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<DATE>2013-02-20</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Monica Tsuneishi</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Checklist: x *Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x *Review overall structure: FRONT,BODY, BACK, DIV or rarely GROUP x *Add DIV TYPEs, make sure that @types makes sense as a navigational aide, and work in the context of the whole text, validate x *Survey book for troublesome formats of all kinds, including lists, illustrations, tables, music, math, end-notes, quasi-tabular arrangments, and marginalia. x *Proof title page(s) x *Examine marginalia. Is it all best tagged as NOTE? x *Observe divtop and divbottom material marking beginnings and ends of divisions, check that they are correctly tagged as HEAD, HEADNOTE, CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, DATELINE, BYLINE, etc. x *Check for GAPs MISSING, BLANK, FOREIGN, MATH, MUSIC, etc x *Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x *Check ^, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c., -- x *Check for illustrations and correct usage of FIGURE. Add FIGDESCs if necessary. x *Check q; startq endq Q x *If appropriate, check for yoghs. x *If appropriate, check for Latin problems, e.g. oe and ae digraphs x *If appropriate, check for abbreviation and brevigraph problems. x *If appropriate, check for units of measure, symbols (alchemical, astronomical, etc.) and the like. x *Correct illegibles from proofsheet x *Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs
*Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A28624">
<STC T="W">B3527</STC>
<STC T="C">R4171</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">12631677</BIBNO>
<VID>64789</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<P>A TOSSED SHIP Making to &s;afe Harbor, OR, A Word in Sea&s;on to a &s;inking Kingdome.</P>
<P>Wherein
<LIST>
<ITEM>Englands Ca&s;e, and Cure;</ITEM>
<ITEM>Her Burthens, and Comforts;</ITEM>
<ITEM>Her Pre&s;&s;ures, and Duties;</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Are opened, and applyed, in diver&s;e Ser|mons, preached upon the Publick Dayes of HVMILIATION, Out of that Propheticall Hi&s;tory, <BIBL><HI>Maith.</HI> 14.22 to 28.</BIBL></P>
<P>By SAMUEL BOLTON, preacher to the Congregation of <HI>Saviours Southwark.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>Chry&s;o&s;t. <HI>Hom. in Act. 8.</HI></BIBL>
<P><GAP DESC="foreign">.</P></Q>
<Q><P><BIBL>Ioel. <HI>2.21.</HI></BIBL> <HI>Feare not, O Land, be glad and rejoyce, for the Lord will doe great things for thee.</HI></P></Q>
<Q><P><BIBL>P&s;al. <HI>65.5.</HI></BIBL> <HI>By terrible things wilt thou an&s;wer us, O God, of our &s;alvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the Earth.</HI></P></Q>
<Q><P>Vtinam qui nos modo exercent, convertantur &amp; nobi&s;cum exerceantur.
<BIBL><HI>Aug.</HI></BIBL></P></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed by <HI>L. N.</HI> for <HI>Philemon Stephens,</HI> and are to be &s;old at the golden Lion in Pauls Church-yard. 1644.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Honourable ROBERT Earle of <HI>Warwick,</HI> Baron of <HI>Leez 'Le Rich,</HI> Lord High Admirall of <HI>England,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_A Publick <HI>&s;pirit</HI> is a rare and excel|lent &s;pirit, honour'd of GOD, e&s;teem'd of Man; its a <HI>piece</HI> of GOD in Man, or Man &s;eeking him&s;elfe in GOD. Its a &s;pirit above the world, becau&s;e above it &s;elfe. We reade of many of the Heathens, who were renowned for their publickne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit. And certainely it was an excellent &s;pirit which was in them, but it was &s;hort of the true &s;pirit: it held forth a god, though it fell below the true God; Publickne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit <HI>&s;peaks</HI> a god, when privatene&s;&s;e of &s;pirit makes it &s;elfe a god. Its proper alone to God to work from him&s;elfe, and to him&s;elf, to be the <HI>&s;pring</HI> whence, and the <HI>&s;ea</HI> whither all his actions tend; but it is not for man. He that makes him&s;elfe the <HI>principle</HI> of work|ing,
<PB REF="3">and the <HI>end</HI> of working; that (like a circular line) begins from him&s;elf, and ends in him&s;elfe, doth pull downe God, and &s;et|teth him&s;elfe in Gods &s;tead. Like the <HI>&s;park</HI> in the fire, or the <HI>drop</HI> in the &s;ea; &s;o our good doth more con&s;i&s;t in God then in our &s;elves. He that &s;eeks to be <HI>&s;omething</HI> out of God, begins to be nothing; but he that can be <HI>nothing</HI> for God, findes him&s;elfe <HI>all</HI> in God, and God <HI>all</HI> to him.</P>
<P>Right honourable, among tho&s;e who have <HI>excelled</HI> in this publickne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit in our dayes. And have <HI>&s;ought God</HI> and the good of the&s;e <HI>bleeding</HI> kingdomes, in &s;eparation, nay in oppo&s;ition to them&s;elves; we finde your Honour in the front, uncorruptedly up|right&mdash;And it is but a <HI>manife&s;t</HI> of your ancient &s;pirit in former times, when not many dur&s;t; and few would appeare, to own <HI>religon</HI> under contempt, we have had bad <HI>dayes</HI> before, then <HI>dayes</HI> of &s;in, now <HI>dayes</HI> of trouble; and the&s;e <HI>dayes</HI> of trouble, they are but the <HI>births</HI> of tho&s;e dayes of &s;in. Then you were a <HI>patron</HI> to the good, now a <HI>patriot</HI> to the whole. In the former you were a <HI>&s;helter</HI> in the&s;e a <HI>Saviour;</HI> before a <HI>&s;uccour</HI> to reli|gion, now an <HI>a&s;&s;ertor</HI> of it. In which worke, your honour hath had a part <HI>burthen&s;ome</HI> e|nough, but &s;uitable to the greatne&s;&s;e of your
<PB REF="3">&s;pirit, fitted to <HI>incounter</HI> with difficulties: you have laine at the breaches; &s;een the won|ders of God in the deepe, beene the terror of the &s;ea, the comfort of the land: and we have therefore been &s;o &s;ecure at land, becau&s;e our hearts have &s;ecurely repo&s;ed in you at &s;ea: Your worke is great, but your rewards are glorious; the harde&s;t &s;ervices &s;hall have the be&s;t rewards: nay, is there not &s;omething of a reward in this? that God will own us, that God will honour us to worke for him. My Lord I know your head and hands are full, yet give me leave in this pre&s;&s;e of imploy|ments, to pre&s;ent to your honour the &s;tate of our Church under the notion of <HI>A to&s;|&s;ed &s;hip upon a &s;tormy &s;ea making to &s;afe har|bor:</HI> under that notion the&s;e poor thoughts may finde acce&s;&s;e to you, and come under your honours protection. The Ship is the Church of God, the Sea the world, the the contrary windes, men of contrary &s;pi|rits, the &s;torme, our pre&s;ent troubles, the la|ding precious, religion, property, liberty, and what ever is deare; the pa&s;&s;engers, our &s;elves, the harbour which we make towards, is nothing but peace with reformation. The windes have been and do continue high, the &s;ea &s;tormy, our dangers great, and we have been forced to ca&s;t much of our lading over|board
<PB REF="4">to pre&s;erve the re&s;t, and &s;ave the &s;hip. In the&s;e our &s;traits many di&s;tru&s;ting the &s;afety of the &s;hip, have let down a Cock|boat, and &s;ought to &s;hift for them&s;elves; Some &s;infully, all &s;hamefully; others who &s;ee their good folded up in the whole, &amp; de|&s;ire not to out-live their precious lading, do &s;till abide in the &s;hip: &s;ome labouring at the &s;terne, others at the oare; every one their hands full.&mdash;But though our work is hard, our dangers great, yet is it not with us, as with the Apo&s;tle, pa&s;t all hopes of &s;aving, <HI>Acts</HI> 27.20. There is yet hope if we looke downward, we are not yet &s;o low as to hope again&s;t hope, <HI>Rom.</HI> 4.18. If we were, yet there is hope in the God of hope. And indeed there is our &s;tay, we have anchord too much downward, we have re&s;ted upon that which by very re&s;ting upon hath proved uncom|fortable and unprofitable to us: di&s;appoint|ment and &s;hame are the de&s;erved ends of creature tru&s;ts: oh that wee could now anchor upwards! upon that <HI>GOD</HI> who is the Rocke of Ages, an everla&s;ting rock; a rock &s;o deep that no floods can un|dermine, &amp; &s;o high that no waves can reach. This is our comfort in our &s;traits and trou|bles here below, that there is yet &s;ea-roome enough in the infinite goodne&s;&s;e of God for
<PB REF="4">faith to be carried full &s;aile upon. Nothing &s;hould po&s;e our faith, but what po&s;eth God: Nothing is too big for God to do; and why &s;hold any thing be too big for us to believe? Things marvellous to us, are yet ea&s;ie with God; things wonderfull to us are yet fami|liar with him, as he tels us <HI>Zach.</HI> 8.6.&mdash;It is our hope that <HI>God</HI> is ri&s;en, nay, gone forth, and is now travelling in the greatne&s;&s;e of his &s;trength to bring redemption to his Chur|ches, to work deliverances for his people. Let us &s;tand and admire him in his going forth: <HI>Loe this is our God! we have waited for him and he will &s;ave us: this is the Lord,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ay 25:9.</NOTE> <HI>we have waited for him, and we will be glad in his &s;alvation:</HI> Let us put our &s;elves into a po|&s;ture fit to receive mercy, and then <HI>&s;tand &s;till and &s;ee the &s;alvation of our God:</HI> &s;tand &s;till in believing, yet indeavour in working; we are to fix our eyes, but u&s;e our hands. <HI>Through God we &s;hall doe valiantly,&mdash;for he &s;hall tread downe all our enemies</HI> for us. We, <HI>but wee through God</HI>&mdash;It is the &s;peech of one, U&s;e means as if there were not a God to helpe, look up to God as if not a man to help. Cer|tainly not to u&s;e meanes is to tempt God, and to tru&s;t in meanes is to provoke God. It is a le&s;&s;on worth learning, not to &s;well in the injoyment, nor to &s;ink in the want of crea|ture
<PB REF="5">reliefes, to be nothing in our &s;elves in the pre&s;ence of meanes, and to be all in God in the ab&s;ence of them. But let me not be a burthen to your honour in the entrance.&mdash; My Lord, I have only this to &s;ay; you have done much for God, and God hath now put advantages into your hands of doing more; it will be your honour here,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">ies bre|vis opus multum, merces magna, pater fa|milias ur|get opera|rii ne &s;int pigri.</NOTE> and your happi|ne&s;&s;e for ever, if God do plea&s;e to make you in&s;trumentall for the &s;preading of the light of the glorious Go&s;pell of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in|to tho&s;e dark We&s;terne parts of the world; pitty it is that the Garden of the World &s;hould want the Sunne of the World; that tho&s;e places which abound in al things, &s;hould want that which &s;hould bee the crowne and comfort of their abundance. It is my earne&s;t prayers, that God of his mer|cy would give you a &s;ingle heart and an in|du&s;trious hand to work for him, and him|&s;elfe eye your labouts, write a booke of re|membrance of them: be your counfell in &s;traits, your protection in dangers, your comfort in life, your Saviour in death, and after death, the God of your po&s;terity al&s;o, that mercy may be intailed to your hou&s;e for ever. And this is the earne&s;t and hearty prayers of him, who is</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Honours in all humble and due ob&s;ervances, S. BOLTON</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="5">
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_ARt thou a friend, or an enemy? Art thou active or pas&s;ive in the inju|ries of Sion? If active, know, thou wilt be found to &s;trive again&s;t God,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Injuria quae piis offertur, fit ip&s;i deo. 1 Nahum. 9.11.</NOTE> and he will be too hard for thee; what can the pot&s;heard doe again&s;t the rock? whether thou
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Sive percu|tiat, &s;ive per|cutiatur, fran|gi nece&s;&s;e e&s;t.</NOTE> Smite or be Smitten, thou mu&s;t needs be Broken in pieces; who ever thou art, yet Read, thou may finde &s;omething here, if not to make thee, yet to mend thee, if not to convert thee, yet to convince thee, and at lea&s;t re&s;traine thee in thy former way.
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ideo &s;cribun|tur omnes li|bri, ut emen|detur unus.</NOTE> All Books are written to mend one, the Book of the heart, and who knowes but this may doe it. Art thou Pas&s;ive? art thou a fellow &s;ufferer? Come then, let us &s;it downe, and mourne together,
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Cum deflen|tibus defleo, cum jacenti|bus, jaceo, ja|culis gra&s;&s;an|tis inimici membra meae percu&s;&s;a &s;unt, cum pro&s;tra|tis fratribus, &amp; me pro&s;tra|vit affectus meus. Cypr. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Hom. Iliad.</NOTE> <HI>let us help to weep the teares, and &s;igh the &s;ighes of a bleeding State! Ha&s;t thou con&s;idered <HI>Ireland?</HI> ha&s;t thou been there in thy &s;ad thoughts? ha&s;t thou ob&s;erved the murthers, cruelties, ruines, and deva&s;tations of that place? ha&s;t thou heard the &s;ighings of the Pri&s;oners, the &s;crichings of the Slaine, the groan|ings of the dying &mdash;? ha&s;t thou taken notice of tho&s;e thou&s;ands of the Saints, (e) <HI>who&s;e dead bodies they have given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and who&s;e fle&s;h they have
<PB REF="6">given to the bea&s;ts of the earth, and who&s;e blood they have &s;hed like water upon the ground, and there was none to bury them?</HI> Tell me, ha&s;t thou been at</HI> Irelands <HI>Funeralls? Is it not yet dead? we feare it is; yet we hope it's capable of a re&s;ur|rection, though with <HI>Lazarus</HI> it lie &s;ome dayes in the Grave, before Chri&s;t come and rai&s;e it. Ha&s;t thou &s;een all this, and can&s;t thou not weep? come, let us mourn together! God hath made the &s;ame Organ both for Seeing, and for weeping; he that &s;ees, mu&s;t needs Weep. Ha&s;t thou ob&s;erved the mi&s;eries of England? That lies a bleeding, though not a Dying: <HI>Ezra. 10.2. There is yet hope in I&s;rael concerning this,</HI> Though we have too ma|ny Symptomes of a dying State, yet there may be a recovery, pos&s;ible, this I&s;&s;ue of Blood may be &s;topped. Indeed we have &s;pent all upon Phy&s;itians, and they have done what they can, they have u&s;ed the uttermo&s;t of their indeavours and skill, but our Cure is not wrought. England hath &s;inn'd, now england &s;uffers; our pre&s;ent &s;ufferings, are but the fruits of our former &s;innings. Rods of Correction come in, where words of in&s;truction take no place, Men that will not learn by Faith, mu&s;t be taught by &s;ence,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Prov. 26.3.</NOTE> A Rod is for the back of the Fool.</HI>&mdash; Long it was before God would be drawn to Strike, what deferres? what delayes? what waytings? nay what con|flicts within him? who hath not heard the &s;oun|dings of his Bowels?
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 11.8.</NOTE> how &s;hall I give thee up oh England? how &s;hall I make thee as Ireland? how &s;hall I &s;et thee as Germany? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled to|gether, &mdash; All this while Englands teares,
<PB REF="6">might have kept back a deluge of wrath; But no man repented,
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Deus noluit punire, ip&s;i extorquent, ut pereant. Salv. de provid l. 1.</NOTE> no man &s;mote upon his thigh, &s;aying, what have I done? And when <HI>there was</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 36.16.</NOTE> <HI>no Remedy,</HI> but God mu&s;t begin to ride his Circuit of judgement; yet, oh yet! what mercies hath he expre&s;&s;ed in the mid'&s;t of Judgement? what Compa&s;sions in the actings of Di&s;plea&s;ures, as if he him&s;elf, as it was &s;aid of <HI>Augu&s;tus,</HI> did &s;uffer in all our &s;courges,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Paenas dat, dum paenam Exigit. Sen. de Clem. cap. 10.</NOTE> and him&s;elf feel all our &s;tripes. To pa&s;&s;e over others. <HI>viz.</HI> Op|pres&s;ion, Inju&s;tice, Sabbath-breaking, &mdash; &amp;c. There have been three &s;peciall &s;ins, which have had a great Influence into our pre&s;ent Troubles. <HI>1.</HI> The Contempt of the Go&s;pel. <HI>2.</HI> Corrupting of Wor&s;hip. <HI>3.</HI> Profanation of Sacraments. <HI>1.</HI> The contempt of the Go&s;pel, we have had the precious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, the &s;treames whereof hath brought &s;o many Ships laden with bles&s;ings, to our &s;hore; But how have we de&s;pi&s;ed it? what tenders of Mercy have we refu&s;ed? What bleed|ing offers of Chri&s;t have we rejected? what bow|els of Compas&s;ion have we &s;purn'd again&s;t? There is the &s;in, will you &s;ee the puni&s;hment? Read them both together. * <HI>Matth. 22.4, 5, 6, 7. God &s;ent his &s;ervants to invite men to the marriage; Be|hold my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed, all is ready, &mdash; But they made light of it, &mdash;</HI> &amp;c. <HI>therefore the King was wroth, And he &s;ent forth his Armies, and de&s;troyed tho&s;e murther|ers, and burnt up their Cities. 2.</HI> The corrup|ting of wor&s;hip, how the Wor&s;hip of God hath been corrupted and abu&s;ed by wicked men, you all know?&mdash; And look but into the Scriptures, you &s;hall finde, that mo&s;t of the Calamities that did
<PB REF="7">befall the Jewi&s;h Nation, they took their ri&s;e from hence, the corrupting of the Wor&s;hip of God.
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Judg. 2.12, 13, 14. 2 Kings 17.6, 7. 2 Chron. 36.14, 15. Deut. 29.14.15, 16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>they cho&s;e new gods, then was warre in the gate,</HI> they &s;erved <HI>Baal</HI> and <HI>A&s;htaroth,</HI> they corrupted the Worship of God, <HI>therefore was the wrath of God again&s;t them.</HI> No doubt but if we had a Book of the Jewi&s;h Politye, we &s;hould finde that the wi&s;e. Men of their State (as one doth well ob&s;erve) were ready to lay it upon other Cau|&s;es; <Q>if the Phili&s;tines and Canaanites, and other Borderers did &s;poile them, and over-run their Countrey: no doubt they were ready to &s;ay this in an old grudge which the&s;e Nations had again&s;t them, becau&s;e they had di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed them of their Land, if the Kingdome were devided, as it was in <HI>Rehoboams</HI> time, Alas this was nothing, but the over&s;ight of their Prince, or the weakne&s;&s;e of his Coun&s;ell; if <HI>I&s;rael</HI> make war with <HI>Judah,</HI> that's but Policie to keep down one another, le&s;t either &s;hould be too great; if there were Civill Warres; that's only through the Faction of Potent and ambitious State&s;|men, &amp;c.</Q> &mdash; But what ever rea&s;on States may give, yet God &s;ets downe this for the Rea&s;on and ground of all, the Corruption of his Wor&s;hip<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"></P>
<P N="3"><HI>3.</HI> Profanation of Sacraments. And how have the Sacraments (in particular the &s;upper of the Lord) been profaned? how hath the Body of Chri&s;t been torne in pieces, and his blood tram|pled under foot by profane and wicked men; In&s;o|much that it hath been the whole worke of the Mini&s;tery (in &s;tead of entertaining tho&s;e who were the <HI>friends of the Bridegroome,</HI> and were invited to this Supper) to keep fa&s;t the doore,
<PB REF="7">and hold out tho&s;e who would pre&s;&s;e in, and yet were
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Ad Eccle&s;i|am non perti|nent qui &s;unt intus, Sed qui &s;unt in ea pie viventes. Aug. Sicut Arca de lignis quadra|tis, ita Eccle|&s;ia de Sanctis con&s;truitur. Aug.</NOTE> unbidden Ghe&s;ts; which of us have not found this the greate&s;t burden upon the &s;houlders of our Mini&s;tery? who of us have not &s;ighed and groned under the weight of it? And can we think that God will make any account of our Blood, who have undervalued the Blood of his Son? Shall we trample the Blood of Chri&s;t under foot; and will God e&s;teem our blood precious? will he regard our bodies, that have had no regard to the Body of his Son? will he e&s;teem our lives, who have not re|garded the death of his Son? Certainly no &mdash; Thus I have &s;hewed thee the many Springs and Sources of Englands &s;orrows; And now, in what readine&s;&s;e we are for the removing of them, I dare not thinke! pos&s;ibly, &s;omething may be done; nay probably, much may be done, but the hearts of the people, not being yet prepared, doth give oc|ca&s;ion to &s;u&s;pect (though the indeavors of Refor|mation be never &s;o &s;incere, &s;o full) yet our plai|&s;ter will not be large enough to our &s;oar; The&s;e are our &s;ad thoughts; But Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts; It is ea&s;ie with him to Purge his Wor&s;hip, to fence his Ordinances, to bring his Go&s;pel into e&s;teeme. And if this be Gods floore, he will purge away the Chaff, if this be his field, hee will weed out the tares, if this be his hou&s;e, he will &s;weep away the du&s;t, If the Lord have any de|light in us, hee will bring us into the good land,&mdash;&amp;c.</P>
<P>But while wee &s;peak this, our &s;ad thoughts re|turn, &mdash; <HI>Prov. 18, 19. The di&s;&s;entions of Brethren, are as the barres of a Ca&s;tle;</HI> This is the Blazing Comet that hangs over our times,
<PB REF="8">and portends more evill then all our enemies can bring upon us, even the Di&s;&s;entions of our Bre|thren. Differences there will be, we know but in part,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Illud u&s;itatum fuit in primis diebus Evan|gelii ecce ut &s;ee in vicem dilligunt.</NOTE>&mdash; But why Di&s;&s;entions? why doe wee not rather &s;eek to compo&s;e tho&s;e Diffe|rences, then increa&s;e them? why not rather heale them, then heighten them? Shall we pride it in the making and inlarging rents and divi&s;ions? will any &s;eek to make them&s;elves Great, by ma|king others of their Brethren Little? and to dif|ference them&s;elves from them in e&s;teeme by dif|ferencing them&s;elves from them in judgement? Will any &s;eek to rai&s;e them&s;elves upon the ru|ines of others?
