meets this consultation Make your calling and election sure and this to be done in Gods methode inquire after one calling first and not beginne at the wrong end Hearken to that crie of the spirit within thy soule the kingdome of Heauen is within you and not too fondly spend the time in searching those roules of Gods predestination and take heede of sinking thy soule toward a despaire in his mercie or to a selfe condemnation for the Spirit of God speaking peace darest thou still proclaime a warre or if God haue no bill against thee shall thy timerous conscience bee framing vaine and carnall answeres Doth not God aske by way of indignation where is the bill of thy mothers diuorce or to which of my creditours haue I sould thee Esa 50.1 If so then what shall I answere answere God in obedience all the creatures preach this answer there is in all a correspondencie The corne and wine and oyle heare vs and the Earth heares them and the Heauens heare it but all heare him euen the most vnruly creatures are our rule the stormy winde and tempest obeying his voice So we his voice without in his Word and his voice too within by his spirit speaking to our hearts not then drowne those motions or bury them in company and wine and worldly cares or pleasures least so we quench grieue or doe despight to the spirit of grace and obey him actually not in professorie religion onely but walke in light and bring forth fruites worthy amendment of life Lastly quid retribuam what answere but a gratefull admiration as hee that spake after a full apprehension O Lord what is man that thou dost so visit him This sacrifice as hee counts it an honour so 't is all we can offer all we can offer him on earth and when all things here haue end endlesse thanks shall haue their begining in Heauen As that church in triumph there all those Angels and all those Virgins Prophets Apostles Martyrs with their lowd clarious and Trumpets and Harpes of gold and iuory strike nothing sing nothing but Halleluiah So we that are parts of the Church militant should exact our voices and ioyne in full Chorus We praise thee GOD we acknowledge c. Heauen and Earth shall thus be full of his glory 2. GODS second Visitation is in iudgement and for sin generall When we finde him coÌ„ming forth of his treasury his storehouse of plagues warre famine wild-beasts pestilence and particular of crosses sickenesse losse But 't is the great visitation here chiefely meant in the day of iudgement For Iob was vnder temporall calamitie now already at the pronouncing of this text yet as we are viatores in our way to take notice of this especially as it reaches his seruants his choisest though with limitation with that distinction euer ad correctionem non ad ruinam and yet they fall hiâ—â—e in the morning saith Iob in the night saith Dauid nay visiteth him euery morning and trieth him euery moment Iob 7.18 For is there not a swarme an hydra and wheele of troubles in our whole life per caput circa saliunt latus saith he when rose the Sunne so faire but ere his fall some cloudes haue seiz'd on them if not on him some griefe some nay many many perturbations enough I 'le warrant thee for I haue Gods owne testimony Enough for the day is the euill thereof Vpon this visitation when it drops when it fals when it powers on vs. What shall we doe why first debate stand and consider as Iob if all should goe Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked must I returne Is it the height the depth of any grieuous affliction What is it more then that of my Sauiour O but he was more then man is it more then theirs in Heb. 11. rackt sawen asunder c. Hast thou yet resisted to bloud or is it come to the fiery triall And then in affliction at least after it aske thy soule is it not good for thee * Heb. 11.2 as the Apostle speakes of strangers may not a man this way too receiue angels vnawares as * Gen. 28.16 Iacob on his iourney at Bethel when hee wak'd and said surely God is in this place so God is in this visitation and I was not aware I tooke at first no notice of his fatherly corrections which are indeede his compassions and consolations thy rod and thy staffe comfort me Psa 23. But now I feele his comming to visite mee is like his visiting the earth which he visites and enriches Psal 65. like a Phisitians visiting an hospitall to cure for if I am sure it is the hand of my God I am sure also that it is in Loue for God is Loue 't is his essence immutable No reason then his visitation should prooue to an irreligious sadnesse or a melancholy a deiection a iealousie a diffidence So long as the worke is his though hee purge or cut so hee giue me not ouer so he cast me not out of his hands so I heare not that voyce which is more dreadfull then ten thousand thunders Depart from me c. Thus farre I am to debate what am I to answere in affliction Surely the best answere is no answere at all Tacui Domine and my soule kept silence not as vnaffected remorcelesse