that are his he corrects but for a time but his anger never asswageth towards the reprobate though for a long time he deferre And therefore grudge not to see the wicked flourish like a green Bay-tree for a time passe but by a little and upon your return his place will not be found for God holds not the wicked innocent But for you though you be afflicted here you shall be comforted hereafter for through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven This is the Kings high-way to happinesse and there is not a Saint in Heaven but hath led this way and beaten this path before us For Stones cannot be squared for Pallaceworke without the stroke of the Hammar and we must be content to endure the stroaks of Gods Hammar of afflictions that we may be polished and squared and made lively Stones fit to be layd in the Heavenly Jerusalem What matters it then to see Dives here flant it in Purple and fare deliciously every day when at last he must be tormented in flames while hunger-starved Lazarus though afflicted here yet his comfort is hereafter and is transported from the Porch of a Tyrant to the Bosome of Abraham Besides though God useth many wayes to bring us home unto him yet none more then affliction It was Hunger that drove the Prodigall home to his Father And surely nothing so opens the Eyes of the soule as misery and trouble O how correction opens those Eyes which prosperity kept shut O how often doth the paining of the Body work the saving of the Soule O how often doe missortunes like the Rungs in Jacobs Ladder serve to mount out soules up to Heaven Let God then wound us so he will but heale us let him strik our Bodies with sicknesse with sores with restraint so he will but with these wounds heale out Soules Let come what will come so it but chase us to God drive us home to his House end in Prayer and make us cry unto the Lord. 10. But still the afflicted soule goeth on and sayeth Though God tell us that he holds not the wicked iunocent and will not surely cleare them but ordains them for judgement and reserves them for correction yet we dayly see that they doe not onely flourish here in this world but goe to their graves in peace and are not to any outward appearance in trouble like other men Well saith God in the tenth or last place Say they doe yet will I meet with them in their Children and punish their sins in their posterity Visiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children and upon their Childrens Children unto the third and fourth Generation they shall be sure to tast of the bitter Cup of Gods wrath here as their Fathers doe in Hell Thus if this name of God in these ten severall properties were but rightly understood and applyed were it but as oyntment poured out and spread upon our hearts there is nothing in distresse nothing in trouble nothing in misery could hinder us from crying to the Lord considering he is strong mereifull gracious abundant in goodnesse and truth and forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. But without any further enlargement upon these proparties in their severall particulars I will onely clap them altogether and make Application and so hasten you again to the House of Mourning to cry unto the Lord. Is the Lord thus strong and mercifull and gracious c. then why should a Christian trouble himselfe at any thing that befals him here Hath he crafty enemies let him goe cry to the Lord for direction his wisedome is infinitely beyond their policy Hath he strong enemies let him goe cry to the Lord he is mightier and stronger then they all In a word hath he any outward affliction or inward corruption that doth annoy or trouble him let him goe cry to the Lord and have recourse to his God and there he shall find remedy for all nay whatsoever mans ease be if he hut seek the Lord he shall have help Psal 145.18.19 So sayes that Princely Prophet God is neer to all that call upon him yea to all that call upon him in truth He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him he also will heare their cry and will save them And though their hearts be so oppressed that they can utter no words that 's no matter God will have respect to their very desires and surely their teares speak highest and their sighs cry loudest in the Ears of God Let us then groane for a broken heart and sigh and fob and weep and cry Cry unto the Lord. Thus having done with this peoples behaviour in the time of Famine and likewise with the Remedy they used they east their burthen upon the Lord as also with the Motives inducing them thereunto because he is able being the Lord and willing because their God Let us now close up all in our mourning garments and robing our soules with the inward sackcloth of sorrow not onely Pray but Weep nor Weep alone but Cry Cry unto the Lord. From whence the Point is this They who would not have God to shut his eares against their Prayers must be sure that they not onely Pray but Cry and that their Petitions proceed from a broken heart and an humble spirit For till the heart be even pulled in pieces by godly sorrow and rent in sunder with godly griefe sin and lust will not out and then there can be no acceptance looked for from God either of us or of our services The sacrifice of God saith David Psal 51.17 is a sorrowfull spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Mar. 