but also have enjoyed all the Peace and plenty that the world could promise This I speak as a naturall man and this indeed is the iudgement of the naturall man looking no higher then this world and the second causes But as the Messenger of God I may say had yee dealt wickedly against his Covenant and blest your selves in your owne heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of mine heart the Lord would not have spared you but the anger of the Lord and his Iealousie would have smoaked against you q The other thing that I would to this purpose commend is that ye would remember that besides Haeresie which opposeth the truth professed by the Kirk and beside Schisme which destroyeth the Unity of the Kirk Profanenesse of heart and life which is a third pâ—st hath ever spoiled the holinesse of the Kirk and is a most high provocation against the most holy Lord God which we are all to strive against as vvell as against Haeresie and Schisme by joyning the povver of Godlinesse with the Profession and forme thereof r and by holding the mystery of the Faith in a pure Conscience s which some sometime amongst you having put away and that with violence done to their conscience as the Word dimporteth concerning Faith have made shipwrack t and have endeavoured to bring others upon the Rocks that they might perish with them Spirituall judgements are to be observed no lesse then temporall both because there is more wrath in them and they are more hardly discerned Pelagianisme of old and Arminianisme of late is the just punishment of a formall Profession Socinianisme of the neglect of the Sonne of God Antinomianisme of turning the grace of God into wantonnesse Anabaptisme of Baptizing of Infants in private and of the slighting of the Baptisme in publick as if it did not concerne the whole Congregation and Separation of the despising of the true Government of the Kirk so doth the Lord send strong delusions upon them that receive not the love of the truth and take pleasure in unrighteousnesse u I will not excuse the length of this Epistle because I intended it I am not bounded to a time in writing as I behoved to be in Preaching I am bold with you because I know you To save you from spirituall judgements to deliver you comfortably from your present troubles and to make you walke worthy of the grace wherein the Lord hath abourded toward you that you fall not and that you may be presented faultlesse before Christ with joy is and shall be the humble and earnest desire and prayer of Your humble Servant and obedient Son in and for the Gospel of CHRIST A SERMON PREACHED Before the Lords and Commons at Margarets Church in Westminster upon Thursday the 18. of Iuly 1644. MATTH. 14. 21. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore didest thou doubt MUch is this day required of Your Honours much of You very Honourable and much of us all beloved of the Lord Iesus Christ In the times of the old Testament the Sacrifices of one Solemnity were much the same with the Sacrifices of another Yet when more feasts did meet together in one day as the Sabbath the first day of the moneth and the feast of Trumpets a all the Sacrifices of the severall dayes were offered in that one day which made the greater celebrity The Lord hath this day multiplyed his benefits upon us as the Loaves and Fishes were multiplyed in the hands of the Apostles in the time of the distribution b for no sooner is the day indicted to give thanks for one favour but we heare the newes of another that we may adde more fire and multiply our Sacrifices ALthough these words of our Lord at the first hearing may seem not to be much important to the solemnity of the day yet a twofold consideration hath led me to this choice One is because for some time past where I had occasion to speak in publike I have been expounding and applying to our present Troubles this part of the holy History expressing the dangerous tempest which tossed the Disciples of Christ at Sea as an Embleme and representation of the condition of the Church of Christ on earth especially in the time of great trouble herein following the example beside many other interpreters of a worthy instrument of Reformation who in the Idolatrous and bloody times of Queen Mary did upon this Text in the evidence and power of the Spirit write a large Admonition to the Professors of the trueth in England c And now being by Providence brought on to these words expressing the deliverance of Peter out of his speciall tentation and leading us toward the ceasing of the winde and calming of the tempest I judged them not unfit for the present condition which God by his mercifull Providence hath brought our affaires into at this time The Lord who stretched forth his hand and caught Peter when he was beginning to sinke and soon after made the winde to cease which moved them that were in the Ship to come and worship him saying Thou art the Sonne of God the same Lord even the Lord of Armies and the God of battells hath stretched forth his hand for our deliverance and when he will he can rebuke the windes and by his Word make a comfortable calme that all the three Kingdomes may fall downe and worship him saying with one minde and one mouth to the hearing of all the Christian world Of a truth thou art the Sonne of God which would prove a ground of reforming the House of God according to his own will For if they had knowne the Son of God the King of glory they would not have crucified but submitted unto him and done his will Another consideration also made me to fix upon this Text although it doth not hold forth a formall thanksgiving which is so ordinary in other places of Scripture that nothing