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Milites dicun|tur Pompeii Superbiam his verbis repri|mere, No&s;tra mi&s;eria mag|nus es? Tacit.</NOTE> make them&s;elves rich, by indea|vouring to make others poore? The&s;e are like High-way Robbers, who have no more credit, nor e&s;teem, then what they have unju&s;tly robbed, and &s;poiled others of. The&s;e are the wor&s;t of Spirits, God forbid there &s;hould be &s;uch a Root of bitter|ne&s;&s;e in the hearts of Chri&s;tians, &mdash; I dare not think it, And if not, methinks your di&s;tances are not &s;o great, but either the teares of friends, or the terrour of enemies might bring you together. Though a faire day might divide and &s;catter you (like Sheep) all abroad the field, yet one would thinke a &s;torme &s;hould bring you together again: The very Savage people, though they were con|tinually jarring, and at di&s;&s;ention among them|&s;elves, yet when <HI>Alexander</HI> the Great came a|mong them, the equality of the danger, wherein they all were, cau&s;ed them to joyne their hearts and hands together again&s;t the common enemie. Doe you not &s;ee, that notwith&s;tanding all their Differences, your enemies are united to your de|&s;truction?
<PB REF="8">Oh why are not you yet united for your Pre&s;ervation? But may be you will &s;ay, It is my Part rather to cover, then to repeat Diffe|rences; The repeating of Differences, is often|times a renewing of them, <HI>Hee that covereth a Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, procureth love, but hee that re|peateth a matter, &s;eparateth very friends; Prov. 17.9.</HI> There is a deviding, and there is an uni|ting repetition, my de&s;ire is not to divide, but to unite, in repetition of them; Not to fuell our flames, but to quench them, not to increa&s;e our Differences, but to remove them. And to be &s;er|viceable to the&s;e with other ends, the&s;e poore fol|lowing thoughts were compo&s;ed, and are now in|treated out; the mi&s;cries of the Kingdom brought them to the Pulpit, and the intreaties of Friends per&s;waded them to the Pre&s;&s;e; The Story where|on I treat, doth &s;ugge&s;t matter &s;uiting with the Times? Our troubles lead me by the hand, to the&s;e Texts, and the&s;e Texts did carry me back to our Times.
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Qui ob&s;cu|re loquitur, crux audito|rum, non do|ctor. Broug. in Daniel.</NOTE> The Di&s;cour&s;e is plaine; the ground-worke is too dark for light Painting; It is like the Times, unrigged, to&s;&s;ed Ships upon tempe&s;tu|ous Seas, regard not their ornaments, if they can but keep the Mayne together, though they loo&s;e much of their tacklings and deckings, they think it well, and are content. The Ob&s;ervations are many, and for the mo&s;t part &s;hort. It is not my u&s;uall way, but now &s;o of choice: They are <HI>Fa&s;t-Day Sermons,</HI> wherein the great Work of the Day is Prayer: Preaching is (but of the na|ture of a Bayting in the journey) to quicken us in the further progre&s;&s;e of the work of the day in Prayer.</P>
<PB REF="9">
<P>And I have found by Experience, to be large up|on a Point, upon &s;uch dayes, hath rather tyred then quickned their Affections to the &s;ucceeding work: to conclude, if thou finds them to contribute any thing to thy inward man, if thou finde any thing for Coun&s;ell, for Comfort, for &s;tay, for in|couragement, in the&s;e &s;ad and &s;inking Times; Ble&s;&s;e GOD; And when thou &s;peed'&s;t be&s;t with him for thy &s;elf, &s;peak a word for the Authour. Who is,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in the Service of the Go&s;pel, S. Bolton.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="approbation">
<HEAD>The Approbation.</HEAD>
<P>I doe allow the&s;e Sermons on <HI>Mat.</HI> 14.22, &amp;c. to be printed, as pious, pro|fitable, and &s;ea&s;onable for the&s;e times.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John Downame.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="9">
<HEAD>A Table of the mo&s;t materiall things in this following Treati&s;e.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>THE inducement to, and Introduction into this hi&s;tory with the Analy&s;is of it. 1, 2, 3, 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doct.</HI> Gods refre&s;hments mu&s;t quicken us to Gods im|ployments. 5</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> Men that have once ta&s;ted the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, are hardly drawn away from Chri&s;t. 6, 7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> Where God hath a will to command, man mu&s;t have a will to obey. 8</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> It is good to get a warrant from Heaven in all our underta|king. 89</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> When God hath a work to doe, he will provide nece&s;&s;aries. 11</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> Chri&s;ts care to pre&s;erve his Di&s;ciples above him&s;elf, &s;ugge&s;ts to us, our care to pre&s;erve his glory above our own &s;afety. 14</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D:</HI> God doth often conde&s;cend to give a rea&s;on of his commands. 18</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> None come to Chri&s;t, and have to do with him, but he &s;ends them better away. 18</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V&s;e.</HI> This &s;peaks incouragement, to have much to do with Chri&s;t. 19</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> Chri&s;t will not put us to exerci&s;es above our &s;trength. 21, 22</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> It is our duty to add meditation to hearing of the word. 23</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> The duties of our generall, are to help us in tho&s;e of our particu-Calling. 24</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> Helps to duty, mu&s;t be &s;ought and embraced. 26, 27</ITEM>
<ITEM>but the&s;e mu&s;t be &s;uch as are in&s;tituted or countenanced of God, not devi&s;ed of men. 27, 28</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> A good heart will &s;eek occa&s;ions and meanes of conver&s;es with God. 30</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> It is good when you conver&s;e with God, to get into Chri&s;t. 31</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> When wicked men &s;tretch forth their hands again&s;t the Church, it is high time to betake our &s;elves to Prayer. 33</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> In all our difficulties, Chri&s;t is praying for us. 36</ITEM>
<ITEM>D. Gods Providence &s;hould furni&s;h us with matter of Prayer. 37</ITEM>
<ITEM>In what re&s;pects, Chri&s;t was &s;aid to be alone. 39, 40</ITEM>
<ITEM>D. Chri&s;tians are to &s;eek and take occa&s;ions to be alone. 41</ITEM>
<ITEM>D. A man may have Gods warrant for the doing of a work, and goe on in Gods way, and yet meet with oppre&s;&s;ing difficulties. 45. 47</ITEM>
<PB REF="10">
<ITEM><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Judge not of any cau&s;e, either by difficulties, or pre&s;ent &s;uc+ce&s;tes. 48</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Let not difficulties &s;lacken our indeavours, or weaken faith. 49</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>U.</HI> I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> tho&s;e who walk in ju&s;t wayes meet with &s;tormes, what may tho&s;e expect, who walk in wayes of &s;inne. 51</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> That comfortable and promi&s;ing beginnings, may yet afterwards meet with &s;ad and &s;orrowfull Proceedings. 52</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> It is our Ca&s;e. What mu&s;t be the Cure. 53, 54</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. Something mu&s;t not be done. Fir&s;t we mu&s;t not be di&s;couraged. Second, we mu&s;t not forgoe the Cau&s;e. Thirdly, wee mu&s;t not flack our indeavours. 55, 56</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Something mu&s;t be done. The&s;e four. Fir&s;t, Search out the cau&s;e. Secondly, be humbled for it. Thirdly, Reform of it. 4. Suppli|cate Fift, Covenant. 58. to 61</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>D.</HI> God &s;pares to exerci&s;e young beginners with difficulties. 62</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> To comfort the Saints, your exerci&s;es &s;hall not be above &s;trength. 63</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> That when Chri&s;t intends to exerci&s;e the graces of his people, he brings them into the deep. 65</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. To declare his wonders. 2 To try your graces. 3 To exer|ci&s;e them.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Think it not much to goe down into the deep. 76, 77</ITEM>
<ITEM>The Di&s;ciples &s;ad condition at Sea, imployed in that word To&s;&s;ed. 79</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> There is not &s;o much evill in the greate&s;t trouble, as there is good in the lea&s;t exerci&s;e of grace. 79, 80</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God puts his people to a le&s;&s;er trouble for their greater good. 80</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> It &s;peaks patience under afflictions. 82, 83</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> The Church may be to&s;&s;ed, not &s;wallowed up of waves. 84</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Let wicked men cea&s;e to attempt again&s;t the Church, &amp;c. 85. 86</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Contrary &s;pirits, cau&s;e tempe&s;ts. 87, 88, 89</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God may be working our pre&s;ervation, when we think he is work|ing our de&s;truction. 92, 93</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Stormes are to be expected, where Chri&s;t is not in the &s;hip. 94</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> As ever you de&s;ire Peace, get Chri&s;t into the &s;hip. 95</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Chri&s;t ab&s;ence in trouble, makes &s;ufferings in&s;ufferable. 96</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Get Chri&s;ts pre&s;ence in all your &s;ad conditions. 96, 97</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Chri&s;t is pre&s;ent to faith, when ab&s;ent to &s;ence. 97</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V:</HI> Learn to &s;ee him by Faith, when you cannot by &s;ence: 98, 99</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Gods heighten the troubles of his people, before he doth deliver them. Five Rea&s;ons of it. 99, 100</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. To heighten our graces. 2 Or Duties. 3 Or Deliverance. 4 His Glory. 5 Or Prai&s;es. 101. to the 109</ITEM>
<PB REF="10">
<ITEM><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Not to be ca&s;t down, though God heighten our troubles. 110</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Chri&s;t takes notice of us in our greate&s;t afflictions. 111</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V</HI> To comfort: and 2. to coun&s;ell us how to behave our &s;elves. 112</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> When Chri&s;t &s;ees our trouble on the &s;hore, he will come to us on the &s;ea. 112</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Be &s;peak God to look down and &s;ee our trouble. 113</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Means cannot be wanting, if God purpo&s;e helpe. 114</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> It &s;peaks incouragement in our lowe&s;t condition. 114</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Nothing &s;hall part Chri&s;t and us in trouble, &amp;c. 115, to 117</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> What ever Chri&s;t purpo&s;eth to doe for his people, is as good as done. 119</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> It &s;peaks comfort in re&s;pect of promi&s;es to the Saints. 120</ITEM>
<ITEM>And terrour in re&s;pect of threatnings toward the wicked. 121</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chri&s;t in his lowe&s;t aba&s;ements, did ever di&s;cover &s;omething of his D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">itie. 123</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> To know or deliver ours, is the be&s;t part of deliverance. 126</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God &s;ometimes goeth &s;trange wayes to deliver his people. 127</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> Let us not di&s;tru&s;t in this wi&s;dome and power, never to be po&s;ed. never non-plu&s;t. 129</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. What is ment by the fourth Watch. 130</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God takes a fulne&s;&s;e of time for the accompli&s;hment of his Pro|mi&s;e. 132</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>V.</HI> It &s;peaks, Patient waiting, 1. In Deferrs. 2. Denyalls. 3. In the incomes, and receits of mercy. 134</ITEM>
<ITEM>But yet &s;o wait, as to doe our duty. Some Promi&s;es God will effect by his own immediate hand, &s;ome by means. 135</ITEM>
<ITEM>Three things to be done for the downfall of Antichri&s;t 1. Cleare Preaching, 2 Spirituall walking. 3 Joynt Praying. 136, 137</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> When the fulne&s;&s;e of time is come, then will God performe his Promi&s;e. 198</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Blame us, wee cannot wait. 3. Grounds of it. 139, 140, 141 1 Pride. 2 Ignorance. 3 Impatience.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Mans extremity is Gods opportunity. 142</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. Why God &s;uffers us to be brought to extremities before he help.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Why he helps in extremities.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. God &s;uffers it for Four Rea&s;ons. 145</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. That Mercy might be more con&s;picuous. 2. That Mercy might be more advanced. 3 To quicken to Prayer. 4 To inlarge us in Pray&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. God doth help us in our Extremities. Three Rea&s;ons of it. 146</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e God is ingaged. Four Ingagements. 146, to 149</ITEM>
<PB REF="11">
<ITEM>2. That both we our &s;elves, and the generations to come might tru&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. For the torture and di&s;appointment of wicked men. 151</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Not to be too much ca&s;t cown, though God bring us into extremi|ties before he help. 152</ITEM>
<ITEM>There are Five times when God will help. 153. to the 155
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. When we know not what to doe. 153</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. When we know not what God will doe.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. When we &s;hall &s;in fouly, or &s;uffer &s;adly.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. When the enemie is at the top of his rage. 155</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. When God holds up a mighty Spirit of Prayer.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Chri&s;t may come to &s;ave his people, &amp; they not di&s;cerne him. 159</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Men may &s;ometimes look upon their deliverers as de&s;troyers. 162</ITEM>
<ITEM>Three times Chri&s;t appears as a Gho&s;t to his people In times
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Of Humiliation. 163</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Of Temptation. 165</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Of De&s;ertion. 165, 166</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>Four times Chri&s;t appears as a Gho&s;t to wicked men. 168 the 171
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 When he comes to Reform his Church.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 When he comes to reform their Per&s;ons.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 At the houre of death,</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 At the day of Judgement.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> As you de&s;ire Ceri&s;t &s;hould not be as a Gho&s;t to you hereafter, terrible at death, &amp;c. Let him not be a Gho&s;t to you now. 172</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Chri&s;t may come to helpe his people in &s;uch a way, as yet the means of help may be a terrour to them. 173</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Not to be ds&s;couraged, though the means of help carry the face of de&s;truction. 176</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Yet to be humbled, that God takes &s;uch &s;ad wayes to doe us good. 177</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Though the means be terrible, let not the &s;alvation be a terrour. 178</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God doth often increa&s;e, when he comes to remove our trouble. 179
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. To di&s;cover our hearts. 183</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To le&s;&s;en our &s;ins. 183</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. To increa&s;e our Duties. 195</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. To increa&s;e our deliverance. 197</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. To increa&s;e our thankfulne&s;&s;e. 199</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u</HI> Judge not of Gods purpo&s;e, by his proceedings of Providence. 201</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Lift up your heads under the greate&s;t pre&s;&s;ures. 202</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some Rules to know when troubles are at the height. 207
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. When we are at the height of our graces. 207</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. When we are brought to the lowe&s;t. Fir&s;t in Pa&s;&s;ive, Second
<PB REF="11">in active Humiliation. 208</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Mens fears may be increa&s;ed, when deliverance is neere&s;t. 210</ITEM>
<ITEM>Fear is not the way to drive away a Gho&s;t, &amp;c. 210</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Men cry out, becau&s;e they cry not up, act fear, becau&s;e not faith. 212</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Chri&s;tians to be carefull of bringing ill reports upon Religion. 214</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Take heed the &s;ins of Profe&s;&s;ors breed di&s;like of Profe&s;&s;ion. 215</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> The &s;ame Word &s;poken to the hearing of all, the comfort of a few. 222</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> It is good to be in the &s;hip with the Di&s;ciples, though on a &s;tormy Sea. 222</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God hath mercy upon many for the &s;ake of a few. 223</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> A Word from Chri&s;t can rai&s;e a Spirit &s;unk in trouble. 224</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> To direct us whither to &s;ly for comfort in our times of trouble. 227</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Obj.</HI> Did Chri&s;t &s;peak to us as to them, we might be comforted.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>An&s;.</HI> Chri&s;t &s;aith as much to us now, as he did to them. 228</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Ob.</HI> But we want a particular word for <HI>Englands,</HI> Deliverance.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>An&s;.</HI> We have as much word for <HI>Englands,</HI> Deliverance, as they had for the pre&s;ervation of the &s;hip. 229.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. There may be a re&s;ting on Gods Neme, though you want a par|ticular Promi&s;e. 229</ITEM>
<ITEM>Unto this Five other incouragements in the Generall are laid down. 1. From our relations to God. 2. His generall Promi&s;es. 3. Cer|tain experiences, to others, To our &s;elves. 4. From the Cau&s;e. 5. From tho&s;e who are our enemies. 232, 233</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>Ob.</HI> But the&s;e afford only probable conjectures, where is the par|ticular word. 223</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>An&s;.</HI> We have &s;omething comes neer a particular word. Two Rules</ITEM>
