who more contemptible in the eye of the world then the Generation of the Iust No men more miserable so berounded and enuironed with euilles that they cannot looke beside their miseries all things conspire to mischiefe them What a straunge assertion beyond all beleefe is this of our Apostle that all things worke to their good What all things sayth the Father what all euill what sinne what Affliction Immo peccata He that puts the question assoyles it Yea all things A large word of a wide extent yet not too large Generall assertions auaile little the whole waight of our comfort lies in the induction of Particulars Giue mee leaue therefore to run through all things and to extract this Quintessence of consolation from euery thing For Method-sake we will range them into two Heads either they are Good or Euil That al Good things turne to the good of them that are Good will easily be granted of all Briefely then all Good whether supreme or subordinate Supreme God himselfe whether we consider him in his Nature or Workes For his attributes His Wisedome is their Pilot his Power their Bulwarke his Faithfulnesse their Anchor his Prouidence their Purueighor His Iustice keepes them from Presumption his Mercy from Despaire His Omniscience serues as a Bridle to curb them from dooing euill The Face of the Lord is against them that do euill Psal 34 16. as a Sparre to encourage them to all good Duties Mat. 6.4 He that sees in secret will reward them openly In a word they loue him for his goodnesse feare him for his greatnesse and imitate his Holinesse As for his Workes if towardes them in particular sometimes hee speakes out of the whirlwind The Lyon roares Hosea 3 8. then all the Beastes of the field tremble This rough Dealing howeuer it perplexe them for a time yet makes them more carefull to please him more fearfull to offend him Vsually he speakes to his owne in a gentle still voice 1 King 19.12 13. and discourseth with them in a familiar Language then they walke vvith God as Enoch talke with him as Moses conuerse with him as Abram supplicate to him as Dauid Iosuah Samuel Danie If towardes Others generally Sometimes hee workes by meanes then his Glorie shines sufficiently they ascribe the praise to him who both appointed the meanes gaue the blessing to that meanes he had appointed Sometimes hee workes without meanes and then his Glorie giues a farre greater lustre This is the finger of God Exod. 8.19 they crie out Digitus Dei est Sometimes he works aboue against meanes then indeede his Glorie shines out most brightly this fils them with wonder and amazement causing them to breake out with the Apostle O the deepenesse of the wisedom power of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11 43. God the Father is their Creator and Preseruer God the Sonne their Sauiour and Redeemer God the holy Ghost their Sanctifier and Comforter As God the supreme Agent so all Creatures in subordination to his will worke for the good of his Chosen Whether Men or Angelles Lower we may not descend least our discourse know no limits Angels what 's their office are they not sent forth as Ministring Spirits for the good of the elect Heb. 11 14 In our Insancie these heauenly peeres carry vs in their Armes as Nurses least we should dash our feete against a stone Psa 91 11 12 In our Nonage they serue as Tutors or Gouernours secretly instigating vs to good disswading from euill Are we in prison they can knocke off our Fetters open the Brazen gates Acts 12.7 and set vs at liberty to shift for our liues Are we enuironed with an innumerable Hoast of Armed Enemies 2 King 19.35 they can slay a Hundred and fourescore fiue thousand in one night At our Death they stand ready to receiue our flitting soules and to carry them into Abrahams bosome Luke 16.22 At the Resurrection they gather the Bodies of the Saints from the foure Corners of the world Men. All Ordinances among Men make for them whether Ciuil or Ecclesiasticall Esay 49.23 Ciuill Magistrates are Nursing Fathers nursing Mothers to the Church as the shadow of a great rocke to shroud them from the rage of the wicked Rom. 4.44 Hee is the Minister of God to thee for Good What Good That we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in al godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2 2. As Magistrates serue for their Temporall so Ministers for their Eternall Good These are Pastours Psal 23.2 leading them to greene Pastures