more and that which followeth here afterward is liker unto it yet it containeth the materialls and layeth a foundation of the duty for it is a notable and seasonable deliverance out of a great distresse together with a most powerfull argument to enforce the duty of Thankesgiving taken from the unworthinesse of the party on whom it is bestowed Why diddest thou doubt O thou of little Faith The depth of our distresse the greatnesse of our Deliverance and the weaknesse of our Faith which hath made a great deale of doubting are fuell to enflame our hearts and to make the fire of the Sacrifice to ascend In the words going before Peter had not so much Faith as that when the winde became boysterous he was able any more to walke on the water for through the weaknesse of his faith he beginneth to sinke yet he hath so much faith that when he beginneth to sinke he
of prayer is no other but the continuance of the spirit of prayer which still helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us Rom 8. 26. Sometimes our prayer returneth into our bosome Psal. 35. 13. where we finde the peace of God which passeth all understanding to keepe our hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus Phil. 4. 7 Sometimes we have no other answer but my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenes 2. Cor 12 9. And sometimes either a better or the same thing which we desired and it may be with great advantage is granted unto us of which there bee many examples like unto this of the answer of Peters prayer The fifth and last thing which setteth forth this Deliverance is this That it was of free goodnes and not from any perfection in him for he is rebuked for his doubting as one of little faith Where we may observe that beside the wide difference betwixt beleevers and unbeleevers which is a difference in kind faith elevating a beleever far above naturall men and unbeleevers as man is above the inferiour creatures and angels above men There is a difference in degrees betwixt one beleever and another and betwixt a beleever and himself insomuch that one is said to be of little faith and another to have great faith and one and the same beleever sometimes to have little at other times great faith Peter had faith to walk upon the water which was the greater triall but now when the winde is boysterous which was the lesser temptation his faith proveth weak which was a Progstick of that which came to passe in his deniall afterward a I have not a minde nor is it proper for this time to wearie your attention with the many distinctions of faith that there is a faith which is an habite and vertue Theologicall and a faith which is a speciall gift that there is a faith felt and a faith unfelt much lesse with the distinctions of faith formed and unformed explicite and implicite I would onely tell you that faith is said to be weake extensively and in respect of the knowledge of the things to be beleeved thus the faith of the Apostles while they knew not the Resurrection of Christ the faith of Rachab the woman of Samaria and many others who knew but few of the mysteries of faith was but a weake faith Or intensively and in respect of perswasion and application It was long ere Thomas was brought to say My Lord and my God Hee that hath this weake faith may be considered of us as hee hath faith for weake faith is true faith and as his faith is weak as he hath faith he beleeveth and adhereth to the truth of the word and in distresse prayeth and cryeth with Peter Lord save mee But as his faith is weakned by temptations and difficulties apprehended by naturall sense and carnall reason which is the wisdome of the world and an enemy to the receiving of the wisdome of God hee doubteth hee wavereth hee staggereth through a mixture of unbeliefe which certainely is the work of the flesh whatsoever Papists say to the contrary in commendation of doubting and yet such is the goodnes and grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that in this night of darknes in this winter season he looketh at the root under the ground and to the leafe of prayer which it sends forth when neither fruit nor flower doth appeare and thereupon hee that breaketh not the bruised reed and quencheth not the smoaking flax doth deliver his owne children which maketh them afterward when they recover their strengths to thinke shame of themselves and to admire of his wonderfull goodnes Faith sometimes is like fire in the flint which to the sense is as cold as another stone yet hath fire in it naturally as the soule which is partaker of the Divine Nature hath faith in it supernaturally Sometimes it is like fire in the tinder sometimes like fire in the match sometimes like fire in the candle and sometimes like fire on the hearth which enlightneth and warmeth the whole roome But the Lord in answering the prayers of his people looketh more to the truth then to the degree of faith The word of doubting as some have searched into the nature of it is borrowed from a ballance or paire of weights the scales whereof move and waver up and downe inconstantly Wee have another word Marke 11. 23. which signifieth to dispute or debate because they who doubt have a dispute and debate of adverse parties within themselves like that of the twins which struggled together in the wombe of Rebecca and makes them to goe and enquire of the Lord The nature of faith Heb. 11. 