7.35 And therefore did Christ groane in his Spirit when he Prayed for that poor man in the Gospel So did Hannah sigh and weep sore 1 Sam. 1.15 and poured out her soule before God And there is good reason to move us to labour thus to be inwardly touched for till we have a sense and feeling of our wants we may well speak but we can never Pray till the heart be pained with sin its impossible it should be fervent for the pardon of it He that hath no feeling of poverty cannot earnestly intreat for a supply of his necessities He that hath no feeling of his sicknesse can never be an instant suiter for the means of health So he that hath no feeling of his spirituall poverty can never covetously hunt after those true treasures which onely enrich his soule to all eternity And he that hath no sense of his sin-sick soule can never seek to that true Physitian who onely can apply Physicke to his bleeding heart and sin-sick burthened soule This serves for the reproofe of those that come with drowsie verball Prayers those that come with words of course to intreat God to pardon their sins and strengthen their Faith but never poure out their soules before God but onely spend a little breath and they
Isay 54.1.2 The barren and desolate hath now more children then the Married Wife that the place of the tents of the Church is thus enlarged and the Curtains of her habitation thus spread out so that the Dogs and Whelps may now clap their hands for joy that they are received into pitty and that the wings of Gods mercy are stretched out over them The poor beleever the thrall the servant the base in the world may cheere up their hearts that even they whom men so despised are now so effectually called to see the Grace and Salvation of God He that parhaps is but a servant to some meane man here upon Earth is a free Citizen in the Heavenly Jerusalem he that hath never a foot here below is become a great purchaser above Here is no complaint that the Prodigall Son is entertain'd and the serviceable Son neglected The Eunuch need not now complaine and say I am a dry tree Nor the Son of the stranger Isay 56.3 The Lord hath surely separated me from his people but whosoever cleaveâ—h unto the Lord to love the Lord and serve him to them he will give a name better then of Sons and Daughters even an everlasting name that shall never be put out Thus you see That the generall promises of the Gospel are Published and offered to all without exception bond and free Publican and sinner strangers and forreighners are now Comites Sanctorum fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God so that our sins need not hinder us from approching to the Throns of Grace if we can but come to the Lord Jesus upon the Feet of Faith and Repentance heavens gates are as wide as ever and the call as universall as ever Not onely the Elders but all the Inhabitants of the Land So we step on to the third Circumstance in the Method or Order of keeping this Fast the place of refuge or Sacred Sanctuary the House of the Lord your God I must now like a faithfull Steward in my Masters house take by the hand all you the weary Sons and Daughters of the everliving God and leade you into the Kings Wine-sellers there to refresh and stay you with the Flagons of his Wine to comfort you with his Apples to strengthen you with his hidden Manna and to make you merry with that Milke and Honey which our so dearely loving Husband Christ Jesus hath provided for us to sustaine us that we faint not through those manifold temptations which encumpasse us in this barren Wildernesse namely into this right Arke or little Zoar The House of the Lord your God The whole Colledge of the bodily Physitians and the Prince of them that Wise and Learned Galen prescribes for the time of Plague that of all Remedies to prevent the contagion the best is To fly and shun the infected and corrupted Ayre and to depart unto a wholesome and purer Ayre and that with these three Rales Citò Longè Tardè To depart speedily farre off and returne slowly And as this is Physically prescribed so it hath been as diligently practised by all sorts of men But because by the corruption of our Nature which is more then the corruption of the Ayre we suffer our selves as with maine sale to be carried away from the Creator to the Creatures fixing all our senses more upon the Aeriall corruption then upon the inward cause of the contagion the Plague of our sins and rottennesse of our bones and bowels which we carry within our selves and are more carefull to depart into the Country then unto the Lord as if by the swiftnesse of our Feet we could out-run him who Rideth upon the Wings of the Cherubims which often causeth that the Lords Pursuivant doth often Arrest us in the purer Ayre as well in the Country as in the City In the time of Famine the best Remedy is To fly from places of scarcity to places of more plenty And this was practised by Josephs Brethren Gen. 42.5 who went into Egypt to buy Food but because of their sins trouble came upon them in their very first journey thither and though after that they were nourished Ver. 21. and had Possessions in the best of the Land yet were they at last kept under with burthens and by cruelty caused to serve insomuch Exod. 1.11 that the Egyptians made them weary of their lives by sore labour in Clay