<ITEM>1. What God hath done to others of his people, is equivalent to Promi&s;e to us, if we be in the &s;ame condition. 222</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. What God promi&s;eth to any, he promi&s;eth to all his people 14 equall &s;tate.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Two things God will not di&s;appoint,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Faith.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Prayer. 239, 246</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. We have a particular word for the de&s;truction of Antichri&s;to 239, 241</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. We have a particular word, that before the end of all things, God will make his Churches glorious, 240, 242</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Let us upon the&s;e con&s;iderations be rai&s;ed up to beleeve and ex|pect mercy.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> The reliefes of Chri&s;t are proportionable to the nece&s;sities of his Saines. 245</ITEM>
<PB REF="12">
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e they are the helps of God. 2. The fruits of his mercy. 246, &amp;c.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> To direct us whither to turne our eyes in trouble, 247 to 249</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> To exhort us to re&s;t in Gods helpe alo e. 251</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> The &s;pirits of Chri&s;tians may even &s;ink under their troubles, 253</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> It ari&s;eth from the lowne&s;&s;e of their &s;pirits, not greatne&s;&s;e of trouble. 254</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> All comfort in God in troubles, at &s;eth from confidence in God in troubles. 255</ITEM>
<ITEM>Some rea&s;ons why Chri&s;t allaid the &s;torme in their hearts, before the &s;torme in the &s;ea. 256, 257</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> God would not have our hearts &s;ink under the greate&s;t trouble, 260</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e this is offen&s;ive to God,</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 It is un&s;uitable to Chri&s;tians,</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 It di&s;covers weakne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 To your calling, 262</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 To your cau&s;e, 263</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 To your relations, 266</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 To your expectations, 266</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>4 It di&s;courageth others of our bre|thren,</ITEM>
<ITEM>5 It betrayes all the &s;uccours God tenders, 268</ITEM>
<ITEM>6 t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> doth gratifie the enemy. Its
<LIST>
<ITEM>our weakning, 271</ITEM>
<ITEM>their &s;trengthning, 272</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>7 It doth expo&s;e the heart to dangerous &s;nares, 273</ITEM>
<ITEM>There are four &s;nares the&s;e &s;inking fears expo&s;e us too.</ITEM>
<ITEM>1 They will make a man &s;hie to acknowlege the cau&s;e of God, 273</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 They will make a man bauk and decline the cau&s;e of God, 274</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 They will blind the under&s;tanding, it &s;hall not di&s;cerne truth 274</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 They will make us to deny and for&s;ake the cau&s;e of God, 275</ITEM>
<ITEM>Four &s;orts of men will not hold to any cau&s;e
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Ignorant,</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Vn&s;ound hearted</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 Worldly,</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 Fearfull men, 276</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Bani&s;h the&s;e &s;infull fears, 278, 279</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> Chri&s;tians &s;hould learne to know Chri&s;t by voice, 281</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> The &s;ame word may be a terror to &s;ome, a comfort to others, 284</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> The pre&s;ence and appearance of Chri&s;t to the &s;oule in trouble, is to the &s;oule as a re&s;urrection from the dead, 284</ITEM>
<ITEM>In&s;tanced in four &s;ad conditions.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 In times of humiliation for &s;in, 285</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 In times of temptation, 285</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 In times of de&s;ertion, 287</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 In times of outward trouble, 288</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Incouragement to Chri&s;tians in their &s;adde&s;t condition, Chri&s;t is pre&s;ent, 289</ITEM>
<PB REF="12">
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> Beg his pre&s;ence now, &amp;c. 290</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>d.</HI> So full of bowels is Chri&s;t to his Church, that he cannot long brook them in trouble when they cry. 291</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1 Becau&s;e he loves us. 2 He intends our exerci&s;e, not our ru|ine. 3 He intends our pray&s;es.</ITEM>
<ITEM>God may &s;tay long for many rea&s;ons, 293</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> To rejoyce the Church in her &s;adde&s;t conditions, 293</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>u.</HI> To incourage her to wait upon God, 294</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<DIV2 TYPE="to the reader">
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I <HI>am here drawn forth to acknowledge tho&s;e faults, which all my care could not prevent; I have di&s;tingui&s;hed tho&s;e in the Margin from tho&s;e in the Leaf, and mu&s;t begge either thy pa|tience in reading, or thy paines in correcting of them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="errata proper">
<HEAD>THE ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P><HI>Pag.</HI> 2. <HI>lin.</HI> 6. <HI>r. followers. p.</HI> 5. <HI>l.</HI> 28. <HI>r. externall. p.</HI> 6. l. 4. r. <HI>per&s;wa&s;ion.</HI> p. 13. l. 28. r. <HI>yet in his glory we.</HI> 26. p. l. 18. r. <HI>this.</HI> p. 39. l. 12. r. <HI>never.</HI> p. 67. l. penult. r. 43. <HI>I&s;ay.</HI> p. 84. l. 17. r. <HI>Elijah.</HI> p. 107. l. 3. <HI>Let our eye look on Ston.</HI> p. 120. l. 6. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 206. p. l. 21. <HI>rooting.</HI> p. 227. l. 5. r. <HI>An.</HI> 230. l. 5. r. a. 240. p. l. <HI>penult.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e. 241. p. l. 10. r. <HI>it.</HI> 243. p. l. 2. <HI>to.</HI> 251. p. 1. 5. r. <HI>helped his.</HI> 263. p. l. 14. <HI>him&s;elf.</HI> 288. p. l. 10. r. 42. <HI>Iob.</HI> 279. p. l. 8. <HI>Sup. more.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="marginal errata">
<HEAD>Marginall Faults.</HEAD>
<P><HI>P.</HI> 6. l. 8. <HI>compulit.</HI> l. 17. r. <HI>refructarios.</HI> 14. p. l. <HI>penult.</HI> r. <HI>quam.</HI> 27 p. l. 3. r. <HI>ardentiores.</HI> 31. p. r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 38. p. l. 20. r. <HI>horam.</HI> 48. p. r. <GAP DESC="foreign"> 49. p. l. 13. r. <HI>aciem.</HI> l. 29. r. <HI>cogantur.</HI> l. 32. r. <HI>Wormatiae.</HI> 55. p. l. 1. r. <HI>perge.</HI> l. 8. r. Chri&s;tum l. 16. r. vincit. 65. p. l. 3. r. <HI>hoc e&s;t.</HI> 78. p. l. 31. r. <HI>&s;ecuri|tatem.</HI> 79. p, r: <GAP DESC="foreign"> 83. <HI>p.</HI> l. 17. r. <HI>malleus.</HI> 85. <HI>p.</HI> 1. 5. r. <HI>cruore:</HI> 95. <HI>p. l. ult. Ames.</HI> 100. <HI>p. l.</HI> 3. 1. <HI>&s;alus</HI> l. 5. <HI>&s;inet.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">01. <HI>p.</HI> l. 12. <HI>agimus.</HI> 111. <HI>p. l.</HI> 1. <HI>peni|tus.</HI> 117. <HI>p.</HI> l. 2. <HI>mecum.</HI> 122. <HI>p. r pro&s;unt.</HI> 142. <HI>p.</HI> l. 1. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">. extremam:</HI> 153. <HI>p. l.</HI> 3. <HI>r. vehementiores.</HI> 155. <HI>p. l.</HI> 5. <HI>conjunctis.</HI> 158. <HI>p. l.</HI> 2. <HI>me&s;erendi.</HI> 162. <HI>p.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> 165. <GAP DESC="foreign"> 186. <HI>p. l.</HI> 6. <HI>r, fulgentius.</HI> 187, <HI>p,</HI> l, 1, <HI>r, mos.</HI> 189, <HI>p, aeternitati,</HI> 196, <HI>p, l,</HI> 5, r, <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> 200, <HI>p,</HI> r, <HI>merces,</HI> 223, <HI>p,</HI> l. 1, <HI>credite. l.</HI> 4, <HI>Sa|cra,</HI> l. 23, <HI>averteba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> 225. <HI>p,</HI> l, 1, r, <HI>vis,</HI> 236, l, 8, <HI>pollicebuntur,</HI> 245, l, 9, <HI>Sa|lutis.</HI> 252, <HI>l,</HI> 10, <HI>r, relique,</HI> 265, l, 11, r, <HI>hominem,</HI> 271, <HI>p, l,</HI> 2, <HI>r, debemus,</HI> 277, <HI>p, l,</HI> 9, <HI>&s;up: te.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="Scriptural reference">
<PB REF="13">
<HEAD>The Scripture di&s;cour&s;ed on, in the following Treati&s;e on Matth. 14.</HEAD>
<BIBL>Ver&s;e 22.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>And &s;traightway Ie&s;us. con&s;trained his Di&s;ciples to get into a &s;hip, and to go before him unto the other &s;ide, while he &s;ent the multitudes away.</HI></P></Q>
<BIBL>23.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>And when he had &s;ent the multitudes away, he went up into a Mountain apart to pray: and when the eve|ning was come, he was there alone.</HI></P></Q>
<BIBL>24.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>But the &s;hip was now in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea, to&s;&s;ed with waves: for the winde was contrary.</HI></P></Q>
<BIBL>25.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>And in the fourth watch of the night: Ie&s;us went unto them, walking on the &s;ea.</HI></P></Q>
<BIBL>26.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>And when the Di&s;ciples &s;aw him walking on the &s;ea, they were troubled, &s;aying, It is a &s;pirit, and they cry|ed out &s;or fear.</HI></P></Q>
<BIBL>27.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>But &s;traightway Ie&s;us &s;pake unto them, &s;aying, Be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">f good cheer: it is I, be not afraid.</HI></P></Q>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="13">
<HEAD>A Word in Sea&s;on, to a &s;inking Kingdome.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Matth. 14.22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27.</HI></BIBL>
<P N="22"><HI>22.</HI> And &s;traight-way Je&s;us con&s;trained his Di&s;ciples to get into a &s;hip, and to goe before him unto the other &s;ide, while he &s;ent the multitudes away.</P>
<P N="23"><HI>23.</HI> And when he had &s;ent the multitude away he went up into a mountaine a part to pray; and when the evening was come he was there alone, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THis &s;tory which you here read of the Di&s;ciples going to Sea, &amp;c.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">S. Augu&s;t. de verbis Dom. Serm. 14.</NOTE> S. <HI>Angu&s;tin</HI> makes a kinde of propheticall hi|&s;tory of the &s;tate of GODS Church from the a&s;cen&s;ion of Chri&s;t in|to Heaven, till his comming againe, the end of all things. His going into the Mountaine to pray, is his going into hea|ven to make interce&s;&s;ion for us: his &s;en|ding the Di&s;ciples to &s;ea, was the com|mi&s;&s;ion
<PB N="2" REF="14">he gave them to go preach the Go&s;pell: the &s;ea is the world, the &s;hip is the Church: the contrary windes and &s;tormes they met withall, are the trou|bles and per&s;ecutions, the errours and here&s;ies the Di&s;ciples had, and their fel|lowes have, to conflict withall in the car|rying on of the Go&s;pell. The fourth watch when Chri&s;t came to them, is a little before the end of all things, as that was a little before the morning. At which time, in regard of the troubles, per&s;ecu|tions, here&s;ies, that &s;hall be in the world. Men &s;hall look upon Religion, as the Di&s;ciples upon Chri&s;t;
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Res Chri&s;tia|na phanta&s;ma] <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e videbitur. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> either as a gho&s;t fearfull to own it, in re&s;pect of the many troubles and per&s;ecutions which may at|tend it; or as a phan&s;ie in re&s;pect of the multitude of opinions that &s;hall ari&s;e.&mdash;I will follow him no further.</P>
<P>The re&s;emblance that this &s;tory did hold forth with the Church of God, both in this kingdome, and other parts of the Chri&s;tian world, was the great induce|ment to me to enter upon it.</P>
<P>The Ship of our Church and State, in which is imbarqued &s;o much of our com|fort and happine&s;&s;e, was &s;et forth by Gods warrant, and had with the Di&s;ci|ples
<PB N="13" REF="14">here, a pro&s;perous and faire gale for a time, the prayers, de&s;ires, well-wi&s;hes, of all. But being now come into the mid&s;t of the &s;ea, even the mid&s;t of their work, they meet with contrary winds. A &s;torm is ri&s;en, the windes blow, the waves ari&s;e, the floods of ungodline&s;&s;e doe lift up their voice, and threaten to &s;wallow them up.</P>
<P>In this tempe&s;tuous &s;torme, wee may look upon them, who &s;till abide in the &s;hip, as upon the Di&s;ciples toyling and rowing; fo they conflicting and labou|ring with oppre&s;&s;ing difficulties in their indeavours to bring this to&s;&s;ed &s;hip of the Church and State to &s;afe harbour.</P>
<P>It is all our comfort, that while&s;t wee are conflicting upon the Sea;
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Dum Di&s;ci|puli in mari Chri&s;tus in monte. I&s;ti remigan|do laborant, ille intrece|dendo implo|rat.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is praying upon the mountaine: And in the fourth watch his appoynted time, will come downe, take a view of our troubles upon the &s;hore, and then come forth to helpe us, enter the &s;hip, cea&s;e the winds, calme the &s;eas, and at la&s;t bring this torn and to&s;&s;ed &s;hip of the Church to &s;afe and quiet harbour.</P>
<P>The whole &s;tory doth branch it &s;elfe <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n the&s;e particulars.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="15">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The di&s;mi&s;&s;ion of the Di&s;ciples to &s;ea, ver&s;e 22. after which.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The di&s;charge of the mul|titudes to their hemes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Chri&s;ts withdrawing of him&s;elfe into a mountaine to pray, 23. ver&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The danger the Di&s;|ciples were in at &s;ea: they were
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In the midde&s;t of the Sea.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. To&s;&s;ed with waves.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Windes were con|trary. 24. ver&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Chri&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to help and relieve them, in which
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The time: the fourth watch.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The manner: walking on the &s;ea, 25. ver&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The Di&s;ciples apprehen&s;ion of him, together with the effect of it.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. It is a gho&s;t.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. They cryed out for feare.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The way Chri&s;t went to &s;ettle them and &s;ave them.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. He &s;peaks to them, it is I.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. He incourageth them, Be of good cheere, &amp;c.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>6. We have <HI>Peters</HI> in|terpo&s;ing tryal, wherin
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. His reque&s;t, Bid mee to come to thee upon the waters.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Chri&s;ts grant, Come, 29.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. His feare and &s;inking, 30.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. Chri&s;ts &s;uccouring and helping of him, 31.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>7. Wee have the fruit of Chri&s;ts comming to them, two great miracles.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Ce&s;&s;ation of the &s;torme.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;hip at the &s;hore, 32. v.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>8. Wee have the effect of the&s;e miracles.
<LIST>
<ITEM>2. Wonder.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Wor&s;hip, 33. v.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<PB N="5" REF="15">
<P>This I thought good to premi&s;e, be|fore we came to the particular handling of the words.</P>
<P>Wee will now fall upon the words them&s;elves: where fir&s;t you &s;ee we have to deale with the di&s;mi&s;&s;ion of the Di&s;ci|ciples to Sea.</P>
<P N="22">22. <Q>And &s;traight-way Je&s;as con&s;trained his Di&s;ciples to get into a &s;hip, &amp;c.</Q></P>
<P><Q>[And &s;traight-way.]</Q></P>
<P>That is immediately after Chri&s;t had fed them, and refre&s;hed them: after re|fre&s;hment hee pnts them upon imploy|ment, from meat he &s;ends them to work; we mu&s;t not eate to be idle, but eate to la|bour: labour that we may eate, and eate that we may labour.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Gods refre&s;hments mu&s;t quick|en us to Gods imployments: whether you eate or drinke, or what ever you doe, doe all to the glorie of God: make all your refre&s;hments &s;erviceable to the ad|vancements of Gods worke, of Gods glorie.</P>
<P><Q>[Je&s;us
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Non libenter patiebantur di&s;cipuli &s;e a Magi&s;tro &s;uo divelli. Chem. Cogere enim opportuit, quia &s;e ab illo di|velli invite patiebantur.</NOTE> con&s;trained his Di&s;ciples.]</Q></P>
<P>Whats that? &s;ure he did not u&s;e any extreame violence upon their bodies, nor any extraordinary workings upon their &s;pirits: &s;ometimes con&s;traint is op|po&s;ed
<PB N="6" REF="16">to freedome, and willingne&s;&s;e, and then is as much as forced, u&s;ed violence on them.</P>
<P><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Hoc vocabulo o&s;tenditur in|vitos eos a domino re|ce&s;&s;i&s;&s;e. Hier. Sic accipio <GAP DESC="foreign"> Co|egit. Com|putit. Non quod inviti a|vellerentur a Chri&s;to ut ali|quibus vide|tur, neque e|nim credibi|le e&s;t eos volu i&s;&s;e e&s;&s;e refra|ctaros vel in|vitos Chri&s;to parui&s;&s;e; coe|git inquam pro ju&s;tit, &s;ine mora redire in navim; eo quod nox in|grueret, &amp;c. Pareus in loc.</NOTE> Somtimes to un-per&s;wa&s;ion: &amp; then it is as much as moved and per&s;waded, as 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.14. The love of Chri&s;t con|&s;traines, that is, effectually moves, and &s;trongly per&s;wades.</P>
<P>And &s;o it may be taken here, he per|&s;waded them.</P>
<P>And yet there &s;eems to be &s;omething thing more in it, his Authoritic came in, as well as his Arguments, they went out of obedience to the command, they de|nyed their owne will, which no doubt was either to abide with Chri&s;t, or to have him with them, and &s;ubjected them|&s;elves to the will of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Nead punct|um temporis voluerunt ab eo &s;eperari Nolebant di&s;|cipuli a Chri|&s;to divelli, &s;ed vi &s;eperaban|tur. Theoph. Cum dicet E|vangeli&s;ta, Compulit, de|clarat quod magno &s;uoe a more pre&s;entiae di&s;cipuli tenebantur. Chri&s;.</NOTE> No doubt but they wer loth to leave Chri&s;t, they were unwilling to part with him, both in re&s;pect of Chri&s;t, out of the love they bare him, loath to leave him a|lone, and out of love to them&s;elves they were unwilling to goe without him:
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Compulit, hoc e&s;t ju&s;&s;it e ve&s;tigio redire in navigium, at&abque; precede<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> re in ripam ulteriorem. Pareus in loc.</NOTE> But Chri&s;t commanded them, and out of obedience to Chri&s;ts commands they went. As it was &s;aid of <HI>Joab,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24.