Esay 52 7. whose verie feet are Beautifull because they bring the glad tydings of Saluation Guides Luke 1.79 reducing those silly sheepe wandering in the by-pathes of Error into the way of peace Watchmen which standing on the Lords watch-Tower keepe Centinel Ezek. 3.17 when they they see a plague giue warning that being praemoniti forewarned they might be praemuniti fore-armed The word of God is to them that are saued 2 Cor. 2.16 the sweet sauour of life vnto life the Arme of God to Saluation Rom. 1 16. Psa 119.105 A light vnto their feete a Lanterne vnto their steps the two-edged sword of the Spirit piercing euen to the diuiding assunder of the Soule and Spirit and of the ioynts marrow Heb 4 12. That heauenly Manna Diuine Nectar and Ambrosia which nourisheth them vp to Immortality as Oracles for Direction as apples of Paradise and Flaggons of Wines for Consolation a Corasiue to eate out the proud flesh a Cordiall to strengthen them in theyr greatest weakenesse The Sacraments are the Broad Seales of the great King of Kings to ratifie and confirme that Magna Charta their Great Charter whereby they lay clayme to that Immortall inheritance For Outward good things whether Bona Animi Bona Corporis or Bona Fortunae euen these become truely good The gifts of the mind acutenes of Wit is to them as that sword of Alexander by whose keen edge they are made able to vntie or cut asunder the Gordian knots of all Sophisticall Dilemmaes Depth of iudgement so grounds them in the knowledge of the Truth that like Trees which haue taken deepe root they cannot easily be tossed too and fro with euery blast of Doctrine yea the gifts of Reprobates aduance the good of the Elect. Who may saue others but themselues they cannot saue like Noahs Shipwrights that builded an Arke for the securing of the Patriarchs while themselues were swallowed vp of the Deluge The Ornaments of theyr Bodyes The beauty of Ester made the whol Church of the Iewes fare the better Sampsons strength was Israels Bulwarke and the wracke of Philistims The Gifts of Fortune as wee commonly terme them are notably emproued by them If they become Fauourites to Great men Lot Ioseph Dauid Nehemiah Mordecai Prou. 11.10 rise and climbe When the
vnderstanding Philip. 4.7 1. Pet. 1.8 mind him of a ioy which is glorious and vnspeakeable assure him there is a royall priuiledge peculiar to the chosen of God that All things shall worke together to the best of them that loue God Act. 17.18 Act. 20.24 c. You shal seeme to him a Barbarian or as the Athenians censured Paule you must passe for a babler and broacher of new Doctrine nay Festus verdict will be your lot much Deuotion hath made thee mad If hee himselfe discourse of them it is but Parrot-like he speaks by rote he know's not what vttering the Sentence when he vnderstands not the sense Let his Wine and Oyle encrease Let his Cowes Calue and cease not Let him haue his portion in this life Esaus Patrimony the fatnes of the earth fulnes of bread like the Cocke in the Fable hee will preferre one Barley-corne before the richest Iewell which the earth can afford Giue him Hay Prouender Huskes and Acornes the Leekes and Onions of Aegypt he will not sticke to bid much good may your Spirituall consolations do you let mee inioy the present comforts of this life I shall neither enuy your hopes for the future nor desire them Let me haue the Res the possession and fruition of my desires take you the Spes the expectation of I know not what golden Mountaines which your crackt braines promise to themselues One Bird in the hand is better then two in the bush As our Sauiour spake sometimes to the woman of Canaan if thou knewest the gift of God Iohn 4.10 and who it is that speaketh vnto thee thou wouldst haue asked be would haue giuen vnto thee of the water of the Well of life to drinke freely So say I vnto thee O thou silly sottish Muck-worme if thou couldst but tast the delicacy of this hid Manna this Angelicall prouision this super-coelestiall and soule-rauishing consolation with which the Righteous Man is dayly hourely solaced how wouldst thou loath the dirt and dung of this world 2. Sam. 23.16 How wouldst thou with Davids Worthyes breake thorough a whole hoast of Philistims to get but a few drops of the water of this Bethel which now is powred forth vnto thee as it were by pale-fuls and thou sufferest it to bee spilt on the ground nay tramplest it as mire and dirt vnder thy feete But what