but as subdued by faith repentance obedience working me to a blessed patience captiuating and bringing into subiection euery exorbitant euery wilde and wandring imagination Once haue I spoken saith holy Iob but I will no more or if my heart will vent I haue formes and moldes ready wherein to cast my words that of Elie It is the Lord c. and Dauid Behold here am I. Let him doe vnto me as it seemes good in his owne eyes and I will confesse too to his glory the fruite and the roote I finde that thou O Lord of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled Psal 119. and thy visitation hath preseru'd my Spirit Iob 10.12 And to draw this into practise in each particular affliction for euery one is Gods embassadour and none to be dismiss'd vnanswered The application is a world of matter which I cannot looke at now onely for that I finde my selfe in a Seminary in a Colledge of Diuines I may haue the liberty the recreation too to make for you and my selfe one particular application For wee my brethren that are or should bee pars indocili melior grege if your pulse beate like mine are certainely so much infected with no worldly calamitie as when saeuit malignum ignobile vulgus as when we finde our selues disgrac'd counted the scumme of those that are indeede the fcumme of the world When all we can say or doe which way soeuer wee frame our doctrine or conuersation it is as water spilt vpon the ground For though we pipe vnto them they will not dance though wee mourne they will not weepe Let a mans behauiour be like
orders and royall armies of his Angels ascending descending in the materiall Heauen disposing that numberlesse varietie of those glorious Starres calling them all by their names in the ayry Heauen amidst those flockes of fowle his prouidence extending to the fall of euery little sparrow If we goe downe to the Sea amongst those infinite shoales and innumerable fishes there wee see his wonders in the deepe or if we goe deeper If we descend to Hell be is there also binding the fury of infernall spirits and for the earth it is his footstoole vnmou'd he sits in midst of Heauen and yet they be the eyes of the Lord that runne to and fro through the whole earth Zach. 4.10 raigning aboue yet containing and vpholding all below compassing all about yet piercing all within But applyed to Men they are the eyes of God which behold and his eye-liddes which trie the children of men But first the persons in mercy as wee vse the word in our Visitation of friends or of the sicke And of this kinde as well pleased therewith is that where God doubles it Visitans visitaui Exod. 3.16 Visites and remembers visites and restores Ier. 17. vlt. This is called the face the beauty of his holinesse when hee causes the light of his countenance to arise Then secondly sinnes vpon the persons and this changeth the aspect he frownes and bends the browes sets his face against them visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation Numb 14.18 first or last on them or theirs by no meanes clearing the guilty Then he is described to visite in thunder and earthquake in storme and tempest Isa 29.6 and in this sense the word is vsed among the Prophets promiscuously for recompensing punishing auenging and euen this threatned on his owne people tender as the apple of his eye and his chiefe treasure aboue all nations Ose 1.4 12.2 Ier. 11. Esa 10.3 Wee may not omit his mercifull Visitation should it not shew like a piece of ingratitude not to touch here first though our voyage bee to that of finall iudgement and the first particular of his mercifull visitation wherein is his delight is considerable as man is a body God then did visite him in the house of dust as his last worke will be ioyning and refining the same dust againe in glory and what might be said of his visitation in the wombe thou sawest my substance being yet imperfect c. What of all those wheeles and wyers within the body that mill and clocke of his contriuing of his winding vp at thought of which Dauid speakes with a kinde of strange shuddering O Lord I am fearefully and wonderfully made What of mans shape speech beauty and how largely spread might this webb be if we tooke in all those threds and quils of his prouidence by which hee conueyes a thousand influences of his bounty euen loading Man with his benefits Psal 68. and renewing them euery morning Lamen 3. light after darkenesse spring after winter as now we see that Gyant in his course stealing an ascent ouer vs and subduing the cold giuing raine and fruitefull seasons c. What addition to this aboue all this from the nature and fabrique and faculties of our soule in substance nobler then the Starres able not onely to giue being to the body like other formes but capable of eternall felicitie Secondly as Man is a Christian by meanes of the reuelation of Iesus that oriens ex alto the day-spring from on wigh hath Visited Luc. 1. that Sunne which riseth with healing in his wings