be of good cheere 2 Be not afraid 3 Looke upon the ground of this incouragement It is I Be of good comfort It is I be not afraid 4 Observe the time when and that is in the first words straightway But straightway Jesus spake unto them c. We will begin with the first The way Christ takes to settle comfort and incourages them Iesus spake to them But to what Them doth he meane to all in the ship or only to his Disciples If to all that might have been as bad as a ghost to some to tell them it was Christ Guilty consciences wicked men are ready to say with their father Art thou come to torment us before the time At the best it could be little comfort to those who had not an interest in Christ who had not Christ their friend Well might they thinke as Ahab sometimes said to Eliah Hast thou found me oh my enemy 1 It was spoken to the hearing of all 2 But to the comfort chiefly of his owne Doct. The same word of God may be spoken to the hearing of all but to the comfort of a few Christ spake to the hearing of all in the ship but yet to the comfort of his Disciples And yet we cannot but think the rest of the Passengers and Mariners might receive some comfort by it so far as they understood who it was that spake The newes of a Saviour to a man in misery is some comfort though as yet the man is not able to cleere his interest in him And it might be the more to them now because they were in the same ship with the Disciples and therefore like to be shaters with them in their deliverance Doct. It is good to be in the ship with the people of God though it be on a stormy and troublesome sea The Mariners found this to be true They were in the ship with them and therefore did partake of the common salvation It is good to be in good company in a good cause though you meet with many difficulties in it If any salvation come you shall be sure to heare of it there It is better to be on a stormy sea with the people of God then to be without them upon the shore you see that here They had not only their bodies but their soules saved too as you may conjecture charitably by the sequell of the story Verse 33. Againe in that the whole ship was saved for a few Disciples in it we learne Doct. That God may have mercy upon many for the sake of a few God would have spared Sodome for ten righteous persons Ierusalem for one Ier. 5.1 d Credit mihi Pii homines sunt civitatum sacre fulcra columna quibus se motis subrutis nihil nisi perditio Aug. Beleeve me saith Augustine holy men are the pillars of a Common wealth which being taken away we can look for nothing but ruine Eliah was called e Quia praecibus suis populum non aliter ac curru ab inimicis liberavit Aug. The Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof f Luther dum in vivis esset multas precibus suis calamitates a patria sua advertâ—bat semovit Luther is said to be the pillar of Germany who by his prayers did keepe back and helpe off many miseries upon them It is said Numb 14.9 Feare not the people of the land for they are bread for you their defence is departed from them The Lord is with us feare them not their defence is departed from them It is in the Margin Their Shadow The Rabbins say That this was Job and as long as he lived he was a shadow and defence to Canaan that they could not enter but now being dead they might goe in and enter they were all bread for them for their defence is departed from them Wicked men look upon Gods People as the Troublers of a Kingdome of a City of a Parish when yet God saith they are the Defence the Shelter of them The whole Ship was saved for a few Disciples in it nay a whole Ship for one Paul Acts 27. God hath oftentimes Mercy upon many for the sake of a few But wee proceed JESUS spake unto them This is the way that Christ took here to incourage and comfort the hearts of his people He spake unto them They were in a sad condition before Christ spake but now their souls revive Doct. A word from Christ is able to raise up and encourage the drooping spirits of Gods people in trouble I say Though the hearts of Gods People lie low in trouble and sorrow yet one word of Christ is able to raise them and revive them You see here The Disciples were in a sad condition before even at their wits end for feare g Quantaris
faithfulnesse truth Ignorance of the power of God of the mercy truth of God is the ground of all our unsteadinesse in depending on him Psalme 9.10 They that know thy Name will trust in thee If you will eye God more men lesse converse more with Heaven lesse with earth If you will have to do more with his word lesse with workes if you will shut the eye of sense and open the eye of faith You shall be more able to depend on him Thus we come from the generall view to the incouragement it selfe in particular which you see is doubled Be of good cheere be not afraid Be of good cheere That 's the first It seemes their spirits were much sunk their hearts cast downe And there was great ground if any thing below might be a ground to cast downe mens spirits They were first in the midst of the sea 2 Tossed with waves 3 The winds contrary 4 In the darke of the night and 5 Christ was absent God may exercise his people with such oppressing difficulties Doct. that their spirits may faile and their hearts may even be ready to sink under them It was so here with the Disciples It was so with David I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul And this ariseth not so much from the greatnesse of our straits as from the lownesse of our spirits under them We are too big in our successes and too little in our losses we are too high when things go well and too low when things go ill Men that are proud in successes are sure to be as base in losses We are apt to extreames Hard it is to be nothing in our selves when things goe well and all in God when things go ill but this lessen we must learne otherwise we shall be