closely implying vnderstanding them Wherein surely he dealeth no otherwise then he doth in the commandements by a good thing commanded forbidding the contrary cuill and by an euil thing prohibited inioyning straightly the louing and doing of the contrary good that so wee seeing what God aymeth at both in his precepts promises threates and all namely not only our obedience and humiliation but comfort also we might learne to attaine that and to look to and for that which he hath prouided for our good And yet we shall more clearlie perceiue and behold this trueth if we respect Gods worde or the holy scirptures in the seuerall partes thereof fundred as if it were from the promises For if we looke vpon the threats contained therin against sinne and sinners they will be so farre off from performing this dutie of comfort and consolation that they will rather worke in vs horror and trembling and make vs to bee so not only cast downe but dismayed in ourselues as wee shall hardly or not at al admit comfort The doctrine of the law separated from the curse and threatning due to the transgressors thereof will indeed set before vs Gods absolute and exact righteounesse and disconer vnto vs the duties that wee shuld do to him and to our neighbors But when we consider withall that it setteth out our sinne against euery particular precept that will bee so farre from yeelding vs consololation that it will ouer whelme vs with despaire when wee either respect Gods absolure righteousnes or our own innumerable transgressions against his blessed law And though I doubt not but these former things may bee good and powerfull to humble vs and somake vs indeed more fit for consolation and comfort euen as preparatiues going before better physicke for the scouring away of bodily diseases yet can they not of themselues helpe or heale but wounde and terrifie rather for that is the peculiar both office and worke of Gods promises made essectuall in our heartes by the touch and operation of the spirit Nay I will say more than that though the ground of Christian religion and the maine points of faith be excellent things and haue their vse not only for increase of knowledge but euen for the building of vs vp in care and conscience of well doing and being wel felt may answer many temptations that arise in a scrupulous and doubtfull mind yet still the promises of the worde minister matter of assured comfort and comfortable assurance and feeling which also wee may perceiue by this that many may haue the knowledge of faith and yet in the daye of temptation not be able to strengthen their owne hands or others But to proceede a little further in the proofe of this point We cannot but confesse that the examples of mercie and comfort in the word are full of strong sound consolation because they be as if it were so manie seales set vnto the writings of Gods promises that as heretofore hee hath beene to others so he will hereafter or still be fauourable vnto his people And yet wee shall see that they lie open though not of themselues yet by reason of mans corrupted heart to manie exceptions as for example they to whom they were accomplished were better than wee God was more fauourable then than he will be now because we haue more meanes of mercie and haue profited lesse and therefore are not so properly fit for consolation as the promises are For ouer and besides that they are but in men and therefore full of weaknes and wants wee know and confesse euerie where that as we must liue not by examples but by rules so we must bee comforted not so much by examples as by promises And therfore though examples be good yet not so strōg whereas the truths certaintie and power of the promises is from the might and mercy of him that hath made them who also is both greater then all exception and free from the least shew or shadowe of turning And yet let vs be vnderstood I beseech you as we should namely that wee ascribe not this excellent worke vnto the promises themselues though also wee deny not but euen in that respect they are spirituall holy heauenly c. but as by the spirit they are made powerfull in vs and as by the hand of faith wee are strengthned to applie them vnto our selues for otherwise we may say of them as wee do of the rest of the word that without the spirit and faith they are as if it were a sealed book vnto vs for vnderstanding and a dead letter for instruction cōsolation hauing euen no other vse in vs than the rest of the worde not felt or obayed namely to make vs without excuse or to cause our sorrowefull heauie estate to becōe more sorrowfull and heauie because wee see holy heauenly thinges propounded vnto vs and yee haue not either hearts to vnderstand or soules to beleeue This therefore must be our principall care to make that profitable vnto vs that GOD graciously prouideth and propoundeth for our good Now wee come to the vse of this necessarie doctrine which as I take it is or may bee twofolde First for instruction Secondly for confutation For instruction wee may plainly perceiue hereby what is the reason of so much heauines of heart sorrow and feare in so manie of Gods people and children in the world Surely either they are ignorant of these sweet and gracious promises not so much as hauing either heard them or knowne them or els if they haue in some measure of knowledge beene acquainted with them they haue in the