do I wasting my spirits and abusing your patience while I direct my discourse to the belly which hath no eares I will now addresse my selfe to the hungry empty soule Is there any heere whose bowels are kindled whose affections are enflamed Is there any that longs to haue a share in this inestimable Treature That longs to sip of this cup I know no surer way no better counsell can bee giuen him then to interest himselfe in the society of the Saints Labour to bee of that communion bee one of that Incorporation and this praerogatiue granted to them will not bee denyed to thee If thou bee involued in this We if made partakers of this Diuine nature thou shalt bee made partakers of this diuine Consolation the Saints are indeed the onely true Good-fellowes which haue all things common This Wee is not onely an exclusiue particle to shut the doore against the wicked and prophane hand that would be snatching at these dainty morsels but also an inclusiue particle opening the doore wide to the feeble hand of all weake palsie Christians for whom God hath spred this Table furnishings it euen in the wildernes Least any should thinke this Table common for all commers tagge and ragge Paule appropriates it points vs to the guest inuited We and wee onely Least any should thinke this Table proper to Paule onely hee enlargeth himselfe to shew how it is common to all Christians Wee and all Wee Hitherto of the parties to whom this truth is intended and entailed it is more then high time that wee proceed to the manner how it is deliuered implyed in the next word Know. Wee know a word that imports both the perspicuity and certainety of this diuine Aphorisme This knowledge was no bare speculation but a practicall obseruation not a meere Notion or naked conception of the braine but a well grounded and setled perswasion of the heart Wee know not theorically onely but really not speculatiuely onely but experimentally euery day euery moment is this Scripture fulfilled in vs and vpon vs that all things worke c. Againe we know that is we may know it we must know it we shall know it We may know if we doe not wilfully shut our eyes if we do but carefully obserue the carriage of God towards our selues or any of the Saints trace him in all his passages you may easily sent out the print of his footsteppes Things reuealed belong to vs and our Children Wee ought we must know it Euery trade and profession of life Cittizens Schollers Souldiers the Gentry Comminalty Nobility haue certain prerogatiues annexed to them not to touch vppon the highest ranke What man so simple as to bee ignorant of those priuiledges which are granted by custome or fauour to the meanest occupation What a shame were it then for any professed Christian to bee vtterly vnacquainted with so maine a priuiledge proper only to those of that coate Proprium Quarto modo as Schoolemen deliuer it omni Soli semper Agreeing to all Christians onely to a Christian and to a Christian alwayes Nay We shall know it How euer in the times of our ignorance it may be hid from our eyes that we cannot conceyue it howeuer in the time of temptation our hearts may be so vnsetled that we cannot but doubt of it yet sooner or later first or last we shall attaine to this plerophory of our Apostle we shall see clearly beleeue confidently and acknowledge feelingly that All things worke together c. This Mysterie is not reuealed fully at the first dash The bright lustre of so glorious a light if it should sodainly breake out vpon us would doubtlesse dazle our dim Owlet eie-sight We see it first darkely as in a cloud confusedly as it were a far off in processe of time more clearly more distinctly as yeares and experience should teach an aged Scholler The reason heereof is euident This Knowledge is the Mother of all spirituall Courage Constancie Patience and Perseuerance This is the wise mans harbour which secures him in the greatest stormes What though the earth be mooued What though the Sea rore make a noyse Psal 46.2.3 The mountaines be tumbled into the middest of the Sea What though the whole world bee in a tumultuous vprore running into a Chaos of Confusion That heart which hath planted it selfe on this Rocke is no whit affraid of euill tydings stands as Mount Sion which cannot bee moued Why It knowes that wise Pilot which sits aboue does not only see whateuer fals out in the glassy Sea of this world amiddest all the weltrings and changes of