<PB N="7" REF="16">when hee was &s;o unwilling to number the people; It is &s;aid that notwith&s;tan+ding the Kings word prevailed again&s;t <HI>Joab.</HI> So here the command of Chri&s;t prevailed again&s;t them, and therefore they went out of obedience.</P>
<P>There are many things might be ob&s;er|ved. 1. From their unwillingne&s;&s;e to go from Chri&s;t, which is implyed:</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Qui &s;emel Chri&s;ti dulce|dinem gu&s;tave ri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> de&s;icile ab illo &s;eperari &s;u&s;tin&egrave;r. Barz.</NOTE> Men that have once ta&s;ted the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, are hardly drawne away from Chri&s;t. The Di&s;ciples had here ta&s;ted the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, and no marvaile if they were unwilling to part with him.</P>
<P>But this was their mi&s;take; they had par|ted with Chri&s;t, if they had not gone, the way to keep Chri&s;t is to follow the coun|&s;els, and be obedient to the commands of Chri&s;t. What had it been for them to have enjoyed the fle&s;hy, and have lo&s;t the &s;pirituall pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Men that will not follow the com|mands, &s;hal want the comforts of Chri&s;t; if you will not follow the light of dire|ction, you &s;hall want the light of con&s;o|lation; works of darkne&s;&s;e, and walking in darknes go together. See <HI>David,</HI> 51. <HI>P&s;al.</HI></P>
<P>But yet more, from their obedience in
<PB N="8" REF="17">going, though they were &s;o de&s;irous &s;till to &s;tay with him. We learne,</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Where God hath a will to com|mand, man mu&s;t have a will to obey.</P>
<P><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Di&s;camus i|taque nos &s;im|plici obedien|tia Dei man|datis parere.</NOTE> That is the be&s;t obedience, which hath mo&s;t &s;elf-denyall in it. You &s;ee in <HI>Abraham,</HI> in <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Peter</HI> went without gain-&s;aying, if you read there that act of obedience was done upon a great conque&s;t of him&s;elfe. If you read the Scriptures you &s;hall &s;ee, that hath been e&s;teemed an act of greate&s;t obedi|ence, wherein was an act of greate&s;t &s;elf|denyall. <HI>Abraham.</HI></P>
<P>But further, though they went, yet they went not without a warrant, they had a parent and Commi&s;&s;ion from hea|ven to carry them out.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> It is good in all our underta|kings to get a Warrant from heaven, a Commi&s;&s;ion from Chri&s;t for the doing of it.</P>
<P>The Di&s;ciples went, but they had their warrant, they had the word of Chri&s;t to provoke them to it, and incourage them in it. The like had <HI>Mo&s;es, Aaron, Jere|mie, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>In the 4. <HI>Col.</HI> 20. we have this phra&s;e, <HI>Be filled with all the will of God.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Col. 20.</NOTE> It is a
<PB N="9" REF="17">Metaphor taken from a Sayle filled with wind: if the Saile have no winde, the Ship &s;tands &s;till and is becalmed: but if the wind once come, and fill the Sailes, then is it carried amain. Gods command to the &s;oule, &s;hould bee like the wind to the &s;ailes: if no command from above, a Chri&s;tian &s;hould &s;tand &s;till, as a &s;hip be|calmed; but if a command come, wee &s;hould be carried amain. Goe with cou|rage, be the difficulties what they will; <HI>Have not I commanded thee?</HI> will beare us out in all.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Labour then for a word of Di|rection from Chri&s;t in all your under|takings: you may follow the guidance of fle&s;h and bloud, the direction of your owne rea&s;on, and mi&s;carry at la&s;t, and there is no &s;urer way to mi&s;carry than to follow the guidance of your own &s;pi|rits: you &s;ee it in <HI>Balaam,</HI> in <HI>Saul,</HI> concer|ning the <HI>Amalakites,</HI> in the Jews, 42. <HI>Ier.</HI> But he that &s;huts his owne eyes, and goes by Gods light, he that denyes his owne wi&s;edome, and followes the guidance of God &s;hall be &s;ure to goe aright:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">91. P&s;al. Hee will keep us in all our wayes.</NOTE> he &s;hall goe &s;afe in the midde&s;t of dangers. You &s;ee it in <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> in <HI>He&s;ter,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="18">
<P>Gods warrant is enough to put us on a work,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quando viae no&s;trae, &s;unt viae domini, tune &s;umus &s;ub conditione divinae prote|ctionis. Rei.</NOTE> and will be our &s;ecurity in our un|dertaking. <HI>Where our obedience lyes, there our &s;afety lyes. He runs into the greate&s;t danger that runs out of Gods way of obedi|ence.</HI> No &s;afety but in Gods way. Art thou in Gods way? and do &s;tormes ari&s;e? doe tempe&s;ts threaten? Yet a&s;&s;ure thy &s;elfe, God will never be wanting to thee while thou art in a way of obedience to him. The Di&s;ciples met with &s;tormes, but Chri&s;t leaves them not in the &s;torm; their obedience to Chri&s;t, brought the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t to them. Never man wanted comfort long, that went in a way of obedience. The Martyr went far up|on meer obedience, but before he came to the journies end, before he came to the &s;take, God gave him
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Coelum ex|tra Caelum.</NOTE> in a piece of his reward before his work was done. But &s;hould thou dye without comfort, thou dye&s;t in the &s;hip, and not in the &s;ea, thou dye&s;t in Gods way, and there is &s;afety, though thou never reach the apprehen&s;i|on of it.</P>
<P>Je&s;us con&s;trained his Di&s;ciples <HI>(to go into the Ship).</HI></P>
<P>Chri&s;t had a journey for them to go, and here he provides them a &s;hip.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="18">
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> If God have a work for us to do, he will provide us with nece&s;&s;aries to the doing of it. Nece&s;&s;ary coun&s;ell, nece&s;|&s;ary &s;trength, nece&s;&s;ary comfort and a&s;&s;i|&s;tance, and all this proportionable to the worke. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was troubled at fir&s;t for want of elocution, and <HI>Jeremy</HI> for want of courage, but he that &s;et them on work provided them nece&s;&s;aries.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 3.11, 12 Exod. 4.10, 12 Jer. 1.6, 7, 8.</NOTE> <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> did not want a tongue, nor <HI>Jeremy</HI> courage.</P>
<P>We are &s;ometimes troubled at the want of means for the bringing of a work about, how &s;hall this thing be? but if the work be Cods, he will want no in|&s;truments for the effecting of it: Nay in the want of all he can work alone. Infi|nite wi&s;dome, and infinite power was ne|ver at a &s;tand.</P>
<P>But further. <HI>(To get into a &s;hip.)</HI></P>
<P>When we are to do Gods work, we are not to have our tooles to &s;eeke; the &s;hip was ready when they had a com|mand to go to &s;ea. All creatures &s;tand like them in the market place, ready to be hired into Gods Vineyard. All crea|tures they are ready to execute Gods wil. Let not man alone rebel.</P>
<P><HI>[And to goe before him unto the other &s;ide.]</HI></P>
<PB N="12" REF="19">
<P>Here is a plaine proofe again&s;t the <HI>Vbiquitarians,</HI> who hold Chri&s;ts body, his humane nature to be in all places. And here is al&s;o the errour of Tran&s;ub|&s;tantiation confuted, who take away the dimen&s;ions of a body, making the body of Chri&s;t in &s;o many places as bits of bread at the &s;ame time: if Chri&s;ts hu|mane nature had beene in every place, Chri&s;t could not have &s;aid, Goe before him to the other &s;ide.</P>
<P>There is &s;omething more in it. <HI>[Goe before him.]</HI></P>
<P>If you read before, you &s;hall &s;ee the occa&s;ion of Chri&s;ts withdrawing of him|&s;elfe with his Di&s;ciples was the newes of <HI>Johns</HI> beheading. They had told him that <HI>Herod</HI> had beheaded <HI>John</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Sece&s;sir Chri&s;tus, non praepo&s;tero metu, &s;ed pru|denti con&s;ilio, 10. ne ma|nedo tenta|ret Deum. 2. ut exemplo doceret, teme|ritatem vitan|dam &amp; peri|cula non ne|ce&s;&s;aria decli|nanda, juxta illud. Mat. 10.23.</NOTE>, whereupon Chri&s;t withdrew him&s;elfe, and here to pre&s;erve his Di&s;ciples, he &s;ends them fir&s;t away.</P>
<P>It &s;uits well with Chri&s;ts love to his Church, and his end of comming into the world, to take more care to pre&s;erve them, then to &s;ave him&s;elfe, to looke to their &s;afety more then his owne. You know what he &s;aid, John 18.8. <HI>If you &s;eek me let the&s;e go free.</HI></P>
<P>Hee came to interpo&s;e him&s;elfe be|tweene
<PB N="13" REF="19">God and us, he came to beare our &s;courges to undergoe our &s;tripes. As <HI>Re|becca</HI> to &s;aid <HI>Iacob:</HI> on thee my &s;on be the ble&s;&s;ing, on me be the cur&s;e. So Chri&s;t to us, like <HI>Ionah,</HI> he was content to be ca&s;t into the &s;ea, even the &s;ea of wrath, that there might be a calme, a peace between God and man: he came not to &s;ave him|&s;elfe, but to be our Saviour, and therefore was content to lo&s;e him&s;elf that he might &s;ave us; to undergoe all, that we might be free.</P>
<P>We are more deere to Chri&s;t, then he was to him&s;elf; &amp; therefore he doth here, as we do whe~ things are in danger, &s;eek to pre&s;erve that which we e&s;teeme mo&s;t, which is mo&s;t precious to us; to &s;ave us was more de&s;irable to Chri&s;t, then to pre&s;erve him&s;elfe. He &s;ees him&s;elfe in us, oh that we could &s;ee our &s;elves in God, and that the pre&s;ervation of the glory of Chri&s;t might be more in our eyes, then the &s;aving of our &s;elves. As Chri&s;t was more tender of us then he was of him&s;elfe; &s;o let us be more tender of his glory, then of our own &s;afety: if we can but hold up his glory, though we &s;uf|fer in his glory, yet we &s;hall be glorified.</P>
<P>He that &s;eeks him&s;elfe in oppo&s;ition
<PB N="14" REF="20">to God, doth lo&s;e him&s;elfe and God: but he that &s;eeks him&s;elfe in &s;ubordinati|on to him, findes both; even him&s;elfe in God.</P>
<P>Here is that Riddle expounded, <HI>Hee that will &s;ave his life &s;hall lo&s;e his life, but he that will lo&s;e his life for my &s;ake and the Go&s;pell, &s;hall finde it.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Dignus pla|ne enim mor|te qui tibi do|mine recu&s;at vivere, &amp; qui curat e&s;&s;e ni&s;i propter te pro nihilo e&s;t, &amp; nil e&s;t. Bern. in Cant. Propter te|met ip&s;um do|mine feci&s;ti omnia, &amp; qui e&s;&s;e vult &s;ibi, &amp; non tibi ni|hil incipit e&s;&s;e inter omnia. Bern. 2. Ser. in Cant.</NOTE> It is lowne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit to &s;eek how we may pre&s;erve our &s;elves, and not how we may hold up Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>That life is forfeited and lo&s;t, which is either gained, or kept with the decli|ning or lo&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Vix quaeri|tur Ie&s;us pro|pter Ie&s;um. Aug. Principes viri regionem quaerunt, po|tius quem re|ligionem. Chem.</NOTE> I have read it was the &s;peech of a <HI>Henry</HI> of France, who when he was per|&s;waded to do &s;omething for the advance|ment of the Prote&s;tant Religion; he an|&s;wered, He would lanch no further into the deepe, then he might returne &s;afe againe to &s;hore. Such &s;pirits have mo&s;t men: They look upon the wayes of God as we do upon an <HI>Ignis Fatuus,</HI> which we dare not follow, for feare it lead us into bogs and pits. I &s;hall &s;ay no more to &s;uch but this, that life, that honour is forfei|ted and lo&s;t, which is either gained or kept, by declining or renouncing the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t.</P>
<PB N="15" REF="20">
<P>We proceed.</P>
<P><Q>[While he &s;ent the multitude away.]</Q></P>
<P>This &s;eemes to be another rea&s;on why he &s;ent his Di&s;ciples before him;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Aliquanti&s;|per detinuit, donec preci|bus, &amp; bene|dictione redi|re ju&s;sit. Pareus in loc.</NOTE> here was a multitude with him, hee had new|ly refre&s;hed them, and would not &s;uffer them to go, till he had di&s;mi&s;&s;ed them, ble&s;&s;ed them, &amp;c. or the like. And the day was farre &s;pent, the night was com|ming on, the &s;hip was going, for its pro|bable it was a pa&s;&s;engers &s;hip; &s;hould they have &s;tayed till Chri&s;t had di&s;mi&s;|&s;ed them, the &s;hip might have been gone.</P>
<P>And therefore while Chri&s;t was &s;end|ing the multitude away, he con&s;trained his Di&s;ciples to take the opportunity and go before him. The words may be con&s;i|dered as a rea&s;on of Chri&s;ts &s;tay behinde, and of &s;ending the Di&s;ciples before.</P>
<P>But yet that which is expre&s;&s;ed was the lea&s;t of the rea&s;ons wherefore Chri&s;t di&s;mi&s;&s;ed them. You may &s;ee greater rea|&s;ons than that in the hi&s;tory. 1. Becau&s;e he would goe to pray: 2. Becau&s;e hee would now exerci&s;e the graces of his Di&s;|ciples alone: 3. Becau&s;e he had a pur|po&s;e to di&s;cover his divine power in their deliverance.</P>
<P>But this may be one: while he &s;ent the multitude away:</P>
<PB N="16" REF="21">
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That though a bare command of God be &s;ufficient to challenge our o|bedience to it, yet &s;o graciou&s;ly doth God often conde&s;cend to our weakne&s;&s;e, as to give us a rea&s;on of impo&s;ing of it.</P>
<P>It was &s;o here, hee doth not onely command his Di&s;ciples to goe before him, but gives them a rea&s;on why he doth.</P>
<P>Indeed when God commands, it is the rea&s;on of rea&s;ons to obey, becau&s;e God commands. The commands of God, though they may bee above rea&s;on, yet they are not contrary to right rea&s;on. The obedience of faith, is farre above rea&s;on, but it is not again&s;t rea&s;on, becau&s;e it is all rea&s;on to believe what God &s;aith, and to obey what God commands.</P>
<P>In obedience to man, we are to look for a rea&s;on of obedience, or a rule of obedi|ence, which is according to right rea&s;on.</P>
<P>It is to put off man, and to dive&s;t our &s;elves of rea&s;on, to obey again&s;t rea&s;on. As the Pope who commanded the Monk to goe and water a dry &s;take for three yeares together morning and evening.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Abrahamus a patria e|gredi ju&s;tus, paret, licet, quonam iturus e&s;&s;et ignora|ret. Chem.</NOTE> <HI>Caeca obedientia,</HI> is proper to God alone, not that our obedience is a blinde obedi|ence: but &s;ometimes wee are to follow
<PB N="17" REF="21">him blind-fold: It is &s;aid of <HI>Abraham, Gen.</HI> 12.1. that he went &amp; knew not whi|ther; God calls, he comes, and &s;huts his eyes, and goes by Gods light, he followes God as the blind man doth his guide: mens commands are &s;ubject to bee &s;can|ned, whether they bee according to the &s;upream rule, the Law of God, or in Common-wealths governed by Lawes, whether they be according to Lawes.</P>
<P><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Mandata Dei non adra|tionis no&s;trae examen reve|canda. Chem. Di&s;camus nos &s;implie; obedientia Dei manda|tis parere: ab&s;que no&s;trae rationis exa|mine.</NOTE> But Gods commands mu&s;t not be &s;canned, here we mu&s;t obey becau&s;e God commands, 2. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 7. What ever he bids you to doe, doe. If <HI>Abraham</HI> had exami|ned that act of obedience, <HI>viz.</HI> The &s;a|crificing of his &s;onne, either by rule, the Law, or by rea&s;on, or by the principles of nature, they would all have cryed downe that act of <HI>Abrahams.</HI> It is true, the ca&s;e was extrordinary, and it was alone for tryall too: God doth not com|mand &s;uch things as are contrary to his Law, his revealed will, or right rea&s;on; yet he commands &s;uch things as are con|trary to corrupt rea&s;on, and above right rea&s;on, and therefore his commands are not to be &s;canned: it is our rea&s;on, and the rea&s;on of rea&s;ons to obey
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Pareamus itaque man|datis Dei, licet illorum ratio nobis non con&s;tet, &s;ufficit enim ea ip&s;i c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">n|&s;tare; nos commendat obedientia, quae in oculis Dei, melior quamvictimae. 1 Sam. 15.22.</NOTE> becau&s;e God hath commanded.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="22">
<P>But there is &s;omething more ob&s;erve|able, from the&s;e words, <HI>while he &s;ent the multitude away.</HI></P>
<P>Mark the order, fir&s;t Chri&s;t refre&s;heth them, and after di&s;mi&s;&s;eth them. Fir&s;t he feeds them, and then he &s;ends them away. And the word &s;eems to import &s;ome|thing of con&s;equence.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Marcus ver|bo ut tur in dimi&s;&s;ione populi quod u&s;urpatur de iis qui valedi|cunt alicui, <GAP DESC="foreign"> them, <GAP DESC="foreign"> valdico. 18 Acts 21. 2 Cor. 2.13.</NOTE> <HI>Mark</HI> u&s;eth a word which &s;ignifies valediction, or ta|king leave with one.</P>
<P>It may be he did pray with them, ble&s;&s;e them,
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Illos dimit|tit blandis verbis, eo con|tentus, quod in. prae&s;enti co|rum illicitum conatum re|pre&s;h&s;let. Chem.</NOTE> or exhort them, or in&s;truct them in the nature of his Kingdome; for the&s;e would have made him a King, as <HI>Iohn</HI> hath it, 6. <HI>Ioh.</HI> Something extraor|dinary there was. Whence this,</P>
<P><HI>Doctr.</HI> None come to Chri&s;t, or have to doe with him, but hee ever &s;ends them better away.</P>
<P>He refre&s;hed their bodies here, and that was the lea&s;t any had, they did all eate, and were filled, 20 <HI>v.</HI> Nay hee refre&s;hed their &s;oules, that was the benefit many had.</P>
<P>When <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> had been communing with God, his face &s;hone: God &s;tamps a glory upon tho&s;e who doe conver&s;e with him: The Jewes &s;aid of <HI>Peter,</HI> he lookes like one of tho&s;e who had bin with Ie&s;us.
<PB N="19" REF="22">The bloud lo&s;eth nothing by comming to the heart, it &s;ends it away with &s;pirits. God makes every one better who have to doe with him. To whom comming, as to a living &s;tone, you al&s;o as living &s;tones are built up, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.4.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> It &s;peaks incouragement to us, to have much to doe with God, to love, con|ver&s;e with him, you &s;hall have &s;omething left upon your &s;pirits worth your la|bour. Indeed there is reward in the work, there is fruit in the labour. The Rabbins &s;ay, Every good worke is meat in the mouth,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Praemmium ante praemi|um.</NOTE> there is reward in the la|bour.</P>
<P>But that is not all the fruit you &s;hall finde, you &s;hall not onely finde fruit in the worke, but fruit of the worke; either you &s;hall bee di&s;mi&s;&s;ed, more humbled, more quickned, or more comforted: &s;ome impre&s;&s;ions of glory God doth u&s;e to &s;tamp upon the &s;pirits of them who have beene conver&s;ing with him, &s;omething he leaves upon their &s;ouls worth owning. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. &amp;c.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 3.18.</NOTE> While loo|king upon him, and beholding as in a gla&s;&s;e the glory of the Lord, we are chan|ged into the &s;ame image from glory to glory.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="23">
<P>It may bee you may &s;ee little, you may di&s;cerne of little in the time, there may be the acting of many corruptions, much deadne&s;&s;e, coldne&s;&s;e, formality may di&s;cover it &s;elfe, yet &s;ome impre&s;&s;ions will bee left upon our &s;pirits afterward, which perhaps you were not aware of in the time.</P>
<P>If God doe not di&s;cover him&s;elfe to you, yet if God do further di&s;cover your &s;elves to your &s;elves; it is worth the while of wayting upon God.</P>
<P>It is good to be in Gods way: the blind man found this to be true, who lying in the way where Chri&s;t came, was cured of his blindnes, and recovered his &s;ight. It is good to lye at the poole &s;ide, though thou &s;tay thirty eight yeares, and receives no benefit as thou think&s;t, yet a Chri&s;t will come at la&s;t and work thy cure.</P>
<P>Though the Miller is not able to com|mand a winde, yet hee will &s;et his Mill, and &s;pread his Sayles, that if a wind come he may have the benefit of it. Though you are not able to command the Spirit, which like the wind bloweth where and when it li&s;teth, yet &s;et your &s;elves in his pre&s;ence, &s;pread your Sayles, that if a wind come you may have the benefit of
<PB N="21" REF="23">it.&mdash; But this all of God.&mdash;</P>
<P>Here is a multitude here this day, if your hearts be right, know this, Chri&s;t will not &s;end you away without &s;ome refre&s;hment.</P>
<P>Had he re&s;pect to the bodies of men, when a multitude were come together, that he would not &s;end them away after their long continuance with him in his Ordinances, without &s;ome refre&s;hment, le&s;t they fainted in the way; certainely he will have more regard to the &s;oules of men: What are the faintings of the bo|dy, to the faintings of the &s;oule?</P>
<P>But further&mdash;<HI>[While he &s;ent the multi|tude away.]</HI></P>
<P>It may be here demanded, why Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;end them away? had it not been better for them to have continued with Chri&s;t, to have followed him in his temptations, to havn attended upon him in the work of his Mini&s;tery; why doth he &s;end them away?</P>
<P>There is good rea&s;on:</P>
<P N="1">1. He would not over-drive them, hee would not continue their exerci&s;es above their &s;trength, he would lay no more wood on than there was fire able to kindle, hold them no longer in duties than there was
<PB N="22" REF="24">&s;trength to carry them on. <HI>Jacob</HI> &s;lac|ked his pace, becau&s;e of the weakne&s;&s;e of his little ones, Chri&s;t proportions the ex|erci&s;es of duty, to the &s;trength of the people.</P>
<P N="2">2. Or &s;econdly, Chri&s;t &s;ends them a|way, would not &s;uffer them to continue and goe with him, becau&s;e he would not put them to difficulties, above their &s;trength to goe through: he knew, if they were to follow him, they might quickly be weary:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Matth. 20.</NOTE> for the foxes had holes, and the birds of the ayre had ne&s;ts, but the &s;onne of man hath no place where to lay his head.</P>
<P>When the children of I&s;rael came out of <HI>Egipt,</HI> God would not lead them by the way of the hills, which was the nea|re&s;t way, but by the way of the plaines, which was much about. And upon this ground, becau&s;e of the <HI>Phili&s;tims,</HI> le&s;t the difficulties they met withall in their fir&s;t &s;etting out, might di&s;courage them, and make them think of their re|turnes again to <HI>Egipt.</HI></P>
<P>And upon the &s;ame ground God doth &s;pare men for a time in the wayes of grace, and doth not exerci&s;e vong begin|ners, as hee doth tho&s;e who are growne
<PB N="23" REF="24">Chri&s;tians. Till the Di&s;ciples were got from the &s;hore, till they were got to the mid&s;t of the &s;ea, they met with no &s;torms. As I &s;hall &s;hew, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="3">3 Or el&s;e Chri&s;t would have them now go home, having fed their bodies, and refre&s;hed their &s;oules, to meditate upon tho&s;e things which they had heard.</P>
<P>One Sermon wrought downe to the Spirit, is worth many heard: too many who are great feeders,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> di|cuntur qui ex|alimento quod a&s;&s;umunt, non auge&s;cunt, nec nutriuntur.</NOTE> but little nou|ri&s;hers, they want dige&s;tion. This is not to feed upon Sermons, but to devoure Sermons, when they are not dige&s;ted in|to nouri&s;hment: our nouri&s;hment doth not &s;o much lye in feeding, as in dige|&s;ting. You may by that increa&s;e the big|ne&s;&s;e of your heads, your knowledge; but not nouri&s;h the leanne&s;&s;e of your hearts, your affections. It is mon&s;trous in na|ture, to have the head bigger then the bo|dy; &s;o in grace, to increa&s;e knowledge only, and not practi&s;e. If all time were &s;pent in feeding, where were the time for working? you feed, to work.</P>
<P>Your pre&s;ent affections that are exerci|&s;ed &amp; rai&s;ed in hearing, wil vani&s;h &amp; fall againe, if you do not work all downe in meditation, and dige&s;t them into your
<PB N="24" REF="25">nature, or your nature into them, the good word; whereby the &s;tocke chan|ged into the nature of it. Too many that neglect the hearing of the word at all, and &s;ome that think that this is all that is re|quired, when this is but a preparatory &s;ervice, a &s;ervice &s;ub&s;ervient to another; hearing to obeying, preaching to pra|cti&s;e. I will not ca&s;t water upon your affections, quench any &s;park of Gods kindling:
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Folia haec &s;unt non fru|ctus. Aug.</NOTE> you do well to heare, you do well to heare often: oh, but adde me|ditation to hearing, practi&s;e to preach|ing: when you have heard a Sermon, then go live a Sermon.</P>
<P N="4">4. There may be another rea&s;on yet, why Chri&s;t &s;ent them away; that they &s;hould now go about their lawfull occa|&s;ions, take care of their families, and be|nefit their relations, make their hou&s;e|holds better for that they had received. Two things hence ob&s;ervable.</P>
<P N="1">1 The duties of our generall calling; though they are far to be preferred, yet they mu&s;t not altogether ju&s;tle out the duties of our particular. Chri&s;t &s;ends them away to their homes after he had refre&s;hed them.</P>
<P N="2">2 Ab&s;olute duties towards God, mu&s;t
<PB N="25" REF="25">quicken us to, and in our relative duties towards man.</P>
<P>It is &s;aid of <HI>Jacob</HI> when he had beene conver&s;ing with God, that he plucked up his feet, and went cheerefully on in his way.</P>
<P>The duties of godline&s;&s;e are no hinde|rance, but a furtherance to us, and an in|ablement of us in our particular duties towards man. When we have beene with Chri&s;t in a day, we mu&s;t labour to re|turne home better husbands, better wives, better parents, better children, &amp;c. Ab|&s;olute duties towards God, mu&s;t quick|en us to, and inable us in our relative du|ties towards man.</P>
<P>After Chri&s;t had been in the Temple, &s;aith the Text, he went home, and be|came obedient to his parents; the being in the Temple was no cau&s;e why Chri&s;t was obedient: it is &s;aid after, not by way of cau&s;ality, but in order of time. But our being with God, and conver&s;es with him, do inable us to performe the&s;e du|ties to man which God requires. So much for the 22 Ver&s;es.</P>
<P>We come to the next.</P>
<P N="23">23. Ver&s;e. <HI>And when he had &s;ent the multitude away, he went into a Mountaine
<PB N="26" REF="26">to pray, and when the evening was come, he was then alone.</HI></P>
<P>And here now appeares one great rea|&s;on why Chri&s;t di&s;mi&s;&s;ed his Di&s;ciples, and the multitude, concealed before, he went to pray. You have three things con|&s;iderable.</P>
<P N="1">1 The order, when he had &s;ent the multitude away.</P>
<P N="2">2 The place, he went into a Moun|taine.</P>
<P N="3">3 The end, to pray.</P>
<P N="1">1 We begin with the fir&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> The Order.</P>
<P><HI>[When he had &s;ent the multitude away.]</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t Chri&s;t di&s;mi&s;&s;eth the multitude, and then goes to be alone, Chri&s;t had no need of his helpe:
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ip&s;e Chri|&s;tus non la|boravit illo vitio, ut avo|camentis vel impediretur, vel langue&s;|ceret illius o|ratio &s;icutnos, &amp; tamen no|bis in exem|plum &s;ece&s;|&s;um quaerit. Chem. in. loc.</NOTE> he could be alone when he was in company, he could con|ver&s;e with God without di&s;tractions, ei|ther &s;infull or naturall. But this Chri&s;t did to teach us,</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That when we are to have to do with God, to di&s;mi&s;&s;e the multitude, you are to di&s;charge your &s;elves of the mul|titude of your affaires, the multitude of your imployments, cares, thoughts, &amp;c.</P>
<P>If you di&s;mi&s;&s;e not the&s;e before you enter the duty, you will find they will be
<PB N="27" REF="26">like the birds to <HI>Abraham,</HI> that will eat up and devoure your &s;pirituall &s;acrifice.</P>
<P>Men cannot doe their owne work in a crowd of people, nor Gods, in a crowd of thoughts.</P>
<P>Di&s;charge your thoughts. It is un&s;eem|ly to have your tongues conver&s;ing with God, and your &s;pirits conver&s;ing with the world. But we come to the &s;econd. The place,</P>
<P><HI>[He went into a Mountaine.]</HI></P>
<P>A Mountaine. That's high above the&s;e cumbrances here below; and its &s;olita|ry; Chri&s;t cho&s;e it, he de&s;ired to be a|lone, and cho&s;e a Mountaine for the fit|te&s;t place.