1. is a subsistence by which the minde looking constantly at Jesus Christ is preserved from fluctuating and doubting as when the tongue of the Ballance standeth streight and stable But Satan the old Adam and the world come in and sometimes lift up the one scale in Presumption and sometimes beare down the other in diffidence and pusilanimity Christ opposeth to the one the danger of sinking and to the other his Word and hand that so the soul may be reduced to the stability and subsistence of Faith Thus was the wonderfull Wisedome Mercy Truth and Power of the Sonne of God manifested at that time and many times since And thus have I made a survey of the five Circumstances accompanying this miracle of Peters Deliverance all which are very appliable to that notable deliverance which the Lord hath wrought for us for the publick acknowledgement whereof we hold this solemne Assembly First if it had pleased the Lord to turne his hand against us which was stretched out for us against our enemies the Name of God had been dishonoured our Armies had been destroyed and our selves that were but in a ship neere unto them had been in danger to have perished and thus the deliverance is great 2. As it was great and eminent so was it opportune and seasonable I speak to them who are acquainted with the posture of affaires the Enemy had exalted himselfe to the top of his pride and had designed like Belshazzar and his Nobles to make themselves merry with the spoiles of the people of God who although their hearts were stedfast to the Cause and work of God yet by divine dispensation delaying their desires and bringing them about in his owne wise and secret way were brought low and therefore in the one respect and the other a very seasonable deliverance 3. The hand of God was sensibly seen in it specially that when they were almost lost in the opinion of many of themselves the Lord brought the wheele about upon the enemy so marvellously that it is a wonder that so many although they had been naked men could have fallen by the sword in so few houres 4. That in this the Lord answered the Prayer of his people He hath heard us since the
beginning of our Supplications he hath given grace to continue in humiliation and Prayer he hath many times returned our prayer into our bosome he hath made his grace sufficient for us to uphold us and hath given such victories as have been large matter of thanksgiving But in this he hath answered us above our expectation particular desires at this time For we would have been satisfied for the time with the rendring of that beleagred City but the Lord hath done much yea very much more 5. And we may justly adde the last That the deliverance was of free goodnesse For our faith was not perfit Were not many of us full of doubting and feares yea full of unbeliefe that it might have been said of some of us Why have ye not beleeved O yee of no Faith And of the best of us O yee of little faith why did you doubt Our hearts have been wavering and moving up and down like a Ballance sometimes presuming sometimes distrusting as wanting that subsistence of faith which fixeth the heart and maketh a stablenesse and staiednesse of the soule It remaines that we make the right use of this notable worke of Divine Providence To this purpose from the text and from that which followeth after and goeth before about the same subject I shall propose three very necessary duties and what may serve either for reproof or comfort shall be intermixed and for brevity be taken in with the duties The first we may learne from that which followeth verse 33. Then they which were in the Ship came and worshipped him saying Of a truth thou art the Sonne of God They neither envie Peter nor conceive any indignation against him for his prerogative in walking upon the Water which was not granted unto them nor doe they adore or admire him knowing that without Christ he could not have been able to save himself For they had seen him beginning to sinke and had heard him cry out Lord save me only they fell downe before Christ adoring him and give him this great testimony Of a truth thou art the Sonne of God They who before through the hardnesse of their hearts had not considered the Miracle of the Loaves Marke 6. 52 did by this miraculous worke know him and knowing him they worshiped him Nor did Christ reject their testimony but by his silence consented unto and sealed the truth of it c The same duty is required of us all No man is to envie those Worthies whom the Lord hath honoured to be instrumentall in this great worke The Lord doth what and by whom he will and whom the Lord honoureth it becometh us to honour which if we grudge to doe the Lord will honour them the more Againe no man ought to offer the fat of the Sacrifice or the principall praise of the day unto the instruments Did not many of them at first begin to sink and as many times before so all of them at that time were constrained to cry out Lord save us but we must all and they also with us fall downe before Christ our Saviour and great Deliverer and with one heart and voice say and sing Of a truth thou art the Son of God which he will admit as a praise due unto his Name and acceptable unto him that hee may have a Name above every Name The humility of Gideon in answering the pride of Ephraim was no lesse commendable then his courage against Midian when hee said unto them What have I done now in comparison of you is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer It was the wisedome of Scipio the Roman Generall when two of his Souldiers contended about the Crowne due to him who first scal'd the walles so hotly that the whole Army was in danger to be devided so to detirmine the question that the Crowne was given to them both both having as he affirmed climed the wall together It is observed by the learned for a rule that in a contest for priority and praise when each party from self-love taketh the first place unto himself or