of our life vnto the other both great and small come vpon vs from God himselfe is plaine by the constant confession of the Saints and the euidence of Scripture Iob sayes Iob 1. 21. The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away If yee read the Text yee shall find that the Sabeaus took away his Oxen and Asses the Chaldeans his Camels yet Iob makes this confession The Lord hath taken away Psalme 119. 75. Dauid saith to God Thou hast afflicted mee yet we know it was Saul and his followers and Shemei and Absolon c. that afflicted Dauid So the Israelites say Hos. 6. 1. Come let vs returne vnto the Lord hee hath torne hee hath smitten vs. Amos 3. 6. Shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it Iob 5. 6. Affliction commeth not out of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Here ye see it is a confessed truth All tribulation comes from the Lord. Which being so what fitter exhortation can I adde then that Heb 12. 5. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him verse 9. Wee haue had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and wee gaue them reuerence shall wee not much rather bee in subiection to the Father of Spirits Marke how Dauid in a great tribulation behaues himselfe onely vpon this consideration that it was the Lords doing Psalm 39. 9. I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Here yee see Dauid professes hee was silent in affliction because hee considered it was Gods doing Nothing is more forcible to represse the violence of griefe in the day of trouble then to call to mind that wee haue to doe not with mortall men but with the Almighty and euerliuing God For how comes it to passe that the greater part of the world is ouertaken with impatience when trouble lights vpon them but because they doe not recount that they wrangle and brawle with God himselfe Therefore whiles some cast their crosses and afflictions vpon fortune some impute them to the malice or cruelty of this or that man some ascribe them to one cause and some vnto another and scarce one of an hundred absolutely acknowledges Gods hand they freely fall to grieue complaine fret and murmure without measure But Dauid cleane contrary that hee may silence all rebellious motions turnes his eye to the Lord and considering him in his wise prouidence as the author of all his trouble resolues to bee silent and put it vp with a quiet mind And so accordingly let vs know that in any affliction that befalls vs at any time this is the principall worke of faith to humble vs vnder Gods hand and make vs rest in his doing with silence as Saint Peter counsells Ch. 1. 5. 6. Humble your selues vnder the mightie hand of God Besides as Caluine notes which is the second Meditation it must be obserued that men do then subiect themselues to God in tribulation with quiet and patient mindes when they are perswaded that as God doth all so he doth it as a wise Iudge and louing Father For many wicked men in tribulation acknowledge Gods hand yet because they reckon of him as a cruell Tyrant they cease not through impatience to blaspheme his holy name But Dauid doth so acknowledge Gods iudgements vpon himselfe that hee takes them as from the hand of a wise God and louing Father and therefore rests well pleased and patient whatsoeuer he doth saying I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou O Lord didst it Thou I say which as thou art the Almightie God so thou art also wise louing and tender Father vnto mee Euen so if we when we are cast into the bed of sorrow and furnace of tribulation would seriously meditate vpon the wisdome and loue of the great God from whose hand we say we take the visitation assuredly we should possesse our soules in patience A man that is perswaded of the loue and skill of a Physician or Chirurgeon which is but a man like himselfe and may be false or deceiued will put himselfe into his hand most readily and be content to be launched and se 〈…〉 or to take downe bitter pills and fulsome potions and to doe or suffer any thing according to his direction in hope of bodily health How much more would wee bee patient in any tribulation if we were thoroughly perswaded that our God without whose prouidence one haire falls not from our head did administer these bitter things vnto vs in wonderfull wisdome and great loue to our soules This made Dauid so patient Psal. 119. 75. I know O Lord saith hee that thy iudgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Therefore was he so quiet and when his spirit began to lash out in a kind of discontented humour because Gods hand was vpon him so heauy and so long marke how hee checks himselfe saying Psal. 42. 11. