relieue and comfort it neither let any man thinke this practise concerneth him not hee that hath not sorrow should haue because hee hath sinnes to repent You humane Parrats whose eares haue runne out into tongues whose braines labour with a dangerous flux leaue your much vselesse talke and learne a godly Soliloquie it is more requisite you should enforme your owne soules then tire others eares You prophane and lasciuions speakers learne to talke chastly in your hearts and your tongues shall not so offend God and good eares You punctuall Orators know that the sure rule Recté et benê loquendi is the word of God which biddeth you Commune with your owne hearts You powerfull Oracles whose deep senses testifie a watchfull conference with your sweet friends your learned Authors who can eftsoone make as Paul his Faelix your happy Auditors tremble who can with patheticall discourses pull vp the double slâ—ces of their soules for teares sometimes of ioy sometimes of sorrow giue mee leaue to remember you if you speake not to your owne soules what you speake to others eares if you haue not let downe into your bowels that rowle of Gods word whose contents you deliuer to the people your curious lines shall nothing profit you your labour shall bee to build an Arke for others not your selues you shall be as that wise man said of the Phylosophers Schoole like a well sounding Harpe which heareth not it selfe You externall men who in your obseruance to others liue so much out of your selues as that you must speake their thoughts act their inuentions goe with paces and as if their fauour animated you you breathed their breath as if you had no soule or that you haue a vassall to the world where your desires haue placed your heauen you neuer looke home come hither see the excellencie of the soule which can euery moment bring you into the presence of the King of Kings you that are in loue with your stately Piles come see this liuing Temple of the Lord you that are enamoured of pleasures seeke them in your soules these only as Iaakob said of his Asher shall giue pleasures of a King Laughter is a pleasure for a foole delights and sinnes are pleasures for Sathans slaues riches are pleasant to vnhappiest vassals but heere onely are those pleasures which none but they enioy who are admitted into the glorious freedome of the Sonnes of God who are Kings and a royall Priesthood You that would be rich be assured it is not laying house to house and land to land it is not extending your Fathers bounds by the purchase of the next Tenements for how miserably poore is a couetous man but heere are true riches heere is that better part which shall neuer bee taken away heere is the vnvaluable treasure of knowledge vertue faith heere God manifesteth the riches of his grace and mercy here hee layeth vp the assurance of our eternall inheritance and the seales of our redemption You heartlesse worldlings and outsides of men consider and vnderstand that the vaine Idoll which you adore doth euer finally torment and crucifie those who doe most zealously worship it Ambition is an Hamans Gibbet how high soeuer it is a torment to the proud Auarice a Iaels tent-nayle to fasten the rich man to the earth Gluttonie and Ehud which vnder pretence of secret messages striketh into the bowels Wine a Serpent which biteth as it pleaseth Lust an vncleane and lightlesse fire through whose Moloch-flames blind libertines ambitious of their owne destruction are sacrificed to the Deuill Surely her house tendeth to death and her paths vnto the dead All sins to which so many sacrifice their thoughts and times are like Egyptian taske-masters adding stripes to heauie burdens and their wages is death I neede not say more then this With how many cares feares griefes vnrests and perplexities doth the world or sinne racke the braines presse and wring the very heart of a man that hee may serue them All this while how happily doth that man liuâ— who enioyeth and conferreth daily with GOD in a contented soule What madnesse is it then to seeke that happines abroad which is only to be found at home to looke for that in others which is onely to bee found and enioyed in our selues There is more sound content in one houres wise and holy enioying a mans owne soule then in an ages succesfull pursuit of the ambitious mans deluding dreames The world fauoureth mee not only let GOD assure my soule of his fauour This one thing haue I desired of the Lord only let him say to my soule I am thy salâ—ation it shall be a sanctuarie to me against all sorrowes Why art thou cast downe c IN the third place wee are to consider the disaffection which is the matter of this reprehension and this is necessary to bee handled that the pensiue minde may be helped for how can we cure except we acquaint vs with the passions of the sicke This maladie is not simply one but double that is dejection and disquietnesse the effects of immoderate sorrow and care they seeme extreame and contrarie fits the first