and Bricke and in all worke of the Field with all manner of Bondage which they cruelly layd upon them In the time of Warre The best way to preserve our goods from spoyle and our selves from Captivity is To fly to the best and strongest Garrisons and this was as diligently practised by us in the time of the late Warrs in this unhappy Land but that proved so poor a safegard as that which was there preserved for a time quickly became a Prey to others And since in the storms of misery all these are such poor shelters I will therefore prescribe you a better flight in the time of Plague or Famine or Warre or any other common calamity then that of Galen or that of Iacobs Sonne or that of our English namely To the name Jehovah that Tower Royall or as Solomon calls it strong Tower Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth unto it and is preserved even the House of the Lord our God And this was Davids practice in the time of Plague 2 Sam. 24.25 Hezekiahs practice in the time of Warre And here the Prophets direction in the time of Famine 2 Kings 19.1 Gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land into the Honse of the Lord your God And now that I may the better instruct you in this journey to this House I will branch the description of this House into these three severall parts which will store us with clusters of singular Meditations First the Name of this Place it s an House and therefore a shelter against all stormes and tempests Secondly The property of this Place it s the House of the Lord and therefore able to defend us against all assaults and violence Thirdly the safenesse of this Place the owner is our God God is our Father and such a Father as will not shut the doore against his children that in time of extremity fly to him for security So that in comming to this place Exod. 24.6 Psal 103.3 we come to the Lord our God strong mercifull and gracious flow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth We come to the Lord our God the supream Physitian of our soules who healeth all our iniquities Psal 62 1.2 We come to the Lord our God to whom power belongeth and whose alone is salvation Who would not then run to this Place this House this Tower Royal in the time of Warre Plague Famine Sicknesses Diseases or any Calamity or Misery O ye Righteous souls that thirst or may thirst by
in the time of Famine fly unto God in this their woefull wretched and miserable estate when all outward and worldly comforts fayle them and lay their burthen upon him because they knew that he was able to feed and help them though the cisternes of the world were growne dry being the Lord and as willing as able being their God For the majesty of God is so glorious that it would make them fly from him and his essence is so incomprehensible that it is a light that none can have accesse unto and an huge Sea that will drowne such as will adventure to wade into it but the Knowledge of Gods sufficiency and power to help and of his mercy and free favour whereby he is ready and willing to help that 's it that encourageth them to come before the Lord and call upon his Name with strong cryes and earnest requests with sighs and sobs and groanes and cry unto the Lord. Whence the point is this That the knowledge of Gods power and mercy is the onely cause that brings Christians into Gods presence and makes them call upon him in trouble When they are plunged in misery in distresse then God shall be sure of their custome and company like these people here who when all their hopes were perished then they run to God and cast all upon him whom they knew was able to bring Water out of the Flint as well as out of the River and Bread out of the Clouds as well as out of the Barne Canaan they knew could not maintain them without Gods blessing and with it a barren Wildernesse could and therefore to him they fly and cry They cry unto the Lord. For this look onely upon Psalme the ninth and tenth Verse where the Prophet sheweth how they come to seek unto God They that know thy name will trust in thee for thou never faylest them that seek thee How come they to seek God They first trust in God by the Knowledge of Gods Name which name is the Lord strong gracious and mercifull and till men come to know this Name they can never come to trust in God nor to seek God but by the right understanding and applying of the Name of God Nothing in distresse can hinder them from crying unto the Lord because they know that there is no evill but in his name they may have an Antidote against it no fore but there they shall have a salve to cure it no disease but there they shall have a remedy to help it no wound but there they shall have a Playster to heale it no sicknesse but there they shall have a cordiall to comfort it and Physicke to recover it no doubt but there they shall find a refolution for it nor no good thing but there they may get a certainty of obtaining it And therefore to hearten you in all assayes in all distresses miseries and calamities whatsoever to fly to this Name which will be like an Oyntment poured forth to fill and delight the hearts of the Faithfull with the odour of it And though I cannot give you a definition of the Lord your God yet take that description of the name of God notably and comfortably set downe to my hand in Exodus where you may heare