from partiality giveth it to him whom he affecteth that he who unanimously hath the second voice is to be preferred before all Upon this ground the sect of the Academiques amongst the Philosophers hath beene esteemed the best because both the Stoicks and Epicureans doe give their voice to the Academiques next unto themselves If a Generall of an Army should examine his chief Commanders who next themselves did best in battell it were like that he who had the second voice were of the greatest merit and yet they observe a fallacy and reprehension heere for men cunningly doe incline to give testimony next themselves unto those that are not like to come in their way or to stand in their light There needeth no such contest amongst us Let all men falling downe give the praise unto God and be content that the work is done and they have been faithfull in their performances What hast thou which thou hast not received What hast thou received which might not have been given to another and which may not for thy pride and emulation yet be taken from thee and given to another I know the distinction and difference which Moralists make betwixt emulation and envy that emulation hath place in the greatest and most magnanimous spirits that hee maketh them to covet and seek after the best gifts that it affecteth the minde with griefe not because another is unworthy of that which he hath for that is indignation nor because another hath that which himself wanteth for that is envie but because thou wantest that which another hath which beseemeth thee to have no lesse then him and which by thy industry and the blessing of God thou mightest have attained or may yet attaine unto As when a Godly man is grieved that with other Martyrs of Christ for whose constancy in the Truth he rejoyceth he hath not also been partaker of the glory of Martyrdome Or when a Souldier is grieved that with his fellow-souldiers whose courage and successe he congratulates he had not a hand in the glorious victory against the enemy I denie not but such a pure emulation may be found in regenerate hearts and that there may be somewhat like unto it in a Themistocles that could not sleep when he began to think of the Trophees of Miltiades d Yet would I have it acknowledged that as emulation and envy are often expressed by one word in both the Originalls so doth it come to passe that emulation such is the base corruption of our nature doth often degenerate into envy and seldome is it seen that he who is much emulous is not somewhat envious e Some kinds of sinnes doe reign and rage most in the time of Peace and Prosperity another sort in time of Warre and Trouble but envy findeth matter to work upon at all times It is a Monster of many
weaknesse both at this time and afterward that he doubted and was afraid which made him begin to sinke and there can be no full and through Obedience without faith and confidence Two things are necessary for this 1. Self-deniall and renouncing all confidence in your selves or your owne wisdome courage strength or multitudes all which are but the arme of flesh Psalm 44. 3 4 5 9 7 8. Wisdome will have us to use all good means but faith will not have us to trust in them 2. A firm perswasion and full relying upon Christ holding the eye of our soul upon him continually Iohn the Baptist Iohn 3. 33. useth two words to expresse the nature of faith and confidence One is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Syr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Cabala the word of receiving which in the Syriack is not every receiving but a receiving of a Doctrine sent from God as Divine and sent from him The other word is more {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Syr. Obsignavit conclusit hath set to his Seal when the word is used of God toward us wee know the meaning but when it is ascribed unto us in relation to God and his truth it expresseth the testing of our conscience on the truth of God that as the Lord sealeth his testimony unto us by the Sacraments and by his owne Spirit so upon our part our faith and affiance sealeth the truth of God that we acquiesce in it and close with God and the matter is concluded betwixt the Lord and our souls The writing thus sealed cannot be reversed for while the seal is at it it abides firm and the seal is keeped by the Lords faithfulnesse for our benefit This confidence will make us submit to the will of God and to say I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgement for me Hee will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse Then she that is mine enemie shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God Mic. 7. 9 10. Woe is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a grief and I must beare it Iere. 10. 19. This will carry us through all discouragements because it maketh us to see greater things then the World It opposeth the wrath of God against the terrors of the world and the love of God against the love of the world This assureth us of the presence of Christ in all our troubles It is I be not afraid The most terrible word to the enemy and the most comfortable to the godly It perswadeth us that God cannot denie himself nor forsake his own cause and for our selves that although this life and all things in it should fail us yet our happinesse waits for us Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope Psal. 16. 