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquicted within mee Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Here note I pray you what the ground of Dauids patience in his tribulation when his enemies reproched him saying Where is thy God it was this hee was fully perswaded that God was his God that is to say his wise Guardian his mightie Protector his louing father and that hee did all that hee did to him most wisely most louingly with respect vnto the amendment of his life and the saluation of his soule Euen so if we also would beleeue Gods Word which tels vs that God as often as hee suffers any tribulation to fall vpon vs in wisdome loue and faithfulnesse causes vs to bee afflicted we would be quiet vnder his mightie hand yea wee would solace our soules with the peaceable fruit of affliction in the end This made Saint Paul say in the name of all beleeuers Rom. 5. 3. Wee glory in tribulations This made Dauid say long before Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my sorrowfull thoughts within mee thy comforts delight my snule Where note hee saith not when my tribulations and sorrowes are ouer but euen in the middest of the multitude of them I feele sound spirituall comfort because I know that thou art the onely wise God and my mercifull Sauiour and Redeemer which bringest all these things vpon mee Thou diddest cause Saul to persecute mee and mine own sonne Absolon to rise vp against mee Thou baddest Shemei to curse mee and many others to reproach and reuile me Thou hast often cast mee vpon the bed of sicknesse thou I say which art the only wise God and my louing Sauiour didst all these things therefore I am so farre from fretting that I find comfort euen whiles I am exercised vnder thy hand The like comfort will arise vnto any one of vs in any trouble or tribulation vpon the like consideration
things of nothing if we would but giue glory to his Word which sayes Hee is with vs in trouble and alwaies at hand to helpe vs in all our tribulation Feare not for I am with thee saith the Lord to euery one that is in trouble For the confirmation of this difficult point That God is with them that are in tribulation mark what Christ saith Iohn 16. 33. These things haue I spoken that in mee yee might haue peace In the world yee shall haue tribulation But bee of good cheare I haue ouercome the world Againe he sayes Matthew 28. 20. Loe I am with you alwayes euen vnto the end of the world which wordes by Hieronym and Chrysostome are vnderstood of Christs presence to all beleeuers vnto the worlds end But the manner of his presence is spirituall viz. He is present by his Spirit of this Spirit it is that hee sayes Iohn 14. 16. I will pray the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that he may abide with you for euer Euen the Spirit of Truth which dwelleth with you and shall be in you Againe Ioh. 16. 7. It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you By these places it is euident what kind of presence Christ promised to his Church and euery beleeuer vnto the worlds end Euen the presence of his Spirit which is the Comforter and if any aske how Christ by his Spirit doth comfort beleeuers in tribulation and make them patient I answere three wayes First The Spirit teacheth them to apply vnto themselues the precious promises of presence and assistance as Esay 43. 2. When thou passest through the water I will be with thee Psalme 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him Psa. 37. 5. Commit thy way vnto the Lord trust also in him and he will bring it to passe These and many such promises doth the Spirit teach beleeuers to apply vnto their own soules declaring also how God hath made good such promises from time to time to al that trusted in him Secondly Christ by his Spirit helps beleeuers in tribulation by powring into their hearts the gifts and graces of the Spirit whereby they are made patient as namely joy courage patience confidence peace of conscience the spirit of supplication yea the Spirit helpes all our infirmities and makes intercession vnto God for vs Rom. 8. 26. Thirdly The Spirit workes patience in vs By bearing witnesse to our spirits that wee are the children of God if children then heires heires of God and ioynt heires with Christ so that if wee suffer with him we shall also be glorified together Rom. 8. 16. These be strong comforts able to make any man patient wherefore if we loue our soules let vs now whiles wee haue time get these comforts about vs that when we fall into any tribulation wee may haue comfort at hand They that are of abilitie will alwayes haue in a readinesse hot waters and cordialls against qualmes and sudden fits How much more ought we to be wise in prouiding against the qualmes of our soules considering that wee are daily subiect to some tribulation or other Now the principall cordiall for the soule in all distresse is the comfort of the Holy-ghost which Chriss hath promised to all beleeuers Let all beleeuers therefore soundly stay their hearts in all tribulation vpon this Comforter which as hee is inuincible in himselfe so is he able to ouercome all euill whatsoeuer to which we are subiect If this Comforter be with vs wee need not feare what befalls vs whether tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword in all these we shall be more then conquerors Yea we need not feare pouertie reproch sicknesse desolation torment death this Comforter hath consolation in store which will comfort vs in despight of all these euills in their greatest extreamitie Nature and Art can worke onely by meanes But the Spirit which is the Comforter of beleeuers in all tribulation can work with meanes and without meanes yea and against meanes Psal. 112. 