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Preces in &s;olitudine ar|dentiones, quando mens curis &amp; obje|ctis minus d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;trahitur.</NOTE> It &s;peaks thus much to us.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That helps and advantages for duty, are to be &s;ought and imbraced by Chri&s;tians.
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Adminicula quibus men|tes ad precan|dum expeditae redduntur, non &s;unt neg|ligenda Chem. in loc.</NOTE></P>
<P>Chri&s;t when he went to pray, he got into a Mountaine; not &s;o much for his own need, as to teach us when we go upon duty, to take all the furtherances and ad|vantages we can for the doing of it. But yet remember:
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Media natu|ralia, in&s;tituta Haec adeo vel abhomini<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">us.</NOTE> though naturall helps are good, and to be &s;ought; yet in&s;titu|ted helps, &s;uch as are of mens devi&s;ing, are to be avoided. We mu&s;t not go to the <HI>Philistims</HI> to &s;harpen our tooles, nor
<PB N="28" REF="27">to the inventions of men, to &s;harpen and quicken our devotions. Tho&s;e cannot be good affections, which are either kindled or blowne up by the meanes of our devi|&s;ing, and not of Gods commanding.</P>
<P>Of the&s;e kindes are our &s;ignificant ce|remonies as them&s;elves call them; the whitene&s;&s;e of the Surplice was to put you in mind of the purity of the Church, and to &s;tirre up our affections after the de&s;ire of purity. The decking of Altars, the coping of Mini&s;ters, the pargelling of wals, the painting of the windowes with Mo&s;aical devi&s;es, the u&s;e of Organs, &amp;c. were all &s;et up and in&s;tituted of men, for this end, as they &s;ay, to quicken the dull affections of man. But being with|out warrant from God, they are no bet|ter then the &s;uper&s;titions of men; and be|ing fle&s;h, too &s;hort to beget, kindle, or fewell, any &s;pirituall and holy affections.</P>
<P>Upon the &s;ame ground the Papi&s;ts have the u&s;e of Images, Crucfixes in pray|er, to &s;tirre up and quicken their Devoti|ons, to bee incentives of wor&s;hip: the&s;e are condemned, and how can the other be allowed, when both plead the &s;ame ends, and are &s;et up on the &s;ame grounds.</P>
<P>A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, will-wor&s;hip, in
<PB N="29" REF="27">regard of pre&s;cription, will never inable you to render the wor&s;hip of the will in re&s;pect of performance. If the will be an in&s;trument of devi&s;ing wor&s;hip, it wil ne|ver be an in&s;trument of performing wor|&s;hip: The Propet tells us &s;o, 29 <HI>I&s;ay.</HI> 13. This people draw neare with their lips, but their hearts are farre from me. And why &s;o? he gives the rea&s;on; their feare towards mee is taught by the precepts of men.</P>
<P>We &s;ay the greater the body, the le&s;&s;e is the &s;pirit of a man: So the greater the body and bulke of humane ceremonies, the le&s;&s;e is the life and &s;pirit of true de|votion.</P>
<P>The Spirit of God will only blow with his own bellowes, worke with his owne tooles, &amp; not by in&s;truments, and ways of our devi&s;ing. And though our adver&s;aries have ca&s;t us out with &s;corne, as tho&s;e in 66. <HI>I&s;ay.</HI> 5.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ay 5.66.</NOTE> Saying let God bee glo|rified, by the&s;e additaments of ours, the&s;e incentives of devotion, adornments of outward &s;ervice: yet wee hope God will appeare to our joy, and they at la&s;t &s;hall be a&s;hamed.</P>
<P>There is yet &s;omething more offers it &s;elfe in the&s;e words:</P>
<PB N="30" REF="28">
<P><Q>[He went into the mountaine.]</Q></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> A good heart &s;eek occa&s;ions and meanes of conver&s;ing with God. Chri&s;t had a mind to pray, and he finds a moun|taine.</P>
<P>The mountaine did not put him to prayer, to &s;eek prayer, but prayer &s;ought the mountaine.</P>
<P>It is the complaint of many: Oh, they want time, they want a convenient place, and therefore they are hindred in their conver&s;es with God, they cannot pray.</P>
<P>I tell thee, if thou ha&s;t a praying heart thou wilt find a praying place,
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Non inopes temporis &s;u|mus, &s;ed pro|digi.</NOTE> and a praying time.</P>
<P>I hope thou art not &s;uper&s;titious, that thou think&s;t prayers more acceptable in one place than in another.
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Si quis lo|cum ad oran|dum eligat, qua&s;i gratiam orationi con|cilietis errat. Chem. in loc.</NOTE> Indeed this would di&s;cover a great deal of blind|ne&s;&s;e and ignorance in thee. Prayer makes the place, not the place prayer accept|able.</P>
<P>Time was, that God had appoynted one place for prayer, which was then called the hou&s;e of prayer: The Temple. But now that is layd low: the u&s;e of that be|ing done, Chri&s;t the true Temple being come, and now the Apo&s;tle bids us, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.8. I will therefore, that men
<PB N="31" REF="28">pray in every place, lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle doth not &s;ay, I de&s;ire you, or it is good to doe &s;o, But I will, and in every place, <HI>id e&s;t,</HI> in all kind of pla|ces, hou&s;e and Church, Clo&s;et,
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">In cubicu|lum Chri&s;tus nos &s;ecedere jubet, ut ar|dentiore zelo preces pera|gete queamus, nec o&s;tentati|onem querere videamur, &amp;c. Chem. i n loc.</NOTE> Cham|ber, and as Chri&s;t &s;aith, 6 <HI>Mat.</HI> 6. when you pray goe into your clo&s;et, &amp;c.</P>
<P>I have &s;een men &s;ometimes in the pa&s;&s;a|ges through a Church, to fall downe up|on their knees,
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> &amp;c. Ari&s;tip. apud Laertium.</NOTE> where often a &s;tone up|on a &s;tone, here prayer doth not find the mountaine, but the mountaine findes prayer, the place &s;urpri&s;eth prayer: pray|er doth not &s;eek the place. I hope you are not thus &s;uper&s;titious, to thinke one place better than another, one place to make prayer more acceptable than another.</P>
<P>And if not, thou needs not to want a mountaine, thou need&s;t not to want a place, if thou do&s;t not want a heart. A good heart cannot want a place to con|ver&s;e with God.</P>
<P>There is yet &s;omething more ob&s;erve|able. Look upon the place in an Allego|ricall &s;ence: and &s;ee thus much.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> It is good when you conver&s;e with God in duty, to get upon a moun|taine.</P>
<PB N="32" REF="29">
<P>I &s;peak not of a naturall mountain (if any have &s;uch vaine thoughts, that the higher they get, the nearer to God; I mu&s;t tell them the way for them to draw neare to God, is to get into the valley, be humb|led for your folly, &s;eeke to get low in heart, rather than high in place) I &s;peake not of a naturall mountaine, but of a mountain in an allegory. When you goe to conver&s;e with God in duty, get upon the mountain.</P>
<P N="1">1 Get above the world, above men, a|bove imployments.</P>
<P N="2">2 Get into Chri&s;t. Chri&s;t is the Moun|taine whereon you mu&s;t &s;tand when you go to pray. Set me on the Rock which is higher then I. Get into Chri&s;t. The Temple it was the place of prayer, it is called the hou&s;e of prayer; from thence would God heare them. The Temple was a type of Chri&s;t, and &s;peakes thus much, that if ever you would have your prayers acceptable, if ever you would have God heare your prayers, get into Chri&s;t. We come to the third, the end: <HI>He went into the Mountaine to pray.</HI></P>
<P><Q>[To pray.]</Q></P>
<P>It is the &s;peech of one upon this place.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Maxime op|tarem novi&s;|&s;e argumen|tum precum. Chem.</NOTE> It were very de&s;irable to know the ar|gument
<PB N="33" REF="29">of Chri&s;ts prayer here: what he prayed for. Though we cannot infalli|bly conclude, yet we may give &s;ome pro|bable conjectures what was here the ar|gument of Chri&s;ts prayer: and that 1, if you look backwards, and 2, forwards.</P>
<P N="1">1 Look backward, 10, 11, 12. Ver&s;es, and there you &s;hall reade the &s;tory of <HI>Iohn Bapti&s;ts</HI> beheading, which was the next occa&s;ion of Chri&s;ts
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Non pre|po&s;tero metu &s;ed prudenti <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">n&s;ilio &s;ece&s;|&s;it. Pareus in loc.</NOTE> withdraw|ing him&s;elfe with his Di&s;ciples.</P>
<P>And this may give us &s;ome in&s;ight.
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Hic orat Chri&s;tus ut pater pu&s;il|lum &s;uum gregem tue|atar, neque cum tyranni|de mundi, aut malitia Sata|nae opprimi patiatur. Chem. I&s;ay 59.15.</NOTE> Chri&s;t might be now praying that God would pre&s;erve his little flock from the malice and cruelty of bloody men. Whence this.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That when wicked men &s;tretch forth their hand again&s;t the Church of God, it is high time to get into a Moun|taine to pray.</P>
<P>When the Enemie comes in like a flood, &s;trongly, &s;wiftly, &amp;c. then &s;hould the Spirit of the Lord lift up a Standard again&s;t them, that is, &s;ay &s;ome, powre out their &s;oules in prayer; to repell their violence and put them to flight.</P>
<P>Then &s;hould we &s;ay, <HI>We lift up our eyes to the hils, whence comes our helpe; our help &s;tands in the name of the Lord, who made
<PB N="34" REF="30">Heaven and Earth.</HI> You know this hath ever beene the Churches practi&s;e, and &s;hould be ours.</P>
<P>And the rea&s;on why we get no more into the Mountaine, it is becau&s;e we have, and make Mountaine of our own: we re&s;t in the arme of fle&s;h. We have been ready to &s;ay with <HI>David, P&s;al.</HI> 30.6, 7. <HI>I &s;hall never be moved, thou ha&s;t made my mountaine &s;o &s;trong.</HI> Marke you there; <HI>David</HI> had a Mountaine, and it was &s;trong; and though he acknowledged it was all from God, for he &s;aith, <HI>Thou hast made my Mountaine &s;o &s;trong;</HI> yet he tru|&s;ted in it, as appeares after by Gods pu|ni&s;hing of him; <HI>thou hid&s;t thy face, and I was troubled:</HI> and now his Mountain was nothing. We have had means, and tho&s;e meanes of Gods gracious be&s;towing. We acknowledge that God hath made our mountaine &s;trong, it is all from God, that &s;trength and concurrence we have: but yet for all this we re&s;t upon our mountaine, and not upon God.</P>
<P>And this is our way to turn our Moun|tain into a Mole-hill, this is the way to turne our &s;trength into weakne&s;&s;e, and to make tho&s;e things w^c^h otherwi&s;e would be u&s;efull to us, to be unu&s;efull and un|profitable.</P>
<PB N="35" REF="30">
<P>This is one ground, why we go no more into the Mountaine, why we are no more in prayer; becau&s;e our Mountaine is &s;o &s;trong, becau&s;e we re&s;t upon the means afforded to us. <HI>Davids</HI> Mountain might have &s;trengthned his faith, but his moun|taine becomes his faith and confidence.</P>
<P>It is a &s;ad thing, when that meanes which &s;hould quicken our hearts to &s;eek, doth dead our hearts in &s;eeking: and that which &s;hould incourage us to tru&s;t in him, doth take off our hearts from depen|dance on him. This is the cau&s;e, why God doth often le&s;&s;en our mountain, that he might increa&s;e our faith, and deprive us of other comforts, that he might be all our confidence: weaken the ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e of fle&s;h that hee might &s;trengthen the arme of faith.</P>
<P>God often makes us fatherle&s;&s;e in re|&s;pect of creature reliefes, that we might be fatherle&s;&s;e in re&s;pect of creature reli|ance. God bla&s;ts that meanes whereon we doe relye, that he might be the alone relyance of his people; he makes us no|thing, that we might be all in him, and &s;trengthen our &s;elves in God.</P>
<P N="2">2 The argument of Chri&s;ts prayer may be ghe&s;&s;ed at, if you look forward upon what followes.</P>
<PB N="36" REF="31">
<P>The Di&s;ciples were &s;ent to &s;ea, Chri&s;t fore&s;ees the &s;torme, he would not hinder it,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Tempe&s;tas haec non for|tuito exorta, &s;ed divinitus immi&s;&s;a, ut fides navi|gantium ex|erceretur. Pa|reus.</NOTE> but &s;uffers it for the exerci&s;e of their graces. Yet he gets into a Moun|taine to pray, and no doubt for them, that in this exerci&s;e of their faith, their faith might not faile them. As he prayed for <HI>Peter,</HI> when Sathan de&s;ired to winnow him, that his faith might not faile him: if not, Sathan had not only winnowed him like wheat, but blowne him away like chaffe. So Chri&s;t doth here pray for his Di&s;ciples, that in this great exerci&s;e, in this great &s;torme, their faith might not faile them.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That in all our difficulties and troubles,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Praevidit Chri&s;tus fu|turam tempe|&s;tatem eam non praevenit &s;ua omnipo|tentia, &s;ed &s;e convertit ad praeces, ne in tempe&s;tuo&s;o mari pereant, neve ipforum fides, quae tempe&s;tate il|la probanda erat, deficiat. Chem.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is praying and interce|ding for us, when we are on the &s;ea con|flicting with troubles and evils, Chri&s;t is then upon the mountaine praying and interceding for us.</P>
<P>He is gone to Heaven for this end, and this is his worke in Heaven. If Chri&s;t had not &s;ent &s;uccours from the Moun|taine to the &s;ea, they had not only beene to&s;&s;ed, but drowned; not only exerci&s;ed, but de&s;troyed. So, if Chri&s;t did not pray for us in our troubles, temptations, no affliction but would be too big for our little hearts.</P>
<PB N="37" REF="31">
<P>Another thing is &s;ugge&s;ted to us.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That the outward providences of God towards his Church in the world, &s;hould furni&s;h his people with matter of Prayer unto God. So here it did Chri&s;t, <HI>Herods</HI> beheading <HI>John,</HI> the Di&s;ciples go|ing to Sea.</P>
<P>Let us not only enquire for newes, how it fares with the Church of God, but when you know it, with <HI>Ezekiah,</HI>
<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Hoc Chri|&s;ti exemplo nos movea|mur, ut ocu|los in mundo circumferen|tes, ex iis an|gu&s;tis, quas undequaque videmus, an|&s;am capiamus &amp; materiam de&s;umamus piis precibus cum Deo Col. loquendi. Chem.</NOTE> &s;pread the Letter before the Lord, unbo&s;ome your hearts to him in com|plaint and mourning, if things goe not well, in pray&s;es and thankfulne&s;&s;e if things &s;ucceed well. We now come to the la&s;t clau&s;e in the ver&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>[And when the evening was come hee was there alone.</HI></P>
<P>There &s;eems to appeare &s;ome difficulty in the word <HI>[Evening] Iohn</HI> &s;aith, when the evening was come, his Di&s;ciples en|tred the &s;hip, 6. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 16.</P>
<P><HI>Mark</HI> &s;aith, when the evening was come, the &s;hip was in the midde&s;t of the &s;ea, 6 <HI>Matth.</HI> 46.</P>
<P>And here our Evangeli&s;t &s;aith, when the evening was come, Chri&s;t was in the mountaine alone, &s;o that there &s;eemes &s;ome ambiguity. But this difficulty is ea|&s;ily
<PB N="38" REF="32">cleared, if we doe con&s;ider the Jewes had two evenings.
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Notum e&s;t Ex. loco 12. Exo. 6. v. He|braeos duas ve&s;peras nu|merare, unam quando fel jam occidit alteram quan|do ab&s;orbetur Sub terram quod cunque ergo e&s;t intra i&s;tud tempus illud ab ip&s;is ve&s;pera dici|tur. Chem.</NOTE></P>
<P N="1">1. The fir&s;t was from three till the Sun-&s;etting; and whatever was done in that time was &s;aid to bee done in the eve|ning.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd was immediately after the Sun was &s;et, while there remained yet any brightne&s;&s;e in the ayre.</P>
<P>And thus we then reconcile this &s;eeming difference. The Di&s;ciples went to Sea in the fir&s;t evening, which was about 3. a clock.