carelessenes of their owne hearts or not seeling present vse of them let them slippe out of their mindes like leaking vesselles not able to containe such good things or els if they haue knowne them remembred them thorow want of comfortable feeling of the good things propounded therein they haue beene vnto them as if they had either not been at all or as though they had contained in them no such sweetnes and pleasure as they doe indeed And let vs not thinke this strange for euen as ignorance in religion and carelesnes to obey the things that wee know is a principal cause of all transgression and loose life men not being either willing or able to do the things they are not acquainted withall and for the things that they know blearing out their knowand laying the raines in their owne neckes so they not knowing of the promises or they not minding of them or not striuing comfortablie to feele them is the verie welspring as I maie so call it of all inward and outward discomforte and distresse of conscience especially For how can the wounded conscience admit comforte when he vnderstandeth not the comfort presented vnto him or if hee forget it where is his ioy in the middest of his forgetfulnesse We saie that of an vnknowne thing there is no desire wee maie in proportion saie the same
of a thing that is not remembred For our owne parts let vs know that as Sathan laboureth to root out of our hearts generally all the seede of the worde that thereby keeping vs in blindnesse and ignorance hee maie make vs runne riot at his pleasure so especially he trauaileth either to hinder vs from receiuing or hauing receiued from making good vse of the sweet comfortable promises of the worde the verie matter if I may so saie and a speciall meane I am sure of our spirituall comforte For the redressing and repressing also of which enormities in vs a godly man that is in some sorte ignorant should laboure to abound in the knowledge of them as he that is forgetfull should refresh his memorie by often reading meditation and cōference in them and that not onely by and with his owne heart but euen by other men also and they that want feeling of them should looke vnto Iesus Christ in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen and should be much and often in the vse of all the meanes wherby Christ is become ours as the word sacraments praier sasting c. But aboue all they should regard and labour for the holie spirit to be shed abroad in their hearts both to make all these things before named powerfull in them and to pledge vp also the truth and certaintie of the promises themselues because it is the carnest pennie of our adoption and inheritance That so sith sathan there laboureth to assault vs most and shake our faith as in that behalfe wee might thither bring all our aides and defences as they doe that are in a besieged hold and so we better made able not onely to indure the assault but to driue our foes with their forces from our gates walles And hee or shee or they whosoeuer that can do this they maie wel assure their hearts that howsoeuer they maie now then or for a while be buffeted beaten yet they shal neuer be vanquished or ouercome because he that is in thē with them for thē by himself his blessed spirit and all other effectuall meanes of consolation and comfort is stronger greater than al. Secondly it is verie fit and meet for confutation of a conceit that riseth vp in mens minds yea is deliuered also by the mouthes of some specially our popish aduersaries who tell vs that this propounding of comfort in the promises of the Gospell acquainting the people therwith maketh mensecure carelesse But herein surely they shew themselues blinde blockish as who haue not yet learned to distinguish betweene a thing good in it selfe and mans corruption abusing that which is good They may by the selfe same reason abolish all the other parts of the word and disanull or euacuate the sacraments because infinite thousands in the world abuse them to the increase of sin and licentiousnesse in themselues yea if they will or can make frustrate Gods grace because manie turne it into wantonnes and say sith is this true that where sin hath abounded there grace hath superabounded therefore let vs continue in sinne that grace maie abound And if for or in outward things we should reason as they doe and haue it followed that so is deliuered we might easily bring all disorder and confusion into the world and ouerthrowe the whole course and rase of mankinde Some abuse drinke to drunkennes and other some meate to gluttonie and gourmandise therefore there must be no vse of meate and drinke what is this els but to starue the excellētest of Gods creatures man I meane Many abuse apparell to pride and puffing vp It were best therefore to haue men goe naked which what were it els but to become or bring in new Adamites Diuers turne magistracy authoritie into tyrannie and therefore with the Anabaptists away with all ciuill authoritie and gouerment which what were it els but to bring in Anarchie worse than tyrannie by much But to the point indeed The promises of themselues and in the seruants of GOD bring forth no such effect For as they are deliuered for the comfort and consolation of them that are afflicted and mourne in Sion as may appeare in euerie place where they are alledged namely in the two first verses of the 40. chapter of Isay