4. Vnto the vpright there ariseth light in darknesse I may adde ioy in sorrow peace in trouble abundance in want life in death VVhen any beleeuer is called out by God to be tried by tribulation the Spirit forthwith either furnishes him with sufficient strength or abates the strength of the affliction as we see in Ioseph Moses the three children the Prophets Apostles Martyrs in all ages Let vs therfore hearing these things out of the Word of Truth labor daily to find them verified in our selues that we may be patient in tribulatiō Now followes the latter clause of the fourth Meditation viz. That God in all tribulation will giue a seasonable and gracious issue If their were no end of tribulation it were in vaine to perswade to patience But nothing is more often mentioned in Scripture then an end of trouble Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all Ioh. 16. 20. Yee shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shal be turned into ioy How often doth Dauid confesse that the Lord deliuered him out of all his tribulation Ob. Yea but Dauid and others complain that it is very long before the Lord helps them and the same complaint doe many in these dayes take vp insomuch that they begin to faint vnder the burden of sicknesse want disgrace c. before they be deliuered Ans. This is true the Lord sometimes deferres long before he helpes vs in tribulation but he doth it in wisdome if we had eyes to see it To some he defers to grant their suit that he may make them more earnest in prayer which is an exercise wherein he greatly delights Secondly He deferres some to make them more sweetly taste the benefits when it comes whereas if it were presently granted it would be quickly forgotten Thirdly God delaies to send help in trouble to put vs in mind how we haue put off from day to day to turn to him Fourthly Most commonly God prolongs the time of our tribulation because it hath not fully accomplished the worke for which he sent it Our vaine imaginations are not cast downe our rebellious lusts are not mortified our minds are not humbled our compassion towardes others in affliction is not stirred vp our hearts are not weaned from this world wherefore if the hand of God at any time be vpon thee presently enter into examination with thy selfe and deale impartially with thy soule and humble thy selfe mightily if thou expect deliuerance For God delights not in thy tribulation but delayes only vntill thou art prepared for deliuerance Obiect I haue examined all my wayes and humbled my selfe greatly and beene very earnest in prayer long and yet I see no end of trouble Ans. Perhaps thou dost make too much hast whereas
cure two such in whose know'n valour lay Your Countries weale For whom you should haue show'n The vtmost of that Art that e're was know'n Or practiz'd amongst artists and haue stroue T' haue turn'd the course of Nature and t' haue droue Things to their pristin state reducing Men Meerly to Elements and thence agen Moulding them vp anew preseruing life In spight of death and sharpe diseases strife Dull leaden Doctors Leiden is too good For you poore men that neuer vnderstood More wayes of Physicke than to giue a drench To cure the big-swolne Dutch or wasted French Pardon you neighbour Nations what I had Of reason's yours but griefe hath made me mad How durst you to such men such boldnesse show As t' practise with those parts you did not know Or meddle with those veines that none should strike But those that had beene practiz'd in the like Alas you knew not how their bodies stood Their veines abounded with a Nobler blood Of a farre purer dye and farre more rife VVith actiue spirits of a nimbler life Than e're before you practiz'd on May all The sicknesses that on our nature fall And vex rebellious man for his foule sin Seize on you all throughout without within For this presumptuous deed and want of skill And may such potions as haue pow'r to kill Be all your physicke yet corrected striue To weare you out and keepe you long aliue But O mee think's I raue 'T is time to end When 'gainst the rules I loue I so offend Pardon you learned Artists well I know Your skill is great and you not spar'd to show The vtmost of it Yet when all 's assay'd The debt to God and nature must be pay'd You precious Vrus that hold that Noble dust Keepe safe the wealth committed to your trust And you deare Reliques of that ample