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Di&s;cipuli in|clinante &s;ole, circa horum tertiam no&s;tri Horologii, Chri&s;to im|pellente, de|&s;cendi&s;&s;ent, ad mare, po&s;tea vero po&s;t occa&s;um folis, dum ad huc aliqua e|jus irradiatio erat in nubi|bus, in medi|um maris per|veni&s;&s;ent. Chem. in loc.</NOTE></P>
<P>And in the &s;econd evening Chri&s;t was in the mountaine, and they in the mid&s;t of the Sea: in the very nick of time, when they were in their danger, Chri&s;t was in the mountaine interceding for them. From this appearing diffe|rence wee are taught to compare Scrip|tures, and to acquaint our &s;elves with the cu&s;tome of the Jewi&s;h nation.</P>
<P>Ignorant men look upon many places of Scripture, perhaps to them at the fir&s;t view they do appear like <HI>Ptlates</HI> &s;ervants accu&s;ing Chri&s;t, none of them in the &s;ame tale, one contradicting another: but if wee looke throughly on them, wee &s;hall &s;ee them like <HI>Nathen</HI> and <HI>Bath&s;heba,</HI> both
<PB N="39" REF="32">&s;peaking the &s;ame things. A &s;weet agree|ment between them. We will now come to the la&s;t words.</P>
<P><Q>[He was there alone.]</Q></P>
<P>Indeed it might be &s;aid the Di&s;ciples were alone, they were now in the midde&s;t of the Sea, a &s;torme is ri&s;en, they are to&s;|ed with waves, in the darke of the night, and Chri&s;t was ab&s;ent too. Here was an alone indeed. Tho&s;e mu&s;t neede bee a|lone who have not Chri&s;t with them, though they enjoy ever &s;o many crea|ture comforts. But what were they that were &s;eparated from all, and Chri&s;t ab|&s;ent too? It may bee &s;aid they were a|lone.</P>
<P>But how can Chri&s;t be &s;aid to be alone? can hee who&s;e ab&s;ence makes us alone, though we have all the comforts and &s;uc|cours in the world, and who&s;e pre&s;ence makes all, in the want of all, can hee bee &s;aid to be alone?</P>
<P>We are to con&s;i|der Chri&s;t,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In re&s;pect of his di|vine nature.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In re&s;pect of his humane nature.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1. In re&s;pect of his divine nature, and &s;o he could not be alone any way, he was in heaven with the Father, with the Di&s;|ciples
<PB N="40" REF="33">on the &s;ea; his pre&s;ence fills hea|ven and earth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In re&s;pect of his humane nature, Chri&s;t in &s;ome re&s;pects might be &s;aid to be alone.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. There is an alone in re&s;pect of comfort.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. There is an alone in re&s;pect of a&s;|&s;i&s;tance.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. There is an alone in re&s;pect of com|pany.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the two former re&s;pects, Chri&s;t could not be &s;ayd to be alone, he was ne|ver &s;o alone in the &s;adde&s;t houre, he never wanted comfort, never a&s;&s;i&s;tance. As he him&s;elfe &s;aith, 16. Joh. 22. <HI>The houre will come, and now is, when you &s;hall be &s;cat|tered, every one to his owne hou&s;e, and &s;hall leave me alone, and yet I am not alone, be|cau&s;e the Father is with me.</HI> Hee was with him to comfort him, to &s;upport him in the darke&s;t houre. Indeed he trod the Wine-pre&s;&s;e of his Fathers wrath a|lone, 63. <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 3. Alone if you looke downward, hee had no comfort, no a&s;&s;i|&s;tance from man, no not their company, all left him. But not alone, if you look upward; He had the &s;upports of the Fa|ther, and was heard in that thing hee
<PB N="41" REF="33">feared. And what ever hee had in that di&s;mall black houre, that houre of dark|ne&s;&s;e, as hee him&s;elfe calls it, when hee was to conflict with the wrath of God, to wra&s;tle with the terrours of Death, the the powers of Darkne&s;&s;e, yet afterward heaven mini&s;tred to him.</P>
<P N="3">3. But alone in re&s;pect of company, &s;o Chri&s;t might be, and &s;o Chri&s;t was here: And &s;o hee &s;aid hee was in that 16. <HI>Iohn</HI> 32. When yet in another re|&s;pect he &s;aid he was not alone.</P>
<P>So Chri&s;t was here alone. Hee that is all was now alone. The Di&s;ciples were gone to &s;ea, the multitude were di&s;mi&s;&s;ed to their homes, and Chri&s;t was here alone. It tells us this,</P>
<P><HI>Doctr.</HI> That Chri&s;tians are to &s;eeke and take occa&s;ions to bee alone: if you would not bee alone in re&s;pect of com|fort, you mu&s;t &s;eek to be alone in re&s;pect of company. The way not to be alone,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Matth. 39.</NOTE> is to be alone.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Nunquam minus &s;olus quam tum &s;o|lus.</NOTE> Chri&s;tians are never le&s;&s;e alone, than when they are alone. It a &s;ad thing to be alone in re&s;pect of com|fort, and &s;o Gods people have bin by neg|lecting to be alone, in re&s;pect of co~pany; Gods withdrawing from us, are often|times the cha&s;ti&s;ements of our with|drawing
<PB N="42" REF="34">from God. Gods people have been alone in re&s;pect of comfort, but ne|ver alone in re&s;pect of a&s;&s;i&s;tance. His grace &s;hall be &s;ufficient for you. Wic|ked men they are alone indeed, alone in the abundance of all things, they are without God in the world, without Chri&s;t, without the Spirit; and woe be to them who are &s;o alone; though the&s;e things may doe &s;omething to beare up their Spirits, and hold them up by the Chin here for a time, yet they will leave them, or they &s;hall them, and then they &s;hall know what it is to bee alone. But we mu&s;t leave them, either to &s;eek God to be their God, their company here, or to know the mi&s;ery of the want of him hereafter.</P>
<P>We proceed: for as yet we are but a|bout the &s;hore: Let us lance forth into the deep, and now ha&s;ten to the Di&s;ciples who were alone indeed.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1. Alone in re&s;pect of comfort, for they were at their wits end for feare.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Alone in re&s;pect of a&s;&s;i&s;tance, for ought they &s;aw, either from God or man.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Alone in re&s;pect of company, for all were in the &s;ame condition with them, they may bee &s;aid to bee alone in
<PB N="43" REF="34">the mid&s;t of company, when there is none that is able to reach forth a hand to keep them, when tho&s;e that are with them, are involved in the &s;ame mi&s;ery, and in&s;teed of being a comfort, are a trou|ble and burthen to them.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Let us therefore ha&s;ten to the Di&s;ci|ples; poore men! they were alone in|deed, the next ver&s;e tells us &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>But the &s;hip was now in the midde&s;t of the Sea, to&s;&s;ed with waves, for the wind was contrary.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>The end of the fir&s;t Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="44" REF="35">
<HEAD>Matthew 14.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Ver&s;e 24.</HI></BIBL>
<P>But the Ship was now in the mid&s;t of the Sea to&s;&s;ed with waves, for the winde was contarary.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_IN this Ver&s;e wee have three things ob&s;ervable.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1 The danger the Di&s;ciples were in.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 The time when they were in this danger: <HI>Now.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3 The unexpectedne&s;&s;e of this danger: <HI>But.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>We &s;hall begin with this la&s;t; it is fir&s;t in the Text, the unexpectedne&s;&s;e of their danger: <HI>[But.]</HI></P>
<P>And indeed, here may well be a <HI>But:</HI> Is it not &s;trange that the Di&s;ciples &s;hold go in Gods way, nay, by Gods direction upon Chri&s;ts errand, and yet that they &s;hould meet with &s;tormes, &s;uch difficul|ties; yea, oppre&s;&s;ing difficulties? Here may well be a <HI>But.</HI></P>
<PB N="45" REF="35">
<P><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">De&s;cendunt ad mare non ex curio&s;itate aliqua, aut recitationis ergo, &s;ed ju&s;&s;i a Chri&s;to do|mino, &s;icque expre&s;&s;um verbum voca|tionis habent. Chem. in loc.</NOTE> Had it beene &s;aid that they went forth upon their own inclination, or out of curio&s;ity, or for recreation. Or had they done as <HI>Jonah</HI> did, over-run their ma&s;ters?
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Vbi pecca|tum ibi pro|cella.</NOTE> Then no wonder if a &s;torme had been &s;ent after them, if he had fetch|ed them back with a tempe&s;t. Men that go in wayes of &s;in, mu&s;t expect &s;tormes. But when they went on Chri&s;ts errand, had Chri&s;ts commi&s;&s;ion, went by his di|rection, and out of obedience to him, and yet meet with &s;tormes: this was &s;trange. Here may well be a <HI>But.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> A man may have Gods warrant for the doing of a worke, and go on in Gods way, and yet meet with oppre&s;&s;ing difficulties in the pro&s;ecution and carry|ing of it on.</P>
<P>You &s;ee this true here; the Di&s;ciples they went in Gods way,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 3.9, 10. Exod. 4.10, 11.</NOTE> they had Chri&s;ts warrant, and yet meet with difficulties: <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> went into Egypt by Gods com|mi&s;&s;ion to bring I&s;rael out of bondage: God &s;ent him, yet you &s;ee what difficul|ties he had to conflict withall, in the car|rying on the work, their burthens were increa&s;ed, the tale of brick was doubled. Sometimes <HI>Pharaoh</HI> would let them go; &s;ometimes he repented, &amp; recalled them,
<PB N="46" REF="36">their cruell u&s;age was increa&s;ed, &amp;c.</P>
<P>In&s;omuch that the beginnings of their deliverance,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 5.5. Exod. 5.20, 21, &amp;c. Exod. 12.31, &amp;c. Exod. 14, &amp;c.</NOTE> did appeare wor&s;e then the lowe&s;t of their &s;ufferings.</P>
<P>At la&s;t, when God by a &s;trong hand brought them out of Egypt, you &s;ee what difficulties they met withall at the Red Sea, and after in the wilderne&s;&s;e, hunger, thir&s;t, drought, fiery Serpents, &amp;c. And when they vvere to enter into Canaan, vvhat oppo&s;ition did they meet withall,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jo&s;h. 9.1, 2. Jo&s;h. 10.3, 4, 5.6, &amp;c.</NOTE> five Kings combind together to de&s;troy them. So that men may go on in Gods wayes, and yet meet with oppre&s;&s;ing dif|ficulties in them. The like you have in the building of the Temple, which was Gods work too, and they had Gods com|mand; yet &s;ee what abundance of oppo|&s;itions they met withall in the carrying of it on, what threatning, plotting, &s;cof|fing enemies:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nehem. 4.1, 2. &amp;c. 7.8. ver&s;es</NOTE> their Nobles were wrought off from the work, and proved treache|rous to them, <HI>Nehem.</HI> 6.17. <HI>Neh.</HI> 3.5.</P>
<P>Sometimes it went forward, and then ca&s;t a&s;ide againe for many yeares,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezra 4.19, 20, &amp;c.</NOTE> they were accu&s;ed for a &s;editious, factious people, trea&s;on, and rebellion: and dif|ficulty upon difficulty they met withall, in the carrying on the work; which pro|tracted
<PB N="47" REF="36">it a far longer time then they had indured in their captivity.</P>
<P>Take but another in&s;tance among ma|ny; <HI>Judahs</HI> war again&s;t <HI>Benjamin,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 20.85.25.</NOTE> <HI>Iudges</HI> 20.18. <HI>Iudah</HI> went out again&s;t <HI>Benjamin,</HI> and they went out, not only by Gods per|mi&s;&s;ion, but by his approbation too, by his &s;peciall li&s;ence and commi&s;&s;ion: they took councell of God, and God bid them go; yet you &s;ee, the fir&s;t battell they lo&s;t two and twenty thou&s;and of their men: they went to take councell againe, God bids them go forth, at that time they lo&s;t eighteene thou&s;and more, went to the wor&s;t far, Ver&s;e 25. though at la&s;t, upon their humiliation and reformation, God appeared for them. So that you &s;ee, a man may goe in Gods way, undertake a worke by warrant and commi&s;&s;ion from Heaven, and yet meet with oppre&s;&s;ing difficulties in the carrying of it on.</P>
<P>And this for divers rea&s;ons, to exerci&s;e our graces: our
<LIST>
<ITEM>Faith.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Courage.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Patience.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Per&s;everance.</ITEM>
</LIST> to purge out corruptions, &amp;c. to magni|fie his owne glory and grace, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Let us not then judge of the war|rantablene&s;&s;e
<PB N="48" REF="37">or unwarrantablene&s;&s;e of any action, either by the difficulties, or by the pre&s;ent &s;ucce&s;&s;es in the carrying of it on.</P>
<P>It is our common fault, to judge of things according to the pre&s;ent &s;ucce&s;&s;es of providence.</P>
<P N="1">1 If things go on well, and &s;ucce&s;&s;es be according to our hearts, we then judge the cau&s;e is ju&s;t: here may be an undoing mi&s;take. A man may do wickedly &amp; yet pro&s;per, as it was &s;aid of <HI>Nebucadnezzar, Dan.</HI> 8. Reade <HI>Ier.</HI> 12.1. <HI>Iob</HI> 21.7, 8.</P>
<P>I have read of one, that having a faire gale of wind after he returned from rob|bing of a Temple, he concludes, &s;urely God loved &s;acriledge.
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Lege Titul|lum, <GAP DESC="foreign">,</NOTE> You have an excellent Story &s;utable to this in the Greek Anthologie, by <HI>Titullus:</HI> One ha|ving committed murther, and being pre|&s;erved from a pre&s;ent death, in which he was in danger, went the next morning to &s;acrifice, thinking God favoured his mur|ther, when alas he was pre&s;erved from that death, to be taken away by a wor&s;e, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Of this &s;pirit they &s;eeme to be in the <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50.21. <HI>The&s;e things ha&s;t thou done, and I kept &s;ilent, and thou though<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t I was
<PB N="49" REF="37">altogether</HI>
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Scelerum patronum &amp; approbatorem tollerantia vos me exi&s;ti|metis moler. in loc.</NOTE> <HI>&s;uch an one as thy &s;elfe:</HI> they thought, becau&s;e of Gods patience, becau&s;e they met with no evill in their evill wayes, that they had done well, God was of their minde: therefore it followes, <HI>But I will reprove thee, and &s;et thy deeds</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Iti s a milita|ry word, &s;igni|fies, to &s;et a battell in ar|ray.</HI> Aliem di&s;ponere hinc, Mu&s;cu|lus <HI>reads it.</HI> ex radice <GAP DESC="foreign"> ordinavit di&s;|po&s;uit, apta|vit &s;ignificat qua&s;i di&s;tin|cto ordine ca|talogum om|nium &s;cele|rum propone|re, ut velint nolint, lege|re &amp; agno&s;ce|re ea cogatur. Moler. Et re&s;i&s;tam tibi in faciam. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> <HI>in order before thee.</HI>
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Senties quando in ju|dicium vocave ro an i&s;ta mi|hi placuerint nee n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">. Mu&s;c. in loc. 1 Hab. 13.14.15.</NOTE> God would make them to know that they did evill, he would puni&s;h them: &s;eeing they would not learne by the word, they &s;hould be taught by workes.</P>
<P N="2">2 Another mi&s;take there is, if things go cro&s;&s;e to their thoughts, if &s;ucce&s;&s;es be not an&s;werable to their expectations, then they judge that all is naught.</P>
<P>This may be fal&s;e rea&s;oning; the Di&s;|ciples met with difficulties, yet were they in Gods work: &s;o <HI>Iudah,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Iudg.</HI> 20.18.</P>
<P>The be&s;t wayes, may for a &s;ea&s;on be &s;trewed with the greate&s;t difficulties. God would have his people judge of the lawfulne&s;&s;e of their undertakings, not by works, but by word, not by providences, but by precepts: and this, that we might learne to live by faith and not by &s;ence. Thus <HI>Habakkuck,</HI> when things went ill, he gets into the watch-towre, &amp;c. <HI>Hab.</HI> 2.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Let not this weaken our faith, or &s;lacken our indeavours in any work, be|cau&s;e wee meet with difficulties in it: cleare the work to be Gods, and then if
<PB N="50" REF="38">his, a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves he will carry it on, though there be never &s;o many appearing difficulties in the way.</P>
<P>It was &s;aid to <HI>Luther,</HI> when he attemp|ted that great work again&s;t the Man of Sin, which was the greate&s;t that ever man had to do &s;ince the Apo&s;tles dayes:
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Abi in cel|lam, &amp; dic mi&s;erer&euml; mei Deus.</NOTE> Go into thy Cell, poor man, and &s;ay, <HI>Lord have mercy upon me.</HI></P>
<P>But yet, though were never &s;o many difficulties in the carrying of it on, and though never &s;o many attempts again&s;t him, yet he effected the one: and which is the wonder of the World, having a world of enemies, dyes in his bed.
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Maje&s;tas non fracta</NOTE> And therefore be not di&s;couraged, if difficulties ri&s;e, let your &s;pirits ri&s;e with them: you are above all things, while&s;t you are above your &s;elves.
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Audere ad nomen Chri|&s;ti periculum vitae, &amp; fortu|narum adire, &s;piritus prin|cipalis e&s;t. Luther.</NOTE> It is a magnanimous &s;pirit to dare to meet all dangers, to undergoe all difficulties in the cau&s;e &amp; work of Chri&s;t. You know what <HI>Luther</HI> &s;aid when he went to <HI>Wormes. Bu|cer</HI> endeavoured to di&s;&s;wade him: he re|plyes,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Verbum dei in juriam pa|titur, &amp; ego qui literis eo vocatus &s;um, me conferam. Haec e&s;t dies quem fecit dominus, vo|catus ego ve|nio, vocatus ingredior in nomine domi|ni no&s;tri le&s;u Chri&s;ti etiam|&s;i &s;cirem tot e&s;&s;e diabolos Wormaliae quot &s;unt te|gulae in aedi|um tectis.</NOTE> The word of God doth &s;uffer, and I being called thither by Letters, will go, being called, I come, being called I will thither, in the name of our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, although I &s;hould know
<PB N="51" REF="38">there were as many Devils at <HI>Wormes,</HI> as there are Tyles upon the hou&s;es. Here was a Prinee-like &s;pirit, that was above the world, and therefore could not be daunted with all the evils of it, &amp;c.</P>
<P>He who &s;aith, there is a Lion in the way, that feares to go in a good way be|cau&s;e of difficulties, he is not fit to be a &s;ouldiour of Chri&s;t. Fear is both unwor|thy religion which is the cau&s;e of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI>
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Malus miles qui imperato|rem gemens &s;equitur. Sc|nec.</NOTE> and a Chri&s;tian who is the &s;ouldier of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> If tho&s;e who walk in ju&s;t wayes, that have Gods warrant for their under|takings, may yet meet with &s;tormes; then tell me, what may they expect, who go on in the wayes of &s;in? if the wayes of Saints be &s;trew'd with cro&s;&s;es, with dif|ficulties, what &s;hall be the end of &s;wea|rers, of wicked and prophane men? if thus it fare with the green tree, what &s;hall become of the dry tree; if thus with the wheat, what with the chaffe? if judge|ment begin at the hou&s;e of God, vvhere &s;hall the &s;inners and vvicked appeare? it is a que&s;tion beyond your an&s;vver.</P>
<P>And &s;o much for the fir&s;t, The unex|pectedne&s;&s;e of their danger.</P>
<P N="2">2 We novv come to the &s;econd, and
<PB N="52" REF="39">that is the time of their danger, vvhich is expre&s;&s;ed in this vvord, Novv.</P>
<P><Q><HI>[The &s;hip was now,</HI> &amp;c.]</Q></P>
<P>This points at the time of their dan|ger, <HI>[now,]</HI> that is, in the evening, vvhen Chri&s;t vvas on the Mountaine
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Initio &s;atis feliciter pro|cedit naviga|tio, ita ut tri|um vel qua|tuor horarum &s;patio medi|um maris at|tigerint. Chem.</NOTE>. So that it &s;eems hitherto, they had had a pro&s;pe|rous voyage, vvho in three or four houres vvere gotten into the mid&s;t of the Sea, at the fir&s;t evening they vvent to &s;ea, that vvas about three of the clock; in the &s;e|cond evening they vvere in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea, and that vvas &s;omething after &s;ix of the clocke; &s;o that in three or foure houres &s;pace they vvere gotten into the midde&s;t of the &s;ea: but novv ari&s;eth a &s;torme. Whence this.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That comfortable and promi|&s;ing beginnings, may yet afterward finde &s;ad and &s;orrow full proceedings.</P>
<P>It was &s;o here, the Di&s;ciples had a pro&s;perous and promi&s;ing &s;etting forth, but afterwards they met with &s;tormes.</P>
<P>The &s;tories of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in the deliverance of I&s;rael out of Egypt, and of the Jewes &s;econd building of the Temple, tell us this plainly, they had promi&s;ing begin|nings; in&s;omuch, that they thought the work would have been done out of hand:
<PB N="53" REF="39">but the &s;tories tell you what ob&s;tructi|ons, whar interruptions they met with|all, before the worke was fini&s;hed, &amp;c. Though the clau&s;es and conclu&s;ions of Gods people are good, as the P&s;almi&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Mark the upright man, ob&s;erve the just, for the end of that man is peace;</HI> yet the beginnings and the proceedings may be &s;ad and trouble&s;ome. Though God will bring the &s;hip of his Church to &s;afe harbour at the la&s;t, yet they may meet with &s;tormes and tempe&s;ts on the &s;ea.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Vt mare&s;ic mundus &s;em|per forvet, nunquam quie&s;cit.</NOTE> So long as there be contrary windes, men of contrary &s;pirits looke for tem|pe&s;ts, expect &s;tormes.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> This doth admoni&s;h us to beware of vaine and fle&s;hy confidence, becau&s;e of promi&s;ing beginnings;
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Ne&s;cis qusd &s;erus ve&s;per vehit.</NOTE> The fai|re&s;t morning may be over-ca&s;t, the clea|re&s;t day may bee over-clouded, the mo&s;t promi&s;ing beginnings, may meet with &s;ad and &s;orrow full proceedings.</P>
<P>It was the be&s;t &s;peech that ever <HI>Ahab</HI> had, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 20.11. <HI>Let not him that girds on his Armour, boa&s;t him&s;elfe as he that puts it off.</HI></P>
<P>It is a great argument of lightne&s;&s;e and vanity of &s;pirit, yea and of carnall fle&s;hy confidence, to bee puffed up upon
<PB N="54" REF="40">promi&s;ing beginnings; a thing the world is apt to: but when God &s;ees his owne people in the &s;ame way, they mu&s;t then expect that God &s;hould hedge up their way with thornes, and lay unpa&s;&s;ible mountaines of difficulty in their way.</P>
<P>The ca&s;e &s;eems to bee ours, it lookes like it.</P>
<P>Had not our &s;hip, in which was imbark|ed &s;o much of our good and happine&s;&s;e, a pro&s;perous gale at their fir&s;t &s;etting forth? had they not a pro&s;perous begin|ning? did they not a long time goe with|out any contrary wind, without any op|po&s;ition? had they not the Prayers, the de&s;ires, the countenance, and well-wi&s;hes of all to carry them on? were not the beginnings very comfortable, and ve|ry promi&s;ing? you all know. But how have they met with contrary winds? &s;ad proceedings! what difficulties, what mountaines of difficulties have they met withall in the carrying on of this work? you all know.</P>
<P>The ca&s;e is ours: what mu&s;t be the cure? what is our work now in rhis ca&s;e?</P>
<P N="1">1. There is &s;omething that wee mu&s;t not doe.</P>
<P N="2">2. There is &s;omething that mu&s;t bee done.</P>
<PB N="55" REF="40">
<P N="1">1. We mu&s;t not be di&s;couraged. God is able to make the&s;e troubles that are a|ri&s;en in the way, to help forward his own end. Doe the billowes ri&s;e, let the Ark, let the &s;hip ri&s;e with them: do the winds blow, let them but kindle and inflame your zeale and courage.</P>
<P>A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, God will both bee your Pilot in the &s;hip, and your defence on the Sea; That which you carry &s;hall never mi&s;carry; nay it &s;hal be your &s;afe|ty too:
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Perga con|tra tempe&s;ta|tem forti ani|mo Cae&s;arem vehis, &amp; for|tunam Cae&s;a|ris. So I, Chri&s;t. vehis, &amp; gloriam, &amp; benedicti|onem Chri|&s;ti. Nemo nos laedit, ni&s;i qui Deum vincet.</NOTE> you carry Chri&s;t and all his glory, that can never mi&s;carry, nor you who&s;e &s;afety is imbarqued with it.</P>
<P>And therefore bee not di&s;couraged, though &s;tormes ari&s;e, though the flouds of ungodline&s;&s;e doe lift up their voyce, he that &s;its in heaven &s;hall laugh them to &s;corne; and he that &s;its at the &s;terne will bring all &s;afe to harbour at la&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. We are not to forgoe the cau&s;e. This were to for&s;ake the Arke becau&s;e the waves and billowes ri&s;e, to jump into the Sea, becau&s;e the wind blowes, the Sea is, &s;tormy.</P>
<P>You &s;ee the Di&s;ciples they did not for|&s;ake the &s;hip becau&s;e of the &s;torme.</P>
<P>Nor did any of them let down a Cock|boat, and labour to &s;ecure them&s;elves.</P>
<PB N="56" REF="41">
<P>In per&s;onall per&s;ecutions there God permits us to &s;eek our pre&s;ervation by flight: if we be per&s;ecuted in one Citie, we may flye to another. But when per|&s;ecution is generall and nationall, we are to &s;eek our pre&s;ervation in the whole.</P>
<P N="3">3. Wee are not to &s;lacken our indea|vours; tempe&s;ts ari&s;ing in our way, &s;hould quicken us more to working: in a &s;hip|wrack that
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Iu naufra|gio i&s;te rector laudandus quem obruit mare, clavum tenentem. Senec. ad pe|li. cap. 6.</NOTE> Pilot is to be commended, who is &s;wallowed up of the &s;ea with his Rudder in his hand.</P>
<P><NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Non navem de&s;erunt &s;ed remigando la|borant.</NOTE> The di&s;ciples here fel to rowing, they for&s;ook their Cabins, but not the &s;hip; they forgot their particulars, &amp; eve|ry man to the general work. They did not look every man to &s;ecure him&s;elfe, but e|very man to &s;ecure the whole, every man to &s;ecure the &s;hip, in which their &s;afety lay. They &s;aw their per&s;onall &s;ecurity to lye, in the &s;ecuring of the whole, their Cabins could not bee &s;afe, if their &s;hip were in danger.</P>
<P><NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">qui ami&s;&s;a republica pi&s;|cinas &s;uas fo|re &s;alvas &s;pe|rare videntur. Epi&s;t. ad At|tic. 15. lib. 1. Nece&s;&s;e e&s;t ut eam non ut vivam. Omnes omni|um charitates patria comple ctitur. Cicer. Offic. l. 1. qui curat e&s;&s;e ni&s;i propterte, pro nihilo e&s;t. Bern.</NOTE> <HI>Tully</HI> laughs at the &s;olly of tho&s;e men which in his time had &s;uch thoughts, that their fi&s;h-ponds &s;hould bee &s;afe, though the Common-wealth were lo&s;t. Such windy conceits have too many with us, and therefore &s;eek not their pre&s;ervation
<PB N="57" REF="41">in, but from the whole; with, but in &s;e|paration; nay in oppo&s;ition to the whole.</P>
<P>How farre are &s;uch from a noble &s;pi|rit?