as unstable as the times themselves live and dye according to successes of things Labour for steadinesse of spirit get to be setled in unsetled times get to be fixed on God be as a Rock in the Sea Though the waves move the sea rises and fals yet the rock abides that stands firme where it was So let us It is said of a beleeving man He shall not be afraid of evill tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 But we shail passe this There is something more offers it self from the words Be of good cheere The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies three things 1 Courage r 2 Forti animo estote Be of good courage 2 Comfort ſ 2 Consolamini Be of good comfort 3 Confidence t 3 Fiduciam habete Juxta vulgarem versic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Be of good confidence u Firmam animi fiduciam requirit Musc Beleeve Have faith in God The same word that signifies comfort signifies confidence To shew us that all comfort in God in times of trouble doth arise from confidence in God in the time of trouble No more confidence then you have no more comfort you have We have so little comfort in our trouble because we have so little confidence We want comfort the reason is because we have misplaced our confidence God hath blasted our carnall confidences that he might be our only stay now in times of trouble While we have others to go to we will not go to God whiles we have Bulwarkes of our owne we will not take Towre in God Whiles we have any thing else to rest on wee will never anchor on the Rock Would you have comfort from the Name from the Attributes of God Would you have comfort from the Promises from the Covenant of God Let God have confidence from you and you shall have comfort from him Assure your selves so much confidence as you lay upon God so much comfort you shall have from God But yet there is something more observable from the word Be of good cheere be of good courage be of good confidence You see before Christ wold allay the tempest without he applies himself first to quiet the tempest within There was as great a tempest in the ship in the hearts of the Disciples as there was in the sea Isay 57.20 Their hearts were like the sea casting up nothing but mire and dirt doubtings feares and unbeliefe Here was the greatest tempest w Non primum res adversas tollit ut postea suos quietos reddit sed contra Musc Christ applies himselfe to lay this to quiet their spirits before he did quiet the sea And this for three reasons 1 Because that this was the root of their troubles even their lownesse of spirit their diffidence and distrust in God All the troubles without had not troubled them if they had not had an unbelieving distrusting heart within Hence Musculus upon this place x Timor non habet causam ex rebus adverfis sed ex diffidentia animi imbecilitate Musc Feare doth not arise so much from troubles without as distrusts and weaknesse within 2 Because the greatest trouble was that within The other did but in danger the body this the soule The minde was most oppressed y Mentes afflictorum solumodo fiducia pacificantur Musc and therefore Christ applyes himselfe that the minde might be first relieved Bono animo estote Be of good comfort Christ applyes himselfe first to succour that part that doth chiefly labour under any trouble and that is the minde If once the minde be set right the heart cheered strengthned troubles will easily be borne 3 Because till their hearts were raised up to believe they were not fitted to receive mercy God loves to put his people into a posture for mercy before he bestow mercy on them They were not in fit posture for God to work till he had raised up their hearts to beleeve and expect It s an observation that z Nunc vero etsi opportur num erat ferendi auxilii tempus quando Christus apparuit tamen in illorū exercitationem salutem distert quae in manu habuit Calvin Calvin hath upon this Verse Although it was now a fit time for Christ to helpe yet the tempest is not laid because his Disciples were not yet awaken'd to pray and beleeve in his mercy Therfore faith hee wee must know it is not without cause that God doth often times deferre that helpe which he is ready to bestow God loves to have his people in a posture of mercy before he doe bestow it Hee would lay the tempest within the storme in their soules he would lay their fearfull unbelieving thoughts and put them on to believe to hope to expect to pray for mercy before they had it The mercies God bestowes upon his people he is willing should come in a believing praying way therefore doth God shut his hand sometimes and with-hold his help that we might believe And here is work for faith And therefore doth hee make obstructions in the breast of the promise that we should suck that we should
d Num salvus est clypius Is my Buckler safe esteeming all well if that were safe It was their honor and safety too to defend that which should defend them Religion is our great defence it makes the great God the defence of any people as you see Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord. the Shield of thy help and who is the sword of thy Excellency That man runs into the greatest hazzard that for any hazzard shall desert the Cause of God It is a fearfull thing to procure God a just enemy by making man an unjust friend He that maintains the best Cause shall bee maintained by best God Though thou suffer with it yet thou conquerest by it e Duo in cruce affixi intelliguntur Christus visibiliter sponte sua ad tempus diabolus invilibiliter invitus in perpetuum Origen Christ conquered when he seemed to be overcome so a Christian It was that which Cyprian said unto Cornelius f Scias hoinem Christo deditum mori posse vinci non posse Cypr. thou may die but thou shalt never be overcome g Quam gloriosi revertuntur victores de praelio quam beati moriuntur martyres in praelio