and tend indeede to manifest Gods loue and mercy that so in the truth and performance of his word wee might bee well assured that nothing should put an eternall separatiō between him and vs that hath loued vs so tenderly and giuen vs such gracious promises of truth life So surely the doctrine euery where adioyned to those promises in the word doth plainely shew that God meaneth not to make men secure and carelesse thereby or would haue them to inferre anie such thing thereupon And therefore when in the latter end of the sixt chapter of the second epistle to the Corinth hee had alledged manie promises of peace goodnes he beginneth the seuenth Chapter thus Seeing thē wee haue these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all fi lt hines of the flesh the spirit and finish our sanctification in the feare of God And the like he doth in the second chapter of the second epistle to Timothy saying The strong foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his but withall let euery one that calleth vpon the name of Christ depart frō iniquity And let this suffice for these wordes of the 28. vers with the rest I cannot proceed because we haue been somewhat long and as I am wearie in my selfe so am I loath to bee troublous or tedious vnto you God may be pleased hereafter to giue both occasion time and place to pursue these things and to finish the residue In the meane while it shall not bee amisse in a word or two to apply that hath been saide to our persent assemblie and causes thereof and so to shut vp this exercise The causes that haue moued vs thereto are great grieuous iniquities preuailing vpon al euery one of vs the heauie rod of penurie and scarsity that ouerfloweth the land warres and rumors of warres and the same intended and threatned against vs both outward and inward at home and abroad To diuert or turne away the punishments for our sinnes and the iudgements that wee confesse and acknowledge we haue iustly deserued therefore no outwarde thing will serue though it bee neuer so great glittering or seeme neuer so pleasant or painefull but soundnes of heart and humble walking with our God in all our waies and all the dayes of our liues To this we haue been exhorted and prouoked by manifolde good meanes and namely by propounding singular comforts and consolations which the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto vs the better to meet with our backwardnes from approching to him wee being sometimes discouraged from doing of that dutie by his almightie greatnes and excellencie and sometimes let from it by the consideration of our owne base and vnworthie estate But yet sith hee hath so louingly and fatherly called vs and for our better incouragement giuen vs gracious promises let vs drawe neere with a true heart in assurance of faith our inward parts being pure from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water And so no doubt the punishments wee presently feele shal be remooued the feare of our foes at home and abroad shall be put farre away and wee shall not need to dread the curses of that Balaam of Rome not the vaunts and attempts of that proud and persecuting notion of Spaine nor of anie other our enemies bodily or ghostly because that our consciences being quieted with the comforta blefeeling of all Gods fauours and specially of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules wee may comfortably say as the saithfull that haue gone before vs haue done I will not bee afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Nay though I should walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will yet feare none ill for thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comforte mee Yea that wee are perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Now let vs pray that God would giue a rich and plentifull blessing in our seuerall hearts to al the good things that haue been deliuered vnto vs at this time and let vs humbly intreat him to make them profitable in vs not onely for this present but for all the daies of our liues to his glorie and our euerlasting comforte thorowe Christ FINIS
regard of cooling yea satisfiyng our spirituall drougth or as in respect of easing the griefes and burdens of our mindes which in deed shall be so much the better welcome vnto vs when God shall be pleased in mercy to vouchsaue vs the same by how much the burthens that we beare and the paines we indure are indeed grieuous and as wee may say and shall finde it too without grace and assistance from God vnbeareable In these outwarde matters the more that is promised the better we like and the more great and faithfull the party is that giueth vs his word the more constantly we assure our selues but if together with words we finde vndeceiueable accomplishment then is our ioy as a man may say at the toppe and full Marke these thinges here and then we shall see our comfort increased Where are more bountifull promises of truth and life then those that euery where soūd in the holy Scripture Doe not they reach to the good things of this life present and that which is to come especially Who more excellent than the Lorde that hath made them Who more great for power Who more certaine for good will Who more assured for fastnesse and fidelity than he Should not all these rayse vp our spirits in our selues that are fallen downe within vs and euen as it