and this was and is a blessed Visitation for thus it runnes Visited and redeemed his people himselfe did Visite and his Seruants did it in his name rising earely for early visitation and since his ascension he sends by his Apostles Pastors and Teachers that heauenly treasure in their earthen vessels this manna this light the glory of his people Israel and because that had not concern'd vs it is also a light reueal'd to the Gentiles this reuiues vs when he is said to visit the Gentiles also to take of them a people to his Name Acts 15.14 But not that word of grace though the Word of life and power and mighty in operation not all those gratious promises those letters of loue indited by the holy Ghost in prose and verse which crie vnto vs to turne and looke vpon and accept the saluation profer'd that saluation which our blessed Sauiour wrought for vs by strong cries and-by the effusion of that blood which yet cries and interceed's freshly for vs not all these auaileable till the third visitation of his Spirit which is therefore called the Comforter Comming as Iobs friends in visitation both to mourne and comfort him Nay what visitant what physitian what Confessour what wife of thy bosome what friend who is as thine owne soule would so attend for hee abides for euer So Minister for hee helpes vnâ subleuat the greeke better expresses it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assists in lifting against our infirmities so pray and groane for vs with sighes and groanes that cannot be exprest against all our faintings and despaires our sicke fits of feare and distrust giuing vs euidence earnest broad seale of Heauen vntill the day of our full redemption And this is that comfortable visitation of the sacred spirit respectiuely to the meanes of grace when hee will not trust me with the Bible alone the story of his birth and death nor the Sermon alone the exposition and application of that story but comes after both and sees how they worke nay makes them worke in mee and inables mee in some good measure to worke by them Mans office in regard of this mercifull visitation is to debate and answere Debate first thinke what we were before he visited Lost Captiues Enemies Dead in sinnes and trespasses Hee then to drop his bloud and grace his manifold grace preuenting exciting guiding confirming softly pierceing euen into stony hearts which is describd by many a sweete and amorous metaphor these are his flaggons and apples and our state a marriage aboue that too ther 's vna caro one flesh But this vnion so high and holy no words reach it pereundem spiritum by one and the same spirit But what shall wee doe first beleeue else wee make God a lyar and ther 's the quarrell when wee trample vpon despise and count the bloud of this couenant as an vnholy thing and if we tremble to contemne him shall we dare to thinke it nothing shall we take a solemne pride in despising his seruants eô nomine euen therefore hold a mā despicable because a Minister Remember it is obseru'd as the height a precipice of all iniquity as farre as people could doe or God could suffer when God rising early by them was mockt in them the text sayes then there was no remedy 2. Chron. vlt. cap. But againe debate what shall we doe and the Apostle
the daughter of Sion not her Seruant but her Soueraigne her King the King of Kings comes vnto her meeke And is it not then a miserable consideration a wretched spectacle to see a proud man and an humble God an angry impatient and a mercilesse man and yet a God of Loue and long-suffering I looke to Heauen and thence I finde descending the Sauiour of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is his description in Heor 1.3 the brightnesse of his Fathers Glory and the expresse image of his person in shape not onely of a man but of a Seruant Hee that commands legions of Angels and whose attendants they were in the wildernesse and proud of the office to serue him as his cookes butlers And shall not this example worke on mee that am but dust and wormes and keepe mee from insulting ouer inferiours who though my seruants and my meanest Hines and drudges are yet respecting him our Lord and Father both my fellow-seruants and my fellow-brethren Obserue the prouocations to this vertue Hee scornes the scorner resists the proud but giues grace to the humble The Meeke he will guide in iudgement in his iudgement hee will teach them his way Psal 25. when he shares the world he tels vs the Meeke shall inherit the Earth and delight themselues in aboundance of peace Psal 39.7 which he ratifieth in his blessing Math. 5.5 But this is earthly blessing is it not heauenly in things so Heare him in his Prophet * Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is vpon mee because the Lord hath anointed mee to preach good tydings and we know what that meanes to whom to the Meeke His first comming was for the Meeke in the same Prophet Esa 11.4 and to meete againe with the text when