the Lord himselfe Proclayming his Name in these ten severall properties Exod. 34.6.7 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sins and not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children and upon the Childrens Children unto the third and fourth Generation Then what misery what trouble what distresse what affliction what calamity can hindâ—r us from comming to the Lord upon the Feet of Faith and Prayer to cry unto the Lord. 1. Are you layd in the low Dungeon of misery as Ionaâ— was in the Dungeon of Hell in the bottome of the Sea in the belly of the Whale Are your Enemies mighty your sufferings many and your oppressions and pressures heavy then cry unto the Lord for he is the Lord strong all power is in him and from him and for him he is the mighty God and he doth not onely use his might for our Salvation but for our Enemies destruction If then your troubles be great and your Enemies mighty be not dismayed your God is greater and mightier to help you out of them then they are to hold you still in them and he rides upon the Heavens full of Majesty and full of ability to deliver you and to set you free from the strongest bonds of affliction Come but once to know Gods all-sufficient Power then no affliction or tryall shall make you faint The least affliction if God support us not in it will be too strong for us but the greatest nay the rushing in of all at once upon us if this strong God be on our side shall not be able to hurt uâ— or daunt us and therefore when our Hands cannot help us nor our Tongues prevaile with unreasonable men let us fly unto this strong Tower the Lord our God And cry unto the Lord. 2 And now least any poor afflicted soule hearing of Gods Power should say I know that God is strong and powerfull but what is that to me it may be he may use his power to my overthrow Nay saith the Lord God is mercifull as well as powerfull and therefore why should any be discouraged by misery since misery is the very object of mercy and the Eye of Divine pitty is ever fixed upon it For the God whom we serve hath no other riches then the riches of his mercy And this was the argument that David so often used Psal 6.2.3.4 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weake â— O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou delay Returns O Lord deliver my soule save me for thy mercies sake And in anâ—ther Psalme Psal 86.1 Incline thine Eare O Lord and heare me for I am poor and needy And if we come but crying unto him our very misery will be sufficient to work upon him for mercy so that he will be ready to entertaine us like the Father of the Prodigall with an Vnde plangis why weepest thou my Sonne â—â—k 15.20 I will clothe thee with the best Rayment and put my Gold Ring upon thy finger and thy Fare shall be the daintiest morsell nay he will like that Father of the Prodigall stand ready to receive us with his armes uâ—foulded to â—mbrace us with his hands open to invite us with gifts with his head inclined to afford us the kisse of peace and shew forth his love unto us upon every occasion as the Prophet Hosea testifieth Hos 14.4 saying In thee the Fatherlesse shall find mercy Let us then lift up our soules and cry continually in all straits and troubles to this God of
mercy for the Lord our God is good and gracious and mercifull and of great kindnesse unto all them that call upon him Then cry unto the Lord. 3. But least that any poor soule should be disheartened as unworthy to cry for mercy by reason of his owne corruptions and spots and staines and leprosie of sin The next to hearten and encourage him is That the Lord as he is strong and mercifull so he is gracious that is loving and shewing mercy without any merit Art thou not worthy of mercy Hast thou not deserved the least favour at Gods hand what of that God tells thee for thy comfort that he is gracious The Lord our God is so gracious as that he will not tarry till we deserve favour nor till we be worthy of mercy but even while we are unworthy will freely shew forth his goodnesse and mercy towards us How worthy was Saul Acts 9 1. when he was even breathing ouâ— threatning and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord And therefore it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.5 That he beleeved in him that justifieth the ungodly noting thereby that sinne cannot hinder Gods favour from offenders but that through Faith they shall be justified and made as innocent in Gods account as if they had never offended at all Then let us not when we are in distresse be discouraged or dismayed by reason of the soulenesse of our sinnes but let us goâ— to the Lord and come but penitently and he will shew himselfe gracious notwithstanding them all Then cry unto the Lord. 4. But still the wounded soule perhaps may say Alas I have provoked God to wrath I have incensed him and justly drawne his heavy hand upon me by my sins and therefore though the Lord be gracious with what comfort or hope can such a sinfull wretch as I goe to cry to that God I have so hainously offended Hast thou provoked and offended thy God yet let not that dismay nor hinder theâ— but goe cry unto the Lord for he tells thee himselfe That he is slow to anger that is long ere he be provoked Witnesse the cryes of Sodome which pierced the Eares of the Almighty yet so