righteous are exalted the City shall flourish If their Cup ouerflow their Brests bee full of Milke and their Bones full of Marrow there wordly Wealth makes them rich in good Workes 1. Tim. 6.18 to doe good and to distribute they forget not Now they are Eies to the blind Clothes to the naked Iob 31 17 18 19 20. c. Feete to the lame their Morsels are neuer eaten alone the loines of the poore shall blesse them My promise was not to dwel on this branch which requires not confirmation but onely illustration Why should I waste the time in prouing what none denies Here 's the maine Scruple a Quaere not easily assoyl'd What do all euil things turne to their good I All euill too by accident whether of Sin or Punishment of Sinne whether that of our first Parents or what flowes from thence That of our first Parents Our Apostacie from God in the first Adam made way for the incarnation of the Second Had wee not fallen in Adam wee could neuer haue stood in Christ Our Happinesse at the first was put into our owne hands but how easily were we beguiled by that wily Serpent like little Children that will part with Gold for a Nut-shelle to let goe God Heauen our Soules and all for an Apple Whereas now this Iewell is kept vnder looke and key in the Bosome of God conueighed to vs by our Head Christ Iesus and as soone may Satan pull Christ their Head out of Heauen as snatch a rib a member a limbe from his body Loe how we haue gayned by our lossel our Happinesse is enlarged confirmed we may triumphingly conclude with the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee had perished if we had not perished That which flowes from our first Parents whether Originall Corruption or Actuall Transgression Originall Corruption howeuer it sticke close to all the sonnes of Adam as an Hereditary Leprosie bred in the flesh wil not our of the bone Wel may it bee subdued rooted out it cannot be If it doe not Regnare it will Inhabitare So hath it fretted into our Nature as the Leprosie eate into the walles that it cannot be scraped out till the house be pulled downe like that poysoned Vestiment which the Poets faine was giuen to Hercules that would not off till it had torne the skinne from the flesh and the flesh from the bone This tainture sieges on the wholeman in the vnion of the Soule to the Body and therefore cannot be extirpated eradicated till the finall separation of the Body from the Soule This Fomes Malorum workes for their Good many waies It serues to humble them it lets them see that they carry in them the Spawne of all Sinne the sourse of all Impiety lurkes in their vile Nature that by Nature they are Slaues to sinne Vassals to Satan Daenen eti priusquam nati Aug. Firebrands of Hell heyres of Condemnation that they are naught starke naught worse then naught Now the first step to Christianity is Selfe-Deniall If any man will be my Disciple he must deny himselfe and follow me If the recognition of this poyson and venom which lurketh in the Nature of Man and renders him more odious in the sight of God then a Toade Snake or Serpent can be hateful to vs doe not make him out of loue with himselfe I know not what will Certainly Paul was not enamored with his owne worth when he cryeth out In me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. ver 18. It driues them to Christ with lamentable sighes and groanes O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of Death Thankes bee to God thorough Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7 24 25. verses These diseased creatures sicke as life can hold how eagerly doe they run vnto the Physitian accounting it a most singular Happinesse if they may with the poore Woman in the Gospell but steale a touche of the Hemme of our Sauiours Garment Luk. 8 43 44 that so this Issue of blood may bee stanched and this Spring of Corruption dryed vppe which of it selfe like a seething pot Ezech. 16 16. Ezech. 