9 Much might be spoken here and to good purpose of the notes whereby to try our faith and confidence whether it be weak or strong and of the means to encrease it that it may come to a full assurance but I have troubled you too much already and therefore I shall only desire that the recent proof of the mercy of God in our deliverance may be added to your Calendar of former deliverances to make your experience the stronger that your hope and confidence may be the stronger for all time to come FINIS An Excellent Allegory taken forth of this History by Augustine In his 14. Sermon Upon the Words of our LORD AS Christ going to the Mountain to pray gave commandement to his Apostles to get into a ship and to goe to the other side so after his ascending into heaven at his commandement the Gospel was to be carried through the Sea of this world As the Ship wherein the Apostles of Christ were Passengers meeteth with a great tempest so the Church of Christ sustaineth waves of persecution and is opposed by the various blasts of haereticall winds As the Disciples doe not straightway forsake the Ship but did toyle in rowing so the confession of our faith is not to be forsaken but the teachers of the Church both by word and writing in the midst of the contrary windes of the world and of the blasts of tumultuous Haereticks are to discharge their office faithfully Let the crosse yard be set up and Christ crucified be looked upon and let us not make defection from him but follow his steps let us through suffering and death it self presse toward eternall glory Let also white sailes that is a pure and honest conversation be laid hold of Moreover although the sea do rage the wind withstand strongly and the surges rise and make a noise so that the ship be sore tossed and covered with the waves yet is shee not drowned but runneth to the Haven so may indeed the Church be pressed but can never be oppressed for Christ is praying on high and beholdeth his own mightily wrestling with the contrary winds He therefore intercedeth for them that their faith fail not but that they may carry unto the Nations these Noble but to humane reason forein wares of remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of heaven through faith in Christ freely offered to all that earnestly repent and amend their lives Furthermore this small Ship shal be tossed and float on the water till the Lord come who alone is able to make a weighty body to walk upon the face of the liquid element which shall come to passe about the fourth watch of the night that is in the end of time when the night of this world is almost spent In the meane while although the roaring Sea doe murmur and repine under the feet of the Lord yet nilling willing it is constrained to beare him so although the swelling pride and powers of the world arise together never so high yet our Head shall trample on their head But when Christ cometh neer unto the ship before he be clearely seene and known of his owne he striketh their hearts with a new terrour that they seeme to themselves to see a Ghost for in the darknes of this night wee are not able rightly to understand the worke of the Lord But when the darknes is scattered and all the storme calmed we shall know him aright and shall worship him as the true Son of God our Redeemer and Saviour It is our part who do live about the fourth watch upon whom the ends of the world are come 1. Cor. 10. 11. to provide lest that by the sudden and unlooked for coming of the Lord we be surprised and confounded for as Christ in one moment and with one thrust brought the ship into the harbour so before we can look about us or turne our selves Eternitie shall come upon us for the Elects sake these dayes shall be shortned Matth. 24. 22. FINIS a Ephes. 3. 14 15 16. b Thes. 3. 9. 10. c Psal. 126. 6. d 1. Thes. 3. 8. e Eccles. 7. 10. f Rom. 11. 22 g Rom. 11. 33 34. h Ier. 10. 23. i Pro. 19. 21. k Iohn 21. 18. l Iob 29. 18. m Mat. 26. 39. Ier. 20. 3. n Micah 4. 5. o Ephes. 4. 14. p Psal. 44. 17 18 19. q Deuâ—. 29. 20. r 2. Tim. â— 5. s 1. Tim. 3. â— t 1. Tim. 1. 19. u â— Thes. 2. 10 11 12. a Numb. 28. 29. b John 6. VVhy this Text chosen c The admonition of Iohn Knox to the professors of the truth in England Paraphrased Divided Doct. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Similes The greatness of Peters deliverance The seasonablenesse thereof The sensibleness of the hand of Christ in it The Relation it had to the prayer of Peter It was from free goodnes a Quid aliud â—â—t Christum sequi in atrium pontisicis quam super eisdem fluctibus ambulare cum Christo et quid aliud erat tentatio Ancillae quam ventus adversarius et quid aliud tentatio ex timore quam hic submertio ex timore Musculus in Matth. 14. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Etym. The five circumstances of Peters deliverance applyed to ours The use of this worke of Diuine Providence Use 1. Thankfulnesse in Adoration and Confession c Quid ergo est qd Iudaei dicu â—t cum virum quidem Dei Prophetam fuisse filium vero Dei non fuisse Si filius Dei non fuit certe neque vir Dei neque Propheta fuit cum non fit viri Dei ad exhibitum honorem divinitatis conticescere Quiâ— dicat cum Caesarianum esse prâ—bum ac geâ—uiâ—um Caesari fidelem qui honorem Casari â—oâ—â— compâ—â—entem ob aâ—um non repudiâ—verâ—t sed agâ—ovoris Muscul. in Matth. 14. Take heed to Emulation and beware of envie Difference betwixt Emulation and Envy d Plut. in Apo. e Ambae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sorores aâ—rae noctis siliae Hesiod Illa amulatio est laudabilis quae non est rivalitui similis Cic. f Caesarâ—e priorem Pompeiusve pâ—râ—m The Adoration of Christ The Confessing of Christ Charitum numâ—râ—s significâ—t â—râ—â— actus distinctos in beneficiis dare aeccipere referee carum nomen affectus quibus in benefice aâ—â— c. Heming de lege naâ— Use 2. Obedience to the voice of Christ Own ratione in sanite Use 3. Confidence in Christ