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Valet maxi|mus l. 5. c. 553</NOTE> I have read of one <HI>Publius De|cius,</HI> that when the <HI>Roman</HI> Army was re|duced to great &s;traits, hee couragiou&s;ly (forgetting him&s;elfe for the publike good) ran into the mid&s;t of his enemies, demanding &s;afety for his country, death for him&s;elf, &amp; by that means occa&s;ioned an unexpected victory: the publikene&s;&s;e of his &s;pirit did carry him above the thoughts of private &s;afety. Every man &s;hould bee nearer to Religion, nearer to common intere&s;ts than to him&s;elf.
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Dicitur de Alvanio ille propior publi|cae religioni, quam privatae charitati. Va|ler. Maxim. li. 1. c. 11.</NOTE> So <HI>Alvanius</HI> was.</P>
<P>It is a &s;hame that Heathens &s;hould doe that which Chri&s;tians can not do.
<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Non pre|&s;tet fides, quod prae&s;titit infi|delitas. Jerom.</NOTE> As <HI>Hierome</HI> in another ca&s;e complaines, oh that infidelity &s;hould be able to doe that which faith cannot doe. It was u&s;ed to be &s;aid by Chri&s;tians to Heathens,
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Non mag|na loquimur, &s;ed magna vivimus,</NOTE> we doe not &s;peak great things, but wee live and doe great things, but we &s;peak much, and doe little, happy were wee and the Kingdome too, if the practi&s;e of our lives, did come up to the profe&s;&s;ions, and pro|te&s;tation of our mouthes, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="58" REF="42">
<P>That is the fir&s;t, what we mu&s;t not doe: Now,</P>
<P>Secondly, what we mu&s;t doe.</P>
<P N="1">1. Search out the cau&s;e, why God hath ob&s;tructed our promi&s;ing, and hopefull beginnings. Is there not &s;ome <HI>Ionah</HI> that lyeth under Deck as yet a&s;leep, &s;ome &s;in un&s;een, unhumbled for? Is there not &s;ome old &s;ins, that God comes now to reckon for? old &s;ins rai&s;e new &s;tormes; former &s;ins a pre&s;ent tempe&s;t. See what &s;in is the cau&s;e, the Jewes in every judge|ment that was inflicted on them, did u&s;e to &s;ay that God weighed out an ounce of the golden Calfe to them. Though an old &s;in, yet they &s;aw God might reckon with them for it. And there &s;eems &s;omething to bee implyed that &s;peakes for the&s;e thoughts, hee is &s;aid to forgive, yet hee would remember them at the time of vi|&s;itation, 31 <HI>Exod.</HI> 34.</P>
<P>Is there not &s;ome <HI>Achan,</HI> &s;ome wedge of Gold, &s;ome Babaloni&s;h garment, that hath thus di&s;turbed our pro&s;perous be|ginnings? Have not &s;ome fre&s;h i&s;&s;ues of lu&s;t and corruption broken forth now in the expectation of healing?</P>
<P>Have we not been unthankfull for, un|fruitfull under all the incomes and re|ceits of mercy?</P>
<PB N="59" REF="42">
<P>Did we not grow &s;ecure, proud, &s;elfe-confident upon the hopes of mercy and deliverance?</P>
<P>What is that hath cau&s;ed God to &s;trew our wayes with difficultie? to hedge up our way with thornes, to increa&s;e our throwes, to multiply our pangs, when the children were brought to the birth, when in our thoughts deliverance was &s;o neare?</P>
<P>Secondly, when you have found it out be humbled for it.</P>
<P>You have an advantage this day unto the&s;e duties, &s;uch a one as our fathers never injoyed.
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">An ordi|nance for the &s;olemn humb|ling of our &s;oules for na|tinall &s;ins.</NOTE> You have here &s;ent you a li&s;t of the &s;ins the nation is guilty of; and there is nothing required of you, but that you &s;hould lay them to heart this day, that God may never lay them to your charge.</P>
<P>This &s;eems to be the day-&s;tarre, the har|binger of mercy to us: As the Apo&s;tle &s;aith of another duty, it is the fir&s;t Com|mandement with promi&s;e. So this, it is one of the fir&s;t duties that &s;peakes deli|verance, not to per&s;ons onely, but to the whole nation. Oh that we could in ear|ne&s;t this day draw water as out of a well
<PB N="60" REF="43">and poure it forth before the Lord.</P>
<P>A floud of teares would now prevent a deluge of wrath: Nationall repentance might yet procure a nationall pardon, if we have once made our peace with God, then will not God onely be at peace with us, but cau&s;e our very enemies to bee at peace with us al&s;o.</P>
<P>This is a &s;oul-humbling, a &s;oul-afflict|ing day. Other dayes are humbling dayes, this is a heart-breaking day; other dayes are afflicting dayes; this &s;hould be a &s;oul|melting day; oh that <HI>Englands</HI> teares might prevent <HI>Englands</HI> bloud!</P>
<P N="3">3. When you have found out the cau&s;e, &amp; humbled your &s;elves for it, your next work is to reforme it.</P>
<P>What is it to lament &s;in,
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Non nocent praeterita pec|cata, &s;i non placent pre|fentia, Aug.</NOTE> if you doe not leave &s;in? what were it to weep our eyes out of our heads, if we doe not weep our &s;ins out of our heaats?</P>
<P>It is not humiliation is enough, nor hu|miliation and &s;upplication, unle&s;&s;e to the&s;e you joyne reformation, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 7 14. <HI>If my people &s;hall humble them&s;elves, and pray, and &s;eek my face, and turne from their evell wayes, then will I heare from hea|ven, he mercifull to their &s;ins, and heale their land.</HI> Marke you, it is not one of the&s;e,
<PB N="61" REF="43">but all of them: the words are not to be read di&s;junctively, as if one would &s;erve the turn, but copulatively, all or nothing.</P>
<P>You read this in 10. <HI>Iudg.</HI> 10. &amp;c. that I&s;rael humbled them&s;elves &amp; prayed too, yea and prayed earne&s;tly, but for all this, God was giving them up into the hand of their enemies, till they &s;et upon the work of reformation too, as you &s;ee 15, 16 ver&s;es, and then the Lord was grie|ved for the mi&s;ery of I&s;rael.</P>
<P N="4">4. Be mighty in prayer with God this day. Mighty nece&s;&s;ities doe cal for migh|ty &s;trivings &amp; wre&s;lings with God. The&s;e are &s;peciall times of &s;eeking.</P>
<P>And &s;pecial times of &s;eeking, &s;hould be times of &s;peciall &s;eeking of God: But &s;eek him humbly, &s;eek him fervently, &s;eek him cordially, &amp;c. And God will be better to us than our prayers; he will doe for us above what we aske, or think.</P>
<P N="5">5. Enter into &s;olemne Covenant with God again&s;t them. This is the great duty of the day, and proper for it, when you have bin humbled for them, then covenant again&s;t them. But be &s;ure you covenant with God, as he doth with you, that is, co|venant with him in Chri&s;t, de&s;ire him to be &s;urety for thee, otherwi&s;e thy bond is nothing worth.</P>
<PB N="62" REF="44">
<P>There is yet another thing ob&s;ervable from the time of their danger. It is not pre&s;ently upon their &s;etting forth, they had for &s;ome time a pro&s;perous voyage, but now the &s;torme ari&s;eth.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That God doth not u&s;e to exer|ci&s;e &s;uch as are but young beginners with difficulties.</P>
<P>I told you in the beginning: it is &s;aid of the children of I&s;rael when they came out of Egypt, that God would not lead them by the way of the hils, though the neare&s;t way, but by the way of the plains, though much about; and he him&s;elfe gives this rea&s;on. Becau&s;e of the Phili|&s;tims: that is, le&s;t the difficulties they met withall at their fir&s;t &s;etting out, might have di&s;couraged and di&s;heartned them in the way.</P>
<P>It is &s;aid of <HI>Iacob,</HI> that he &s;lackned his pace becau&s;e of his little ones: God will not over-drive his people, and put them to exerci&s;es above the &s;trength of grace received. Upon this ground is that &s;peech of Chri&s;t, <HI>Old bottles will not beare new wine,</HI> &amp;c. That is, he would not exerci&s;e young beginners with au&s;terities of reli|gion, but would forbeare them till they had gotten more &s;trength: the dayes will
<PB N="63" REF="44">come when the bridegroome &s;hall be ta|ken away, &amp; then they &s;hould fa&s;t, when the bridegrome was taken away: he will then give them in tho&s;e dayes a more plentifull and abundant mea&s;ure of his &s;pirit, and then they &s;hould be able for the&s;e works.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> And what a comfort is this to the Saints, though God do exerci&s;e you, yet he will not put you to exerci&s;es above the mea&s;ure of grace received.</P>
<P>You doubt now, how you &s;hall be able to undergoe difficulties for Chri&s;t, how you &s;hall lye in pri&s;on, how dye for Chri&s;t, and you perplex your hearts with this from day to day; you &s;eare if you &s;hould be called upon difficulties, you would recoyle and fall back, you are ne|ver able to go through &s;uch conditions.</P>
<P>And indeed tho&s;e of Gods &s;ouldiours which have beene mo&s;t fearfull in garri|&s;on, have been mo&s;t valiant in the field; tho&s;e who have &s;u&s;pected their hearts mo&s;t, who have been mo&s;t humble, fear|full, and jealous of them&s;elves, have pro|ved mo&s;t re&s;olute and valiant when God hath called them upon &s;ervice. Where others who have been &s;elfe confident be|fore, have &s;hrunk in the dayes of tryall.
<PB N="64" REF="45">As the &s;tory of Dr. <HI>Pendleton</HI> will tell you, who when <HI>Saunders</HI> a Mini&s;ter came to him and told him his feares, the jea|lou&s;ies of his own heart to undergo Mar|tyrdome, to burne for Chri&s;t, he an&s;we|red, that he would rather lo&s;e every drop of grea&s;e he had, being fat, then deny Chri&s;t, but yet the poor man &s;tood to it, when he renounced it, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But be&s;ides, take this for thy comfort, in the midde&s;t of thy jealous and mi&s;-gi|ving thoughts, that either God will not bring thee upon trials, upon &s;ufferings, or if he do, he will give thee &s;trength to go through them.</P>
<P>And therefore, though I would have thee to maintaine an humble jealous feare, &s;uch a feare as makes thee go out of thy &s;elfe, yet beware of &s;inking di&s;cou|raging feares, &s;uch as di&s;-inable for &s;er|vice: &s;eeing God hath undertaken, if he call thee forth upon difficulties, to give thee a &s;pirit &amp; &s;trength to walk through them.</P>
<P>And &s;o much for the &s;econd particu|lar, the time of their danger. We now come to the third. The danger it &s;elfe. And that is &s;et out in four particulars.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 They were in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea.</ITEM>
<PB N="65" REF="45">
<ITEM>2 They were to&s;&s;ed with waves.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 The winde was contrary.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4 Chri&s;t was ab&s;ent.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>We will begin with the fir&s;t. They were in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea.</P>
<P><HI>[But the &s;hip was now in the</HI>
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Navis in me|dio mari jam erat hoc e|nim, in altum jam con&s;cen|derat pro fundi&s;simum, fluctibus &amp; ventis gravio|ribus obnoxi|um. Pareus.</NOTE> <HI>mid&s;t of the &s;ea.]</HI></P>
<P>There were two great ends for which Chri&s;t &s;ent his Di&s;ciples to &s;ea.</P>
<P N="1">1 To exetci&s;e their graces. 2 To de|clare his power. And the midde&s;t of the &s;ea was the fitte&s;t place for the&s;e: Chri&s;t cho&s;e the midde&s;t of the &s;ea, as the fitte&s;t place to exerci&s;e their graces and to de|clare his own power.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That when Chri&s;t doth intend to exerci&s;e the graces of his people, hee plucks them from the &s;hore, he brings them into the deep. You &s;ee here,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nihil ni&s;i pontus &amp; aether.</NOTE> Chri&s;t &s;uffered them to be pulled from the land on one &s;ide, and a contrary wind to blow on the other &s;ide:
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">In medio mari &s;ignifi|cat periculi magnitudi|nem. Brugen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> &s;o that they were now in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea: and here he exer|ci&s;eth them, when faith hath nothing to do but look upwards, when none but God to relye upon, then it looks fully and re&s;ts firmely upon him. Faith cannot act till it act alone.</P>
<P>When men are in the deepe, there is
<PB N="66" REF="46">no way but to ca&s;t anchor upwards, there is no bottome, but in heaven, which is the be&s;t bottome, when it is the only bot|tome.</P>
<P>We &s;ay the Load&s;tone will not draw while the Adamant is neare it, nor faith re&s;t fully on him, while it hath depen|dancies here below.
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Optimi &s;u|mus cum in|firmi &s;umus.</NOTE> Its hard to make that man all in God, who is &s;omething in any thing here below.</P>
<P>The reliefes of creatures do often hin|der us in our relyance upon God: and therefore God is forced to weaken the arme of fle&s;h, that he might &s;trengthen the arme of faith.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 1.9. 1 Tim. 5.5. Zeph. 3.12.</NOTE> You know what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.9. <HI>We had the &s;en|tence of death in our &s;elves, that we might learne not to tru&s;t in our &s;elves, but in God that rai&s;eth the dead.</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.5. <HI>The widow that is left alone tru&s;teth in God.</HI></P>
<P>It was that which God &s;aid, <HI>Zeph.</HI> 3.12. <HI>I will leave in the mid&s;t of thee a poore di&s;tre&s;&s;ed people, and they &s;hall trust.&mdash;</HI> Therefore doth God break in pieces the reeds whereon we leane, that we might re&s;t our &s;elves upon the rock, him&s;elfe, who is the rock of ages: a rock &s;o deepe, that no flouds can undermine, and &s;o high that no waves can reach.</P>
<PB N="67" REF="46">
<P>And there are three main rea&s;ons why God when he doth intend to exerci&s;e the graces of his people; doth pluck them from the &s;hore, bring them into the deep.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. That he may the better de|clare his owne wonders,
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Deus angu|&s;tias &s;uorum auget, ut eo|rum fidem probaret, &amp; &s;uam vertu|tem declaret, Jan&s;en.</NOTE> we reade in the 107 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 23, 24. That <HI>tho&s;e who goe downe to the&s;ea in &s;hips, that do bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in great waters, the&s;e &s;ee the works of the Lord, his wonders in the deep.</HI> It is true in a &s;pi|rituall &s;en&s;e. The deepe is a fit place for God to do wonders in, and that he might declare his wonders he brings us into the deepe.</P>
<P>There are the wonders of foure Attri|butes which God declares to them whom he brings into the deep.</P>
<P N="1">1 He doth declare the wonders of his power: in rebuking the &s;tormes, laying the tumultuous rage of the proud waves.</P>
<P N="2">2 He declares the wonder of his wi&s;|dome, in finding a way to helpe his peo|ple in &s;uch &s;traights, the Lord knowes how to deliver his.</P>
<P N="3">3 He declares the wonders of his truth and faithfulne&s;&s;e in &s;upporting of us, in relieving of us, that we are not &s;wallow|ed up of the waves: as he promi&s;eth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 45. <HI>When you pa&s;&s;e through the water, I will
<PB N="68" REF="47">be with you, that the flouds &s;hall not drowne you, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4 He declares the wonders of his mer|cy in delivering of us, who when we are at the end of our thoughts, and know not what to do, yet he knowes how to de|liver his people.</P>
<P>None know how powerfull, how wi&s;e, how faithfull, how mercifull God is, &s;o well as tho&s;e who are brought into deeps, the&s;e have experience of all God.</P>
<P>And that God might declare his won|ders, therefore doth he bring his people into the deepe.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 2. Becau&s;e this is the fitte&s;t place for the tryall and di&s;covery of what is in our hearts, both for matter of &s;inne and grace.</P>
<P>As God led his people forty yeares through the barren wilderne&s;&s;e, to prove them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 8.16.17.</NOTE> and di&s;cover what was in their hearts: as he tels us, <HI>Deut.</HI> 8.16, 17.</P>
<P>So God doth &s;till lead his people through a &s;ea, through a wilderne&s;&s;e, through many &s;traits, and great difficul|ties for the &s;ame end, to di&s;cover what is in their hearts; both for matter of &s;inne and grace.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t; For matter of &s;in. The deepe
<PB N="69" REF="47">will try us, will di&s;cover the depth of our hearts, &s;uch corruptions as our fal&s;e glo|zing hearts will not di&s;cover, while we are on the &s;hore, will be now di&s;covered when wee are brought into the deepe.</P>
<P>Then will your pride, your infidelity, your impatiency, &amp;c. di&s;cover it &s;elfe: while nature is plea&s;ed, while all things go well with us, corruptions lye hid:
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Natura vexata, pro|dit &s;e ip&s;am.</NOTE> but when nature is provoked, when God brings us into the deepe, the&s;e to&s;&s;ings will di&s;cover our hearts.</P>
<P>You know when God brought <HI>Iob</HI> and <HI>David</HI> into the deepe, upon tho&s;e &s;ad tryals and exerci&s;es; it put them to the utmo&s;t of their faith and patience to be|leeve and be quiet, though the one was a mirour of faith, &amp; the other of patience.</P>
<P>Secondly, to di&s;cover, what is in our hearts for matter of grace.</P>
<P>A counterfeit piece will &s;hew as well as the be&s;t, till it come to the touch&s;tone, but the touch&s;tone quickly di&s;covers.</P>
<P>There are three great graces which are tryed to the back in difficulties; for the tryall of which, God doth often bring us into the deepe.</P>
<P N="1">1 Faith, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.7. <HI>You are in heavi|ne&s;&s;e through many temptations, that the
<PB N="70" REF="48">tryall of your faith might be found to the glo|ay of God.</HI>
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Deus ali|quando &s;uos in periculo relinquit, ut &s;uas vires ex|periantur.</NOTE> It is no tryall of faith when all things &s;mile upon us, when God, when con&s;cience, when the world, when friends and all &s;mile, that there is not &s;o much as the lea&s;t wrinkle upon the face of the wa|ters.