24 6 7 is euer sending vp a filthy Scumme and like the raging Sea is euer foaming out myre and dirt Esa 57 20 21 Actual transgressions the cursed fruit sprowting from that roote of Bitternesse whether Lesser or Greater are made vsefull to the Elect. Smaller in the Vnderstanding Errours and doubting occasions them to get a surer resolution a scrupulous mind I meane not of such as are more nice then wise which makes doubts where none is and seeke knots in a Bulrush Like those trees which are shaken of the Northerne windes take deeper root and stands firmer The doubting of some few make for the satisfaction of many The Corinthians staggering in that high point of the Resurrection 1. Cor. 15. gaue a hint to Paule for the wiping out of all scruples both in themselues and others No truths more cleare now then those which haue beene heretofore most controuersall In the Affections Their proanenesse to anger wrath dissention Aemulation secret heart-burning open distaste These humaine frailties make them more wary more watchfull Acts. 15.39 Paule and Barnabas fall at variance their discord breakes into a rent or separation this separation tended much to the spreading of the Gospell Howsoeuer these slips let them see their owne weaknesse now they know they are but men now they learne to curbe their exorbitant passions and will not be not so foolish as to lay the reines on the neckes of those vnruly horses which if they once get head will indanger their owne necke and their Masters too I but what shall we thinke of the greater euills Grosse sinnes howsoeuer they seeme to make Hauocke of the graces of the Spirit like a Thiefe in the Candle wasting all or like some blazing Comets prodigiously portending ruine and desolation to that Soule which is so fouly ouer-taken yet out of this Ranke poison the Grand Physitian fetches a Soueraigne Treacle vsing the blood of the Scorpion to cure the sting of the Scorpion This turnes to their owne good the good of their Brethren To their owne Good many wayes making them more humble more meeke more wise more cautelous more wary and more Zealous These foule Enormities whereby they become Publike scandals to God and Man are those stinging Coraziues which eate downe that Pride of heart and selfe-conceitednesse to too much ouerweening their owne worth A sinne which though it make little noise in the eares of the world yet appeares farre more odious and abominable in the sight of God then those Carnall fleshly sins which the world censures so deepely Secondly as it make them more humble in themselues Gal. 6.1 so it renders them more gentle to their Brethren If any man be fallen by occasion into any fault restore such a one with the Spirit of meeknesse is the Iniunction of
the Apostle Those Phisitians which neuer felt paine themselues handle their weake Patients more rigidly and more roughly God suffers sometimes euen Famous and Eminent Men Starres of the first Magnitude to fall fearefully into grosse sinnes that they might put to their helping hand to raise vp others more willingly and instruct them more feelingly Thirdly it makes them more wise and wary The Burnt childe wil dread the fire No wit so good as that which is deere bought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen fooles by suffering are made wife he is a Foole and a Mad-man both that will stumble twice at the same stone These Nocumenta are to them Documenta If they learne wisdom by other mens harmes much more by their Owne Such falles and shrewd knockes teach them to looke before them and euer after to take surer footing As these grosse escapes tend to their owne Good so to the Good of their Brethren for their Comfort Caution For Comfort How many thousands had beene plunged into the Gulfe of Despaire had they not bene vpheld by the miscarriage of some few of the Saints Hast thou bene an Adulterer a Murtherer violating the Bed first and then embruing thy hands in the blood of thy Brother Dauid comes to thee if thou canst Beleeue and Repent dispaire not I robbed my loyall subiect of his wife of his life and yet I was restored to the ioy of my saluation Psal 51 12. I confessed my sin and the Lord forgaue mine iniquity Psalme 32.5 Hast thou bin a griping Extortioner a proling Catch pole grinding the faces of the poor and selling the needy for shooes Zacheus comes to thee Repent Beleeue and dispaire not for I was an Oppressing-Exactor an Exacting Oppresor Luke 19.9 yet Saluation came vnder my Roofe and I was made the Childe of Abram Hast thou bin a Bloudie Persecutor an horrible Blasphemer Paul comes to thee Repent Beleeue dispaire not I worried the tender Lambes of Christ cruell Woolfe and Tyger as I was made much hauocke of the Flocke my foule mouth belched out hideous Blasphemies against God and Heauen yet I found mercy and became a Chosen vessell of a Saul a Paul of a Persecutor Acts 9.15 a Preacher of the Name of Christ Hast thou beene a spoyling Caterpillar a Robber by the Highway whose whole