Ber. Serm. ad mil. temp c. 1. It is the same Christ saith to his Disciples Luk. 21.18 Though they kill you you see Vers 16. yet a hair of your head shall not perish Are wicked men couragious or rather desperate in a bad Cause what a shame then is it that wee should h Quid vel vivens vel moriens metuat cui vivere Christus est mori lucrum Bern. be fearfull in a good VVhat have they to hold up their hearts and what have we not to hold up ours ah what a sin to have a low Spirit under mighty incouragements i Ego miserimas curas quibus te consumi scribis vehementer odi quod fic regnant in corde tuo non est magnitudo causae c. Luth. Luther when he saw Melanchtons Spirits to sinke under the sad aspects of the Church of God in his dayes he fals to down right chiding of him I vehemently hate saith hee those miserable cares wherewith thou writest thou art spent It is not from the greatnesse of the danger but the greatnesse of our feares and distrust if our Cause be false let us revoke it if true why doe wee make God in his rich Promises a Lyar Strive against thy self the greatest enemy why should wee fear the conquered VVorld that have the Conquerour on our side Fearfulnesse is unbefitting a Christian who is the Souldier of Christ and Religion which is the cause of Christ 3. It is unsutable to our relations we stand related to the great God of heaven and earth and a shame it is that such should feare he is our God our Father our Shepheard our Husband our Head wee his People his Children his Sheep his Spouse his members Every one of these speak incouragement to our fearful and unbeleeving hearts what may not the Childe expect from his Father the Spouse from her Husband c. 4. Nay It is unsutable to our expectations from God and to Gods ingagements to us God hath passed over himself to us in many precious and gracious Promises as I have shewed and wee doe justly expect God to be that to us that he hath Promised and what a sin and shame that we should so far betray all these succours which God hath tendred make void all these Promises he hath made by giving way to distrustfull fears To summe up all Christians you have incouragements enough if your hearts be not fallen below Men to fortifie your Spirits against any evill and to bear up your spirits under the sence and burthen of any 1. Every name of God 2. Every Attribute of God 3. Every relation of God 4. Every Word of God 5. Every dealing of God with his Church and People Speaks abundance of incouragement to You against these sinfull sinking Feares And so much for the Second these Fears are unsutable 3. It discovers Weaknesse and Lownesse of Spirit Prov. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small It argues weaknesse of grace weaknesse of faith of hope of patience and declares much unbelief 4. It discourageth and disheartneth those that are weak Nehem. 6.11 Shall such a Man as I flie Nehemiah was One stood for Many Hee knew his Actions either of fear or courage would have an Influence upon Many And therefore would rather dy then fly such a one if he fear is like the dead Body of Amasa that makes all stand still 2 Sam. 20.12 It came to passe that as they came to the dead body they stood still and left off to pursue their enemies You know what a sinne it is to discourage the hearts of your brethren you may see it by the punishment of the bad Spies 5 Feare it betrayes the succours which God offers it is a soule-infeebling-sin a heart-disabling-sin as it is said of naturall feares Feare betrayeth the succours which reason offers so I may say of spirituall feares they betray the succours which God which the promise offers God and all God are too little to secure a fearfull unbelieving man I will but give you two eminent places for it which I had thought to have passed over Isay 30.15 You shall see there the people were in some danger and they let feare worke when indeed faith should have worked And as it is the nature of feare it turnes a man from God and from the promise so it did them and they betook themselves to their owne forecasts and provisions they would go downe to Egypt for help as you see in the first Ver. They trusted in the shadow of Egypt Egypt was a well spread tree the boughs were great and large and they promised to themselves much security under the shadow of her boughes they thought it would have kept out the storme And though God now told them that in quietnesse and confidence should be their strength and that in returning and rest they should be saved though God ingaged himselfe to be their security and set the security in himselfe against all they feared yet notwithstanding all this was no security for them their fears still worked above their faith and all that God said or was was too little to be their security Nay though he tels them in the seventh Verse your strength is to sit still and it is worthy taking notice of the word which God useth there for strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in Scripture to signifie Egypt Your Egypt shall be to sit still As if God had said What ever you expect in Egypt you shall finde in me if you will quietly rest your spirits on me what ever you looked for there you shall finde me to be unto you But yet all this was too little to answer their feares