were cause vs in hope or vnder hope to beleeue against hope Which that we may the better perceiue in our selues and perswade our hearts of let vs a little insist or stand vpon the words He sayth and I will refresh you Who speaketh it He that eyther cannot or will not performe it no verely But Christ God and man in one person consisting yet notwithstanding of two seuerall and distinct natures the godhead and the manhood hath deliuered it that so we might be well assured as of his eternall power by reason of his godhead so of his infinite good will by reason of his humanitie and in both of them inseparably ioyned together from the time of his conception perswade our hearts for the faithfull accomplishment of this most gracious and sweete promise And wee must needes referre it to and vnderstand it of his whole person not onely because in him consisteth the fulnes of all goodnes as we haue heard yea euen the very fulnes of the godhead bodily but also because that deliuering this as the King Priest and Prophet of his Church and not accomplishing any of these offices in eyther of his distinct natures seuerally but in his whole person he must in his person needes both deliuer this sweete and comfortable promise and also effectually performe the same in the hearts of his saythfull people The word refresh is metaphoricall and well answereth indeede the tearmes before going of labouring and being heauy laden A man that laboureth sore woulde bee glad of ease who doubteth of that The party that hath a sore burthen on his backe would willingly be lighted Nature reason experience all teacheth the trueth of this How much more then hee that is pressed if not depressed with the sight of sinne with the beholding of his owne infirmities with the feeling and feare of Gods wrath against him for the same would be glad to find refreshing ease and comfort Which if it be offred and meant as here it is is excellent but if it be receyued and felt is so much the more notable by how much the soule is better then the body the griefes of the one more great then the other and therefore they being holpen and cured the mercy ministred and made effectuall and the comforts flowing therefrom farre surpassing all Wherein our Sauiour Christ surely offreth no more then what hee is able to performe nay then that which he will accomplish indeed so that wee labour by that eye of fayth which he hath bin pleased to vouchsaue vnto vs and that hand of fayth that he hath bestowed vpon vs stedfastly to looke vpon it to lay hold of it and to applie it to our owne soules because the promises of God though most holy heauenly excellent in themselues yet without fayth to feele and apply the same vnto our hearts they are as in regarde of men as if they were not at all And yet to say trueth and that indeede for the further inlarging of the comfort of distressed consciences wee are to marke that the word signifieth much more then refreshing though I deny not but that that considered as it commeth from God or in it owne selfe is a very singular grace And it shall both appeare and be so much the more gracious by how much all and euery one of vs are vnworthy of it yea most worthy of all discomfort iudgement both for the time present and all continuance But to the word I say it being compounded of a preposition or particle and a verbe that signifieth to finish ende or cease from our Sauiour noteth not onely refreshing from the paynes and pangues that we indure but putting an ende vnto all troubles and sorrowes that are vpon vs whether they be outward or inward which though it shal be principally yea onely and most absolutely performed in the life that is to be reueiled according to that of the spirit in the xiiii of the Reuelations Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they cease from their labors and their works follow them yet it is in manner and measure begunne here by fayth we stedfastly beleeue the full fruition of it and thorowe hope holde fast and with patience looke for the continuall enioying thereof And no doubt of it our Sauiour hath vsed so significant a word that he might the better prouide for and propounde comfort to the wounded spirit which as it is in anguish and griefe for the present distresse so doth it trouble and torment it selfe with this temptation that it seeth no ende of the miseries and calamities thereof But be not dismaied sayth Christ for the time shall come fayth Christ wherein I will wipe all teares from your eyes all griefe from your heartes all sorrowe from your soules and not onely stay there but giue you perpetuall rest with them that are sanctified and saued thorow me Hitherto we haue tranailed and I trust not vnprofitably chiefly in the exposition of the words interlacing now and then some things of comfort and consolation no whit I am sure strange from the meaning of Christ or improper or vnfitte for this present exercise and assembly Now it remayneth that before we go any further in the wordes of our text we doe from this verse gather some such good lessons as it doth afford vs for doctrine or consolatiō because this indeed may most properly be called the life of the word when men learne from the same good instructions and indeuour to make good and profitable vse thereof The first point of doctrine issuing out of this text is this that true and sound comfort for an afflicted conscience is no