God shall visite when this Sonne of God shall stand vp to ludge and to cast all proud and barbarous and cruell dispositions into Hell So he will then lift vp the Meeke and neuer leaue these polisht iewels till he hath inset them in Heauenly Glory For the Lord takes pleasure in his people and will beautifie the Meeke with saluation Psal 149.4 And therefore who is a wise man saith Saint Iames Ia. 3.13 let him shew out of a good coÌ„uersation his workes in meekenesse of wisedome for such is Heauenly Wisedome at vers 17. first pure then peaceable gentle easie to bee intreated full of mercie c. If we preach it must be in Loue and the spirit of Meekenesse 1. Cor. 4. vlt. If you heare receiue with Meekenesse the Word Iam. 1.21 If wee will both Preacher and Hearers walke worthy our vocation it must bee with all lowlinesse and Meekenesse c. Ephe. 4.2 For as if in this one grace all the rest were lock'd and infoulded so doth the Apostles speake there and reckoning vp the seuerall gifts of the spirit in Gal. 5. They seeme all to be but Meekenesse diuersified to seuerall names To end I beseech you brethren by the Meekenesse and gentlenesse of Christ be yee clothed with humilitie and vpon that reason which is here in my text God visits for rigour he resists the proud but giues grace to the humble 1. Pet. 5.5 Furthermore if crueltie exclude from Paradise and disable from standing in the day of visitation Vse this for terrour against all the terrible Ones vpon earth all exalted and cruell oppressours They must heare of the wrath of this superuisor in Heauen who sees them from thence and from thence they shall in that day see him come to visite for this sinne Though they can ouersoare and escape all power on Earth yet see what a day the Lord threatens to make in Amos 8. and ioyne to that the prophesie of Esa 10.1.2.3 c. Ierem. 6.6 c. Lastly extend this for Consolation Regum timendorum in proprios greges saith hee the highest power on Earth can stretch but to their Vassalls but ouer Princes themselues in his prerogatiue and dominion that here stands vp in my Text and of whom Salomon saith hee is higher then they In the cause and quarrell of Christ Iesus then we must then put on the resolution of those three valiant Children The God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs Dan. 3. but if not we will not disobey his command for any countermand on Earth And in this all those poore Saints of God that groane vnder the Turkish yoke or Spanish inquisition all those poope tennants and seruants that liue rackt and opprest and ground to powder vnder the mercilesse and rigorous Lords and Masters must aduance the eye of their soules with comfort to the comming of this great and glorious Iudge and Lord of Heauen for that day of his visitation shall be also the day of their full redemption My third application is to foure sorts of visitours First you that are authorized ouer vs you see God will discharge his office doe you set God euer before you his example and his feare and first learne his first visitation in mercy in kindenesse to vs your brethren to doe vs good 'T is God we confesse appoints degrees of Superiority and excellence in all Orders of Angels in Heauen in the Skie greater lesser lights Lower still Eagles and Flies Cedars and Shrubs among the very Stones the brightest tincture giuen to the Ruby clearest light to the Diamond But by comparing parts of the body the Apostle prooues the head cannot want the foote among vs specially of the clergy no proud insulting for the rule holds on this side the water too that the Capuchin and Cordelier the poorer part of this Tribe vphold the dignity of Priesthood ballancing with the pompe of some superiour prelates Secondly doe you visite as God ad correctionem and not hold it a vertue laxare disciplinam Remember the worlds intertaining Mahumetisme is ascribed to three causes Pâ—â—tis Arrianae Manichaes furores and the third d sciplina laxata But wherein doe we neede your inspection in both our learning and our life First see to our insufficiency ignorance what silly things suffered not onely to reade but clothing their fancies with pretext of the Spirit to preach too and then the maine way of teaching in many places yet vnpractis'd and that is Catechising Alas what is it to enrich the peoples cares for an howre who if they sleepe not gape and praise the Sermon as they like the tune saith Ezekiel as they doe a Loue-song Eze. 33.32 Then are you ouer mens liues too ouer the Layety to curbe their woluish and fox like shifts and cousenage in the Lords portion but chiefly in that sinne whereto my text appoints you in Gods stead for whore mongers and adulterers God will Iudge he will visite does it dayly and will then doe it dreadfully In the meane time are you his Deputies Delegates Commissioners What though the scornefull fooles as Salomon cals them make a mocke of this sinne a sport and pursue it as an art and trade Yet you know it is