to satisfie their unbelieving hearts their feares were above all the security God tendred as you see in the sixteenth verse and you see how God meets with them Take another place in Isay 7. You may reade of a confederacy between the King of Assyria and the King of Israel to come up against Iudah and Ierusalem And in the second Verse you read how the hearts of the men of Judah were moved even as the trees of the wood are moved with the winde Now in this their feare and danger God sends a Prophet to them to tell them he would bee their security if they would trust on him the third and fourth Verses Be quiet fear not neither be fainthearted I will helpe you Verse 7. But notwithstanding all this their feare prevailed against their faith whereupon God sends the Prophet againe in the tenth Verse and bids the King Ask a signe either in the depths below or height above That is if he desired to have his faith confirmed by any visible signe either in Heaven or Earth God would condescend so farre to the weaknesse of his faith to afford it to him but yet his feares prevailed against his faith and against all the security God offered and he puts all this off very cunningly Verse 12. I will not ask a signe neither will I tempt God One would thinke he spake well he would not tempt God in asking a signe he would beleeve on his bare word doth not Christ blame the Scribes and Pharisees for asking a signe but it is one thing to aske a signe when God doth not offer it and meerly out of temptation too as the Scribes Pharises did another thing to refuse a signe when God tenders it and that for the confirming of their faith That hee spake wickedly The 13. verse tels you Is it a small thing to weary men but yor will weary God also Indeed the meaning is he will not tempt God That is he will not trust God hee would not trust on Gods promise Gods security he would run to the arm of flesh provide the best means for his own safety for he would not trust on Gods security hee would rather trust to the provision feare could make then to the provisions faith could finde in God * In periculis non bebemus otiose pendere a divino auxilio sed omnia facere quae sunt in nostra potestate Quamvis credamus in Deum faciamus tamen quae facienda sunt ne praetermittentes ea Deum tentare videamur Aug. Sometimes we tempt God in trusting upon God in the neglect of means and sometimes we tempt God in the trusting upon means in the neglect of God so did he See 2 King 16.5 to the 10. verse And so you see feare is a heart infeebling sin it betrayes the succours which God tenders God and all God is too little to secure an unbelieving man 6. It doth gratifie the enemy our feares are our weaknings the enemies strengthnings 1. Our weaknings I say feare is an army in battalia against it selfe the heart doth arme the head and the head useth all its enginery to batter the heart the heart makes use of the head to heighten a danger and that againe layes battery against the heart to lessen that Hee needs no enemies without who hath a fearefull heart within how can he stand out against enemies from without that is not able to stand against it selfe This is the nature of fear where courage lessens difficulties and makes great things conquerable such a spirit looks through a lessening glass and sees great dangers to be small the heart still riseth above the difficulty This is the nature of feare it looks through a multiplying glasse and makes small dangers great and unresistable Assure your selves feare will make a man weake amidst all the provisions of strength your forts are nothing if you retaine your feares you will be naked in the midst of armes weak in the midst of strength fear is an armory of weapons against it selfe It is our weaknings 2. And it is the enemies strengthening your feares are their courage and your courage their feares It is said in Iudges 2. That Israels sin was Eglons strength so our sin of feare is the courage and strength of our adversaries you weaken your selves and strengthen them you disarme your selves and arme them you unweapon your selves and put weapons into their hands to destroy you It is a dangerous sin and therefore God would not suffer such to goe to war they were unfit for wars Deut. 20.8 there were two qualities that were to be casheered malitia molities wickednesse of life and fearfulnesse of heart the one makes our enemies weapons successefull and the other makes our owne uselesse 7. It is a sin that indangers our forsaking of the Cause of God Solomon saith 29 Prov. 25. Prov. 29.25 The fear of man worketh a snare if once base feare get the possession of the heart what snares wil they not expose a man unto I will name some to you 1. They will make a man shie to acknowledge the Cause of God You see Nicodemus and many of the Iewes of whom it is said They believed but durst not confesse him for feare of the Scribes and Pharisees 2. Fear will make a man-decline and bawk the Cause of God the Rulers were afaid to acknowledge Christ because of the Romans if they had done so the Romans would have come and taken away their place and nation 3. Fear will blind the understaning hinder us from decerning good from evil and evil from good It is a Maxime Sin in the affection will breed Error in the understanding a corrupt heart will cause a corrupt head feare in the heart will cause darknesse in the minde It is a hard thing for a man under the power of any sinfull passion either by-assed with corrupt affections or blinded with corrupt passions to judge of the truth and justnesse of any cause though it be never so evident Men in feare are apt to judge those things good which yet are evil and they themselves would so acknowledge if they stood upon even ground if the feares and dangers had not got the hill of them And I believe this is a great ground of mens judgings in these times They think if they should acknowledge things as they are they should be at great costs for the present and run great hazards for future and therefore they will rather smother the Light and Evidences they have then let in more to their danger and cost Thus our enemies make us drive their mills with our owne breath and doe their worke with our own hands a fair policie Pyrrhus used to say of Cyneas That he had gained more Cities with his eloquence then he himself had done with his sword It is wisdom to expect most venom where there is most Art the Spider hath much Art but yet a great deale of poyson 4. The fourth snare that this