a dull and heauie stupidity a kind of hopelesse apoplexie of the minde yeelding it selfe to the requests of despaire as if there were no hope no helpe The second is a restlesse selfe-vexing impatience as if the minde could helpe it selfe without God There is no estate without some complaint discontent cannot be confined with any limits but the fruition of the chiefe good therefore it reigneth ouer all that haue lost their interest therein till they doe eyther actually or in firme hope re-obtaine it There hath an vniuersal distemper for mans sake infected the world and euery creature groaneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine together vntâ— this present and not only the creature but we also which haue receiued the first fruites of the Spirit euen we doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodie Meane time the soule of man is exercised like Israel in the way to the holy Land with continuall disturbances that wee may know that in this life is not our rest for as Moses told them in the wildernesse we are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the Lord will giue vs therefore the mind can not bee absolutely contented it is satisfied with nothing lest it being satisfied with this nothing which it loueth should rest and settle heere and so not aspiring to better bee depriued of the best object of desire in which is happinesse so compleate and full as that out of it there is nothing happy or good whence it commeth to passe that all that can desire or wish doe naturally wish and desire some other estate then that they haue all present desire being but a continued motion to that which is finally desired and therefore there can bee in this life no absolute content
ouercame in paines and that victorie remaineth to the Church as a certaine Trophâ—e of the deuils ouâ—rthrow The wicked are presently discouered in afflictions they murmur and like the rootlesse corne are quickly wit hered It is a speciall marke of regeneration if out of obedience wee can patiently beare and loue God aswell correcting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is true patience to loue him of whom we 〈…〉 to endure and hate is not vertue but a disguise and vaile of fury Though hee slay mee yet will I trust in him and because Abraham loued God therefore when God proued him with that heauy precept that which God pleased not to suffer hee would patiently haue suffered had God pleased to permit it It is a custome of Heathens godlesse men to be impatient in temporallosses because they preferre money before their soule but it must not bee so with Christians Once there were lawes of retaliation an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth The Lord of patience was not yet come but when he came he said Resist not euill hee expounded to a word a Racha to a thought to restraine the petulancy of hands and to take away the poyson of tongues hee said Loue your enemies blesse thâ—â— that curse you Wherein hee showeth with what Christian greatnesse and goodnesse of minde they must ouercome all euill 3. Impatience is but a striuing with God an obscure and inward murmuring against his prouidences What are we said Moses your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord. He that vexeth at second causes doth but bite the stone which is cast at him it was not he that had will to hurt who took away Iobs goods but he that gaue that power It is Gods all-disposing prouidence that cause of causes which giueth and taketh away which exalteth and casteth downe the greatest endeuor of man cannot adde one cubit to the stature therefore weâ— shew our vanity in nothing more then in being impatient for woe vnto him who striueth with his Maker It skilleth little who betrayeth or who rageth when God suffereth those thus to be entreated whom he disposeth to crowne 4. We pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in beaâ—en wherein we not only desire that all the creatures should without resistance quietly obtemperate and as he hath the holy Angels of heauen ready to atchiue and doe his commands so that all the wills of men on earth may bee framed into one obsequious consent that they may encline wholly to the wil of God that God would be pleased to take away that innate contumacy of our minds which ceaseth not to mutiny against his holy Spirit that he would make vs so docible and tractable that we may only wil that which is pleasing to his will that he would giue vs new harts that wee may not affect our owne desires but subscribe to the absolute guidance of his Spirit that wee may beleeue in him that we may be holy both in body and Spirit that wee may keepe his Word commandements but also wee pray that wee may both in prosperity and aduersity giue him the glory paâ—icntly and meâ—kely bearing his hand acknowledging his will and diuine prouidence in all things which befall vs if we pray â—hy will be done shall wee resist that which wee pray may be done there is great reason