worth That whilom through your crenices shin'd forth That now haue put off Man and sweetly lye T' expect your Crowne of Immortality Rest there repos'd vntouch't and free from care Till you shall meet your soules with them to share In that rich glory wherein now they shine Disdaining all that 's not like them Diuine Where I assur'd againe to see and greet you Resolue to weepe till I goe out to meet you Ità non cecinit at verè pijssimeque flevit Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet Certaine touches vpon the Life and Death of the Right Honourable HENRIE Earle of Southampton and his true Image IAMES the Lord Wriothesley his eldest Sonne TO THE READER REader beleeue me 't is not Gaine nor Fame That makes me put in my neglected Name Mong'st learned Mourners that in Sable Verse Doe their last Honour to this dolefull Herse Nor did these Lords by liuing bountie tie To Them and to their Heires my Poetry For to speake plainly though I am but poore Yet neuer came I knocking to their doore Nor euer durst my low obscuritie Once creepe into the luster of their die Yet since I am a Christian and suppose My selfe obliged both with Verse and Prose Both with my Pencills and my Pens best Art With eye tongue heart and hand and euery part In each right Noble well-deseruing Spirit To honour Vertue and commend true merit Since first I breath'd and liu'd within the Shire That giues a Title to this honoured Peere Since twelue long Winters I my little Flock Fedin that Isle that wal'd with many a rock And circled with the Maine against her shore Hear 's the proud Ocean euery day to rore And sitting there in sun-shine of his Glory Saw his faire Vertues read his lifes true Story Who see 's not I haue reason to make one In this Isle's Churches Countries common mone Or thinks that in his losse I haue no part When the whole Kingdome seems to feele the smart Let him that list his griefs in silence mutter I cannot hold my plaints I needs must vtter I must lament and sigh and write and speake Lest while I hold my tongue my heart should breake W. PETTIE I. To the Right Honourable HENRY Earle of Southampton THe changing World and the Eternall Word Nature Art Custome Creatures all accord To proue if any doubted that we must Since All haue sin'd all die and turne to dust But deare SOVTHAMPTON since deserued praise Came thronging on Thee faster then thy dayes Since thy Immortall Vertues then were seene When thy graue head was gray to be most greene VVe fooles began to hope that thy lifes date Was not confined to our common fate But that thou still should'st keep the worlds faire Stage Acting all parts of goodnesse that Each Age Succeeding ours might in thy action see What Vertue in them dead did liue in Thee II. BVt oh vaine thoughts though late we find alas The fairest flowers that th' earth brings forth are grass Wealth Honor Wisdome Grace nor Greatnesse can Adde one short moment to the life of Man Time will not stay and the proud King of feanes Not mov'd by any Presents Prayers or teares Doth trample downe fraile flesh and from the wombe Leads vs away close prisoners to the tombe III. To both the Lords ANd you braue Lords the glorie of your Peeres More laden with your Honors then your yeeres Deare to Your Soueraigne faithfull to the State Friends to Religion ill men's feare and hate Death as his Captiues here hath laid full lowe And left your friends long legacies of woe Griefe to your Country to your house sad losses T' our Armies dread to our designements crosses IIII. To the Liuing TEll me yee liuing wights what marble heart Weying our wants doth not with sorrow smart To see those glorious Starres that shin'd so cleere In our disconsolate darke Hemisphere To see these Pillars whose firme Basies prop't Our feeble State the Cedars that oretop't The ayric clouds yeelding to Birds a Neast Shadow and shelter to the wearied Beast Now by Death's bloudie hand cut downe defaced Their Light ecclipsed and their height abased V. To Death YEt boast not cruell Tyrant of thy spoyle since with thy conquest thou hast won the foile For they O happy Soules diuinely armed Could not though hit be with thine arrowes harmed Thus robbed not of Beeing but of Breath Secure they triumph ouer stinglesse Death And while their pure immortall part inherits The heauenly blisse with glorified Spirits Their dust doth sleepe in hope and their good name Liue's in th' eternall Chronicles of fame VI. To the Hollanders vpon the returne of the Lords Corpes HOlland t' is knowne that you vnto our Nation Haue long bin linc'kt in friendlie Combination T' is knowne that we to you haue daily duly All offices of loue performed truely You still haue had protection from our Forts Trade to our Townes and harbour in our Ports When big-swolne Spaine you threatend to deuour We to your weaker ioyn'd our stronger power And our old souldiers willingly vnprest Ran to your wars as fast as to some feast We