loath was God to showre downe Fire and Brimstone as that he expostulates the matter as if he had bin jealous of his owne Eares and answers with an Ego vadam videbo I will goe downe and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry that is come unto me And thus as he is hard to be provoked making as though he saw not our sins because he would have us to amend so when he is provoked he is as easie to be appeased And this is seen in Mary Magdalene a notorious sinner in the City of Iernsalem who was grown so shamelesse as that the whole City suffered in regard of the bad report that went of her yet she no sooner stands at his Feet behind him weeping but Christ presently tells Simon Luk. 7.38 that many sins are forgiven her For we can no sooner fall out with our sins but God falls in with us An Earthly Father will not take every advantage against his Child and when the Child is grieved that he hath committed a great fault good Parents are easily satisfied The Lord our God piâ—tieth us as a Father his Children and whensoever we kindle his wrath against us one Teare of true Repentance will quench all the Flame thereof And to this David giveth sufficient testimony saying Psal 103.8.9 The Lord is slow to anger and of great kindnesse he will not alwayes chide nor keep his anger for ever And this he himself found by good experience for when after many mercies received he had grievously provoked the Lord in that matter of Vriah and did not repent but still lay in his sin insomuch as God was angry with him David no sooner begins to make confession of his sin but God forthwith tells him by the Prophet 2 Sam. 12.13 That he had put away his sin so that the Lord was more ready to offer him pardon then he was to aske it And therefore since the Lord is slow to anger and easie to be intreated let not our sins though never so many hinder us from Crying to the Lord. 5. But still some poor soule perhaps may say T is true indeed I know there is no fault on Gods part he is slow to anger and easie to be intreated But what am I the better when I cannot fit my selfe to seek for mercy as I ought to doe Alas I am weake and full of infirmities I come farre short every way I cannot Pray as I ought my Prayers are few and cold and weake I cannot keep Gods Word my memory is fraile and slippery c. What of all this let no weaknesse nor infirmities dismay thee for the Lord himselfe tells thee in the next place that he is abundant in goodnesse or abundant in kindnesse and it is the property of kindnesse to take small things in good worth and to passe by infirmities and weaknesse and to be easie to be intreated he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax if we can but once come to be humble in heart though we cannot attaine to that measure of sanctification as others have nor poure out our Soules in Prayer as we should yet God will take all in good part he that will reward a Cup of cold Wateâ— he will reward a cold Prayer for God looks not for perfection from poor weak creatures that are full of imperfection And therefore since he is abundant in kindnesse let not our infirmities and weaknesse hinder us from crying unto the Lord. 6. But the poor afflicted soule may perhaps still say Though the Lord be abundant in goodnesse and kindnesse yet how shall I know that this goodnesse and kindnesse of God shall be performed unto me for I have Prayed and Cryed and waited long â—nd yet am never the neerer so that though he be good and yet not good to me kind and yet not kind to me what am I the better Hast thou Prayed and Cryed and wayted and hath not God seemed to regard nor answered thy requests in releeving thy wants easing thy torments removing thy pressures c. yet Cry still and in the Lords due time thou shalt be sure of reliefe for he never promiseth but he performeth if we persevere without fainting And so he himselfe tells thee in the next place that he is abundant in truth As he never threatens any thing but he executes it so he never promiseth any thing but he performes it You may beleeve him without an Oath But I have sworne by my holinesse saith God that I will not forsake David And never any yet could charge him with breach of promise hath he promised and shall he not performe Then cheare up your hearts and pluck up your spirits your God hath promised Psal 34.10 that those that feare him shall
want nothing that is good Againe he hath promised Psal 50.15 That if we call upon him in the day of trouble he will not onely heare but deliver And who ever did so and found not according to his expectation Then why should not we rest upon his promise hath the Mouth of the Lord spoken it and shall he not doe it for take away his Truth and take away his God head What then though in these hard times our money is gone our goods gone our lands and possessions gone our liberty gone our Friends gone and all our outward slayes be gone But is Gods truth gone Hath he not promised to provide for us when we are poor as well as when we are rich when we are in sicknesse as well as when we are in health Hath not he said Heb. 13.5 I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Did not he provide for us in our Infancy and shall we not trust him in our Age Let every man in all trouble and distresse confidently and humbly say Heb. 13.6 The Lord is my helper I will