we should continually pray for this grace for without it wee can neither pray nor heare profitably being through iâ—patience possessed of a duâ—l pensiuenesse a painefull it â—â—omnâ—s which is â—old of zeale to any holy duty 5. We ought to relye vpon Gods goodnesse who is faithfull â—o caâ— alâ— our cares vpon him to commit our selues and estates to him who is both powerfull to keepe us and gracious to reward vs whose will also it is that wee should glorifie him in those sufferings which hee hath appointed vs. It was Pauls comfort vnder the Crosse Fâ—â— the which cause I also suffer these things neuerthelesse I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that thing I haue committed to him against that day Hee is a sufficient sequestrator to the 〈◊〉 if thou commit thy wrongs to him hee is a reuenger if thy losse he is a restorer if thy griefe he is a Physician if death he is a quickner and reuiuer how much should we suffer that he may bee an accomptant to vs 6. There hath no tentation ouertaken vs but such as appertaineth vnto man Paul comforteth the Philippians herewith when hee biddeth them in nothing to bee teâ—rified by their aduersaries they hauing the same â—onflict which they saw in him and then heard to be in him Hee knoweth not what this life is who is ignorant of afflictions It was said to bee the speech of Demonax when hee came to a friend impatiently lamenting the death of his sonne and â—â—â—ting mourning iâ— darkâ—nes Find me laid he three men in the world who haue not lamented the death of some friend and I will make thy sonne aliue againe When of all his acquaintance hee could not reckon one O man said he why doest thou so much disquiet thy selfe as if some new thing had befallen thee And it was a like wise practice which is imputed to the Athenian Solon when he saw one of his acquaintance disconsolately grieuing he led him vp into an high Tower whence hauing shewed him those numberlesse houses of a populous City Now saith hee doe but thinke with thy selfe how many sorrowes haue been shal be or now dwell vnder these roofes and cease so impropriate humane and common misery to thy selfe Wee must consider what man is that we may learne to beare humane miseries with a Christian resolution Man beginneth with teares the first language of man streweth the condition in which and to which hee is borne hee that is ignorant of all things else knoweth how to cry in his natiuity as if in that auspication he did by a naturall instinct lament the anxieties and labors of this life the filly wretch resâ—iffeth a fore se me of the worlds stormes so soone as hee entreth into this glassie sea There was a time when man was deputed to action only when God said 〈◊〉 the earth and subdue it But for our sins he pron oun ced the irreuocable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all mankind to a miserable serui ude vnder labor 〈◊〉 sorrowes Cursed is the earth for thy sake in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou â—ate of it all the dayes of thy life in the sweat of thy 〈◊〉 shall thou â—at bread till thâ—â— returne vnto the ground Besides we carry about bodiâ—â— subiect to many iniuries open to many maladies what madnesse is it then impatiently to beare that in others which we haue in ourselues on in our selues which wee can no waies auoid or lessen but by patient bearing especially when we suffer no euill
this manner We know saith he there is no way to auoide the common condition of all men which is calamitous wee are now good and bad within one house whateuer how befalleth wee share and suffer alike till in the end of this mortall life wee be diuided into seuerall lodgings of life or death Yet saith he we are not equall with you though wee suffer the same things for since in the sense of griefe consisteth all that which punisheth it is manfest that he partaketh not of thy punishmen whom thou feest not grieuing equally with thee The mind of an holy man is erect and steadfast euen amongst the ruines of a perishing world patience is euer cheerefull and that mind euer secure in God hee neuer deceiueth trust in whom wee hope When the Psalmist out of a learned experience hauing discoursed of the estate of the wicked and the holy sendeth vs to the issue of the good mans trials Marks the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace The quiet fruits of righteousnesse are later liker the blossom and fruits of Aarons drie rod when it seemeth there is no hope yet they are sure and excellent Fourthly because they that are begotten againe to this liuely hope being kept by the power of GOD through faith to saluation are euer assured of a better life to come an inheritance incorruptible vndefiled and immarcessible reserued in heauen for them a crowne of glory And howreuer fierce he seemeth wee shall as Dauid from the subdued King of Ammon take our Crownes from the enemies head for the mischiefe which hee inuenteth against vs to make vs suffer shall adde to our glorie In