Occupation was a Trade of vilenesse and villany one that had sold thy selfe to work wickednesse all the daies of thy life and now art gasping out thy last breath thy heart-strings readie to cracke assunder thy Soule almost torne from thy Body the Theefe on the Crosse cries to thee Repent Beleeue and dispaire not I knew no other Trade to liue by but stoile and rapine this I practised til the hand of Iustice fastened my hands and feete to this wood neither felt I any remorse for my lewde course till I came to the point of death yet was I receiued into Paradise Luke 23.43 Rom. 15 4. Wherefore are these things written but for our Instruction and Comfort These foule Crimes are recorded not in hatred to them but in Loue to vs. For Caution secondly Who are we that we should presume of our owne strength when wee see the weaknesse of those Braue Worthies 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that standeth take heed least he fall If the tall Caedars of Lebanon bee thus tossed and in a manner torne vp by the rootes what shall become of the shrubs If the pillars be shaken how shall the rafters hold out Thus you see how the euill of sin whether great or small lesser or grosser workes to the good of Gods chosen no meruaile then if the euill of punishment the consequence of sinne haue the same effects whether Inward or Outward Inward whether Spirituall desertion or anguish of minde These bee the vnhappy twins of that cursed dam Spirituall Desertion A sad and dolefull condition it is when the Father of lights shall withdraw the Light of his countenance Psal 4 6. which is better then life it selfe when the Almighty shall become our enemy and shall set vs as a Marke or But to shoote at when this Arrowes shall sticke fast in our ribbes Iob. 6.4 and the venome thereof shall drink vp our blood When the terrors of God fight against vs. When the Lion shall teare vs in peeces and there is none to deliuer vs. When the Lord shall turne the deafe eare to our roarings 〈◊〉 18.41 sighs and groanes We call and cry but none heareth yea euen to the Lord but he answereth not This forced those sad complaints from the man after Gods owne heart Hast thou forgotten to bee mercifull Hast thou shut vp thy louing kindnesse in euerlasting forgetfulnesse Psalme 13.1 How long Lord how long wilt thou absent thy selfe for euer This made Iob a terror to himselfe But oh the vnspeakable Good which redounds from this vnspeakeable griefe First this Hammer breakes our flinty hearts A broken and a contrite spririt O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51.17 None more comfortable then such as haue waded through these vncomfortable stormes Secondly Therefore doth he absent himselfe for a moment to endeere his presence that wee might greete him with a double welcome and not too easily forgoe what cannot be obtained without great difficulty The Spouse in the Canticles suffers her Beloued to stand knocking without doores though hee plead his locke were wet with the droppes of the dew Open my Loue my Doue my vndefiled The lazie fit was on her loth shee is to stir out of her warme nest there he must waite and coole his heeles Can. 5.2.3.4 No sooner doth the Bridegroome out of a iust distast draw backe but she comes to her selfe sees her folly casts off her lithernes starts vp forth of Doores she gets her seeking enquiring him whom her soul loued she pursues him as it were with heu and cry resolues neuer to giue ouer seeking though beaten and buffeted blacke and blew till shee haue found him and then clasps hands about his necke and will bee sure to hold him faster then her owne life The other brat and abortiue conception of that vgly monster is anguish of minde An insupportable euill The spirit of a man can beare all infirmities Prou. 18.14 but a wounded spirit who can beare When Conscience writes bitter things against vs and causes vs to possesse the sinnes of our youth Iob. 13.26 setting them in order before vs who is able to endure the gnawing of this Chest-worme Which is euer corroding our hearts like a greedy Vulture and eating through our bowels like a cursed viper Who can endure the heate of this Aetna when it flashes the flames of hell fire in our faces Who can endure the stroakes and stabbes of this hellish fiend persecuting vs as it dogged Brutus with a drawne Sword sheathing it to the very hilts in our hart of this Snaky Alecto stinging vs with a perpetuall Remorse Euery