not feare what Man can doe unto me We have his promise to heare and help and not to leave and forsake but to deliver when we call upon him And since his promise is passed he will performe it for he is abundant in truth And therefore let us cry unto the Lord. 7. But the poor sin burthened soule may perhaps still say What though the Lord be abundant in truth and never promiseth but doth performe What 's all this to me whose soule must needs be loathsome unto him being all spotted with sin wallowing in the puddle of iniquity and that with consent and delight to For this goe look upon Mary Magdalen Luke 7. and others whose soules thou shalt find as filthy and loathsome as thine but when once they fell to bathe and wash them in the River of Repentance and to swell and rinse them in a Iordan of sorrow then see how God dealt with them and be not dismayed though thy sins be of the deepest tincture for there is mercy in store for thee And so he himselfe tells thee in the next place That he is a God reserving mercy for thousands giving us to understand thereby that he hath Flouds of mercy for all that stand in need of it Never went any to God for mercy but he found mercy if he sought in Faith as God bids him for he hath mercy in store for thousands With Earthly Kings he that coms not first speeds worst but it is not so with the King of Heaven he hath sufficient for those that come to him last as well as for those that come to him first his Fountain is never dry the well-spring of his mercy continually Flowes he can comfort thousands as well as one person and yet his store not be lessened one whit Surely there are many thousands in Heaven that were once as bad as we are and yet now they are in a Paradise of rest they are now gone from misery to mercy from a wretched life to a far better being and quite out of the reach of all sin and sorrow Then who would not come to such a Physitian as hath wrought so perfect a cure upon so many and that of free cost and never suffered any one to miscarry that was willing to be his Patient Men did lye at the Poole of Bethesda many Yeares expecting to be healed we need not lye so long at the gates of Heaven for the outing of our soules but we are sure to be perfectly helped when we are truely humbled and fitted for help And therefore let not our sins discourage us seeing there is mercy in store our God being a God reserving mercy for thousands nor hinder us from comming to that God of mercy whose mercy knows no limits And cry unto the Lord. 8. But still the poor afflicted soule over-laden with sin perhaps may say I know that God is a God of mercy and hath mercy in store for thousands But alas my sins sinke me my miseries doe not so much trouble me as my sins which are many and grievous and sins of the largest magnitude and of long continuance With what face then or hopes dare I come and cry unto the Lord For that courage Christian thou whose soule is thus wounded with sin for hadst thou all the sins and sores that might be thou needest not be disheartned from comming unto the Lord seeing he himselfe tells thee in the next place that he is a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and if he should not shew himselfe to be such a God towards the militant Church he should lose both his name and his people at once but he pardons all these kinds of sin he pardons iniquity that is originall sin and the perversnesse of our nature that cleaves so fast unto us he pardons transgression that is sins of rebellion and presumption and he pardons sin that is sins of custome and such as are grown to an habit and if any one be weary of this burthen God will give him a speedy dispatch the heavy laden if they come unto him le will ease them And this a man may boldly claime at Gods hand and intreat him to be God for that he could not be unlesse he should performe this for us And therefore though nothing trouble thee so much as thy sins and though they be never so many great and grievous and of long continuance nay though thou wert more leprous then Gehezi more uncleane then Magdaleue and more blind in soule then ever Bartimcus was in body yet courage sinner and remember that thy God is a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and therefore down on thy Knees and sall to thy Prayers And cry unto the Lord. 9. But for all this that hath been said of Gods goodnesse towards his chosen the poor afflicted soule may perhaps object as unbeliefe is full of objections and say Alas we see how wicked men prosper hold up their heads and flourish in the world they have their Barues full and Cubbords full and Chests full and all things goe with them according to their hearts desire whereas Gods Children sinke and are trampled under foot the Righteous are wrouged and the Church over-run by the ungodly of the World Nay saith God in the next place let not that trouble nor dishearten thee For I am a God that holds not the wicked innocent let them take their swing and make havock for a time God may spare them long yet will visit them at the last Nahum 1.2.3 For God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies The Lord is slow to anger but he is great in power and will not surely cleare the wicked Hab. 1.12 And as Habakkuk saith He hath ordained them for judgement and established them for correction Whereas those