this confidence wee stand as it were on Nebo to view thâ— holy Land the promised rest If in this life onely we had hope then were wee of all men most miserable That man indeed mourneth and complaineth if any aduersity befall him here who can hope for nothing good in the life to come who hath reposed all his hope and comfort here and looketh for nothing but torments so soone as hee goeth hence If a man did constantly beleeue hee should come safely home there to find and enioy an eternall quiet the hoped fruites of his trauaile could any vneuennesse of the way deterre or diuert him Ionathan and his Armourbearer stood not vpon the difficultie of the passage they climed vp Bâ—zez and Seneh vpon their hands and vpon their feet because they hoped for a glorious victorie The way to honour is through danger the way to life through death the way to heauen through afflictions It is extreme childishnesse to bee discouraged for the way where the end hath assured comfort Adde to this they liue not to the World but to God and already haue their conuersation in heauen so that their soules being as it were Gods domesticks euer in his gracious presence hearing him contemplating or speaking to him they are aboue the stormes of humane calamities though they are sensible of them according to their outward man yet their better parâ—is so much aboue them so ready in euery appearance of difficulties to flye vnder the shadow of Gods wing there to be sheltered thence to fetch comfort that they not only haue a blessed accesse through faith vnto his Grace wherein they stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God but they reioyce in tribulation and therefore thus they reckon whatsoeuer affliction befalleth vs here it findeth vs vpon the way foâ— whilest we remaine in the bodie wee are absent from the Lord and therefore like theeues and robbers stormes and dangerous passages or whateuer els maketh a iourney tedious and vnpleasing it maketh vs loue home the better the worse the way is the more we desire to bee at the end of it Thus they ouercome the infirmitie of the body by the strength of the mind so confident are they that when they haue been racked they would not bee deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection If it be obiected that the most faithfull haue their trials and doe often expresse great sorrow and disquiet of mind we must know that we are already partakers of the promised rest in firme hope we are there in desire these wee haue already cast out as the anchors of our soule therefore as wee say of a ship riding at anchor she hath hold on the earth though yet she ceele heaue and set and those anchors hold her from bestrauning and running aground euen against the windes floods and angry billowes So against the temptations of this our pilgrimage out hope is grounded on that heauenly Ierusalem which causeth that we are not split and bilged vpon the rockes like the needle in the Compasse so mooueth our hope it is euer shaking yet it ceaseth not till by its vnrest it returne to the same point If it be vrged that we are yet fraile and full of euill which may make our hopes decline we say with Bernard There are three things in which all our hope consisteth First his loue which adopted vs he who for his owne loue without any desert of ours euen when wee were enemies reconciled vs and adopted vs sonnes will not now cast vs away whom he hath made better though not yet perfect Secondly the truth of his promise though all the world deceiue vs and we deceiue our selues God cannot but bee veritable in his Word we haue generall promises and in our consciences the particular testimony of his holy Spirit assuring vs that we are the children of God and therefore neither life nor death can separate vs from his loue Thirdly his power to performe if it were in man our hopes were fixed how vnhappy were our condition Man often faileth and when he hath a will he wanteth power Am I God to kill and giue life said the King of Israel God onely can doe all he will and will doe all hee hath promised Vpon this ground the Apostle comforteth the Churches when hauing praised the Lord for that liuely hope to which they were begotten againe hee saith they were kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Lastly we must consider that there is none other comfort in afflictions but hope of deliuerie out of them or sure pâ—eseruatiues against them neither true hope or preseruation but in God Therefore the Scriptures do distinguish betwixt true and false hopes magnifying the one and shewing the true vnhappinesse of the other Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and mâ—keth flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord for hee shal be like the heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when any good commeth Blessed bee the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is for he shalâ—be like a tree that is planted by the water which spreadeth out his rootes 〈◊〉 the