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Permittit Chri&s;tus &s;uos quandoque adver&s;is tem|pe&s;tatibus jactari, ut fi|des eorum ex|ploretur, in|firmitas diffi|dentiae no&s;trae &s;e probet, &amp;c. Parous.</NOTE> But now when God frowns when the world frownes. When a man &s;hall be brought into the deepe; 1 either the depths of de&s;ertion, or 2 the depths of temptation, or 3 the depths of outward trouble; here is the tryall of faith indeed.</P>
<P>When a man is cleane plucked from the &s;hoare, and hath nothing to leane up|on but God, but a promi&s;e, nay, and God &s;eems to frown too; if he look above him, there is a &s;tormy sky, within him, there is a &s;tormy con&s;cience, without him there a &s;tormy world.</P>
<P>And yet in all this, faith can venture it &s;elfe upon God, runne into his bo&s;ome, when he &s;eemes to be arm'd again&s;t him, hange the weight of its &s;oule upon God, upon a promi&s;e, when nothing to &s;en&s;e appeares, here is faith indeed; faith in its glory under a cloud; faith in its &s;trength, under this appearing weakne&s;&s;e: here is faith tryed to the back.</P>
<P N="2">2 The 2^d grace here tryed, is our love.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Virtutes quaedam ut Stellae, quae inter diu la|tent, noctu lucent. Bern. in Cant. Ser. 27. Apparet virtus, argui tur&abque; malis. Ovid.</NOTE></P>
<PB N="71" REF="48">
<P>There is no tryall of love, while we have &s;uch di&s;pen&s;ations from God as are fewell and attractives of love.</P>
<P>While God &s;miles on us, our e&s;tate is pro&s;perous, all things &s;peake love and good-will from God; the&s;e are attractives to beget, and fewell to increa&s;e love. But now when God &s;hall bring a man into the deepe, exerci&s;e him with difficulties, &s;eeme to overwhelme him with all his waves, as <HI>Iob</HI> complaines; and yet for all this the &s;oule can cleave to him, love a frovvning God as vvell as a &s;miling God; a correcting, as vvell as a comforting God, as <HI>Iob</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Though thou kill me, yet will I tru&s;t in thee.</HI> Or as the Church, <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 44.9 to the 19. All this is come upon us, and it vvas a great all, as you may &s;ee, 19.10.11.12.13, &amp;c. <HI>thou gi|ve&s;t us as &s;heepe to the &s;laughter,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Yet have we not for&s;aken thee, nor turn'd our back from thy covenant.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. The 3 grace he tryeth is our patience.</P>
<P>Patience is &s;uch a grace as is not tryed but by difficulties: where there is nothing to provoke or occa&s;ion impatience, there is no tryall of patience. While <HI>Jonah</HI> had the Goard hee was calme enough: but when the Goard was gone, hee grew
<PB N="72" REF="49">as hot as the Sun which &s;hone upon him.</P>
<P>It was the Devills argument concern|ing <HI>Job,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 1.</NOTE> and it was true in the maine. God &s;aid that <HI>Job</HI> was a holy man, a patient man: Why but &s;aith Sathan, What thanks to him for that? he mu&s;t needs be patient, who hath nothing to di&s;turbe his patience.</P>
<P>As he is the patiente&s;t, &s;o he is the hap|pie&s;t man of all the children of the Ea&s;t; ha&s;t not thou laden him with ble&s;&s;ings, given him what his heart can wi&s;h or de|&s;ire, Children, riches, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, &amp;c. Nay, and ha&s;t not thou made a hedge a|bout him too, and fenced in all happi|ne&s;&s;e by thy providence, &s;o that nothing can break in, to annoy and di&s;turbe him in his happine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Alas what tryall of patience is here, where there is nothing to di&s;turbe, or an|noy him?</P>
<P>Do but let me deale with him a little, and I will quickly &s;ound him, give mee but commi&s;&s;ion to take away his Chil|dren, his goods, and to &s;mite his body, and then wee &s;hall quickly &s;ee his patience. This man who now &s;eems &s;o patient, will cur&s;e thee to thy face.</P>
<P>The mayne of his argument was this,
<PB N="73" REF="49">and it was true in the mayne: That while all things which are fuell to patience are injoyned, while a man is in pto&s;peritie, and hath what his heart can wi&s;h, here is no tryall of patience. But when a man is brought into the deep, plucked from the &s;hore of his injoyments. When a man is brought into &s;traits and difficul|ties here will bee the tryall. And there|fore doth God often carry his people in|to the deep as he did him, and rai&s;e &s;torms &amp; troubles there, that he might di&s;cover his peoples patience. And when a man can now lye downe in the du&s;t, ki&s;&s;e the rod, ju&s;tifie God, cleare him in all his dealings, and &s;weetly accept of the pu|ni&s;hment of his iniquity, when a man can by the power of Faith lay all the in&s;urre|ctions in his &s;oul, &s;ilence all murmurings,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">26. Lev. 41.3. Lum. 32.</NOTE> and give God the glory of his owne pro|ceedings with him. Here is patience in|deed, patience in &s;trength. That is the &s;econd.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Rea&s;.</HI> God doth bring us into the the deep, as to di&s;cover, &s;o to exerci&s;e our graces. The deep is the fitte&s;t place for exerci&s;e: the exerci&s;e of our faith, love, hope, patience, the grace of prayer, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Men will never ca&s;t them&s;elves upon
<PB N="74" REF="50">God, &s;o long as they have any bottome to &s;tand upon here below.</P>
<P>Therefore he brings us into the deep, that when we have no other bottome, he might be our onely bottome.</P>
<P>The exerci&s;e of faith is called a &s;tand|ding &s;till,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">14 Exod. 13.2 Jer. l. 30 Ifai. 1.</NOTE> <HI>to beheld the &s;alvation of the Lord.</HI> But a man will never &s;tand &s;till, &s;o long as he hath any friend to gadde unto. You &s;ee that in the Jews, 2 <HI>Jer. ult. I&s;ai.</HI> 30.1. &amp;c.</P>
<P>And therefore God doth bring us in|to the deep, into &s;uch difficulties, wherein we can neither goe to others for &s;uccour, nor others come to us, that now in this time our &s;ouls might find the way to hea|ven alone. So the exerci&s;e of faith is cal|led a re&s;ting upon God: but we will not re&s;t fully on him, &s;o long as we have any thing el&s;e to re&s;t upon here below.</P>
<P>And therefore God doth break in pie|ces the Reeds on which we re&s;t, or makes them helple&s;&s;e, and comfortle&s;&s;e to us, that we might depend alone on him.</P>
<P>Againe, the exerci&s;e of faith is called a retiring our &s;elves to him, a &s;heltering of our &s;elves in God, flying under his &s;ha|dow, running to him as our Tower. But this we &s;hall never do, &s;o long as we have
<PB N="75" REF="50">any Bulwarks of our owne: The tower is the la&s;t refuge: and therefore God doth beat us out of our own Bulwarks, out of our owne meanes of provi&s;ion, that wee might alone flye to him for &s;ecurity: So the excerci&s;e of faith is called an Ancho|ring of our &s;elves on God: But &s;o long as we finde a bortome here below, wee will never ca&s;t Anchor upwards.</P>
<P>And therefore God doth bring us into the deep, the mid'&s;t of the Sea, where the &s;oule can find no bottome to anchor on, that &s;o the &s;oule might ca&s;t anchor up|wards, and re&s;t alone on God, who never fayled them that tru&s;t in him. <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 9.10.</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee <HI>Jeho&s;aphat,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chro. 20.12</NOTE> We know not what to doe; here was no bottome for him to anchor on below, a great enemy, and &s;mall &s;trength to with&s;tand, and therefore hee anchors upwards: But our eyes are upon thee&mdash;.</P>
<P>To conclude, the midde&s;t of the Sea, it is the fitte&s;t place for God to trye and exerci&s;e his people, and for God to &s;uc|cour and help his people, wee &s;hall bee mo&s;t thankful, God wil get him&s;elf mo&s;t glory, and the deliverance of his people will be mo&s;t con&s;picuous. If God &s;hould
<PB N="76" REF="51">help us on the &s;hore, while we are among our other &s;uccours and helps, the&s;e per|haps would either ob&s;cure, or take away the glory which belongs to God in a deli|verance.</P>
<P>But when God doth pluck us from the &s;hore, bring us into the deep, above the reach of creatures to relieve us, then if God help us, he doth inherite his owne glory: we will then &s;ay the finger of the Lord is here.</P>
<P>None but a God could have di&s;ap|poynted &s;uch plots, none but a God could have layd &s;uch &s;tormes, none but hee could have wrought &s;uch deliverance for us.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>U&s;e</HI> Thinke it not much to goe downe into the deep; It is a place God chu&s;eth for the demon&s;tration of thy graces, and declaration of his own mercy.</P>
<P>Wee had never knowne <HI>Abrahams</HI> faith and love, <HI>Davids</HI> piety, <HI>Jobs</HI> pati|ence, <HI>Pauls</HI> courage and con&s;tancy, if they had been ever upon the &s;hore, if God had not &s;ometime brought them into the the deep.</P>
<P>Nor &s;hould we know either our &s;innes or our graces, if God did not &s;ometimes bring us upon exerci&s;es.</P>
<PB N="77" REF="51">
<P>Ha&s;t thou been in the mid&s;t of the Sea? ha&s;t thou been in the deep. 1. The depth of temptarions. 2. Of de&s;erti|ons. 3. Of outward trouble? And ha&s;t thou cleaved noto God? ha&s;t thou ju&s;ti|fied him? ha&s;t thou loved him? ha&s;t thou had experience of thy graces? have they abidden tryall? Here is &s;omething to e|vidence the truth of thy graces to thee. Difficulties are exerci&s;es, and abiding difficulties are experiences to us of the truth of our graces. Thats &s;urely ours which hath abiden temptation. There is no judging while you are on the &s;hore, the tryal is when you come into the deep, one experience fetched out of the deep, will tend more to thy e&s;tabli&s;hment, than many promi&s;ing evidences never put to the tryall: The deep demon&s;trates, the truth of thy graces.</P>
<P>And it declares the riches of Gods mercy. God takes delight to put forth him&s;elfe in de&s;perate ca&s;es. In &s;uch ca|&s;es his mercy will be mo&s;t vi&s;ible, his peo|ple mo&s;t thankfull, and deliverance mo&s;t welcome.</P>
<P>We &s;hould never have the experince what God can doe, if we did not &s;ee what man cannot doe: you &s;hould never know
<PB N="78" REF="52">the mercy of God, if you had not experi|ence of nece&s;&s;ities above man.</P>
<P><NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Faelix cul|pa quae talem meruit re|demptorem. Bern.</NOTE> And as <HI>Bernard</HI> &s;aith of &s;inne, I may better &s;ay of our nece&s;&s;ities, happy nece&s;&s;ities that occa&s;ions the reliefe of &s;uch a God, who takes occa&s;ion, not only by trouble to helpe us, but by the inlarg|ing of our trouble, to inlarge our delive|rance. If greatne&s;&s;e of &s;inne might be u|&s;ed as an argument for mercy, 25 <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 11. Pardon my iniquities, for they are great, much more greatne&s;&s;e of trou|ble.</P>
<P>But we come to the &s;econd particular, wherein their danger is expre&s;&s;ed, as yet this is the lea&s;t. The &s;econd is in the&s;e words.</P>
<P><Q>[To&s;&s;ed with waves.]</Q></P>
<P><NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Vita no&s;tra, <GAP DESC="foreign"> 91 P&s;lm. 10. Chri&s;tianus Crucianus.</NOTE> A perfect Embleme of the Church of God. A &s;hip upon a trouble|&s;ome &s;ea to&s;&s;ed with waves.
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Vt Mare &s;ic mundus &s;emper fervet Chem. Ut Di&s;|cipuli, &s;ic Chri&s;tiani habent &s;ua turbida &amp; Lu|cida interval|la. 2 Cor. 7.5.</NOTE> The world is fitly compared to the Sea, for the mo&s;t part &s;tormy, <HI>(n)</HI> though &s;ome|times it is more quiet and calme, as the Apo&s;tles for &s;ome hours &s;ailed on a calm &s;ea, yet alas the&s;e are but re&s;pits, &s;ome <HI>Lucida intervalla,</HI>
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Interdum breves indu|ciae piis conce|duntur, &s;icut Apo&s;tol. hic ad pauculas ho|ras tuto mari navigant &s;ed brevis tempo|ris &s;eculita|tem, mox in|gentes adver|&s;itates exci|piunt, Chem.</NOTE> Some few hours breathings; their con&s;tant &s;ayling is on a trouble&s;ome &s;ea, to&s;&s;ed with waves.</P>
<PB N="79" REF="52">
<P><Q>[To&s;&s;ed with waves.]</Q></P>
<P>Their condition &s;et downe in briefe here, is more largely &s;et downe in the 107 <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 26. <HI>ver&s;e.</HI> When he rai&s;eth &s;tormy winds, and lifteth up the waves, they mount up to heaven, they goe down againe to the depth, their &s;oule is melted becau&s;e of trouble, they reele too and fro, and &s;tagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end: here is the com|ment upon the&s;e words; <HI>to&s;&s;ed with waves.</HI></P>
<P>But yet the
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> word here, is a word of large expre&s;&s;ion; &s;ome read it
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Syrus in|terp. vexata cruciata. A|rab. agitata re&s;pondet Hebraeo <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> vex|ed and afflicted with waves,
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, huc illue raptatum, me|taphora ab <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">is &s;umpta, a qui|bus per tor|menta aliquid extorquetur; qua etiam ra|tione Gailice tempe&s;tas ma|ris tormente dicitur. Beza. Annot. in loc.</NOTE> &s;ome rac|ked, and tormented with waves, <HI>(&s;)</HI> &s;ome as we render it to&s;&s;ed with waves.</P>
<P>It is a word u&s;ed for the mo&s;t exqui&s;ite torments and paines.</P>
<P><NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">12 Revel. 2. <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> Sometime for the throwes and pangs in travaile.</P>
<P><NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Hee aeas delivered up, <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> For the torments inflicted on the wicked &s;ervant.</P>
<P><NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. 16 Luke 23. 14 Rev. 10.20 Rev. 10.</NOTE> Nay, for the torments of hell, and hell it &s;elfe.</P>
<P>All which &s;ets out the greatne&s;&s;e of the trouble &amp; danger they were in, which &s;peaks thus much to us.</P>
<P><HI>Doctr.</HI> That there is not &s;o much e|vill in the greate&s;t trouble and affliction,
<PB N="80" REF="53">as there is good in the lea&s;t tryall, and ex|erci&s;e of our graces.</P>
<P>The Di&s;ciples underwent a great deale of trouble upon the &s;ea: but had all this been a greater evill, then the exerci&s;e of their graces a good, Chri&s;t would ne|ver have fuffered the one for the other.</P>
<P>We wonder &s;ometime that God &s;hould bring his people, &s;uch as hee loves, into &s;traits and difficulties: But you &s;ee God may do it for the exerci&s;e of your graces, the lea&s;t exerci&s;e of which will weigh downe all your trouble, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P>If God did not exerci&s;e our graces, we &s;hould &s;uffer them to ru&s;t; and grace is then mo&s;t lovely, when it is mo&s;t in mo|tion and exerci&s;e; God &s;uffers us often to be to&s;&s;ed, becau&s;e wee doe not to&s;&s;e our &s;elves; he &s;uffers others to ran&s;ack and rifle us, becau&s;e wee doe not rifle our own hearts; he &s;uffers Sathan to winnow us, becau&s;e we neglect to &s;ift our &s;elves.</P>
<P>Therefore doth God exerci&s;e us with variety of difficulties, that we might ex|erci&s;e our &s;elves. Againe it &s;ayes thus much to us:</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Doct.</HI> God doth &s;ometimes put his people to a le&s;&s;er trouble for their grearer good.</P>
<PB N="81" REF="53">
<P>The Phi&s;itian makes his Patient a little &s;ick for his greater healh: The Chirur|geon puts us to a little paine for a greater ea&s;e. God takes liberty with the out|ward man, to doe good to the inward man. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.22. You are cha&s;ti&s;ed of the Lord, that you might not be condem|ned with the world.</P>
<P>That you might not love the world, he &s;uffers the world to hate you: that you might be crucified to the world, he &s;uf|fers you to bee crucified in the world: therefore doe you meet with many affli|ctions in the world that you might not be condemned with the world. As there is a cur&s;e hid in the be&s;t things to wicked men, a cur&s;e in their health, their gold, &s;ilver, &amp;c. &s;o there is a ble&s;&s;ing hid in the wor&s;t things to Gods people; a ble&s;&s;ing in poverty, &s;ickne&s;&s;e, death it &s;elfe.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">25 P&s;alme 16 32 Jer. 40.</NOTE> Hee hath &s;aid, <HI>All his wayes are wayes of mercy;</HI> and hee will never depart from us from doing us good.</P>
<P>As God makes one evill the puni&s;h|ment of another to wicked men, &s;o hee makes one evill the cure of another to his owne people. The Phy&s;itian orders poy&s;ons to u&s;efull purpo&s;es: So God tho&s;e things which are evil in them&s;elves,
<PB N="82" REF="54">to the good of his owne people.</P>
<P>The Lepro&s;ie on <HI>Naamans</HI> body, was was an occa&s;ion of the cure of his Le|prous &s;oule: if his body had not beene Leprous, his &s;oule had not been wa&s;hed. How many that can &s;ay, I had not been &s;o rich in grace, if I had not been &s;o poor in gold? I had not been &s;o &s;ound in &s;oul, if I had not been &s;o infirme in body? If I had not lo&s;t &s;o much of the Creature, I had not got &s;o much of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> And this &s;hould teach us a le&s;&s;on of patience under all Gods exerci&s;es, it is but the putting of thee to a little paine for thy greater ea&s;e; a little trouble for thy greater comfort; a little &s;orrow for thy greater joy. All Gods &s;ad pa&s;&s;ages of providence to you
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">In mede|lam non in ruinam, in &s;a|lutem non in mortem. Aug. Unde plangis ca&s;tigatio non damnatio, &amp;c. Nihil in faelicius faeli|citate peccan|tum qua pae|nalis nutri|tur impunitas. Aug.</NOTE> they are for medicine, not for ruine; they are for health, not for death. Happy that &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e which occa&s;ions health, that &s;orrow which bringeth joy, tho&s;e cro&s;&s;es that end in comforts, &amp;c. for our light afflictions which are but for a moment, we have an eternall weight of glory.</P>
<P>Thus is there an expedite in all Gods &s;ad pa&s;&s;ages of providence to his owne people: as he &s;aid to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>It is expedient for yet that I goe away.</HI> It was
<PB N="83" REF="54">&s;trange that the be&s;t of Creatures &s;hould &s;tand between man, and the be&s;t of com|forts: So it did there, the humanity of Chri&s;t was the be&s;t Creature that ever God made; yet this was the vayle, the Cloud, that hindred the better comforts: <HI>If I goe not, the comforter will not come.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Mi&s;erecor|dia puniens ju&s;titia par|cens.</NOTE> There is a cha&s;ti&s;ing mercy, and a &s;paring Iu&s;tice. God doth exerci&s;e one to wicked men, when they goe on in &s;inne and he doth
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Deus irra|&s;citur cum peccantem non punit.</NOTE> not puni&s;h them for it, as you &s;ee in the 4. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 14.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Vae iilis quorum ul|tio reponitur infuturum ubi non e&s;t virga, ibivenit maleus.</NOTE> And by this they are hardned, they are blinded, they grow de&s;perate in &s;in: Becau&s;e &s;en|tence again&s;t an evill worke, is not execu|ted pre&s;ently; therefore the hearts of <HI>the &s;ons of men, are fully &s;et to doe evill,</HI> 8 <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Unus filius &s;ine peecato, nullus &s;ine flagello.</NOTE> But the other, <HI>viz.</HI> his cha&s;ti&s;ing mercy, he doth exerci&s;e towards his owne People: They are cha&s;tized of the Lord, that they may not bee condemned with the world.</P>
<P><NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">quamvis non bonum, tamen in bo|num, &amp; in majus benum.</NOTE> This is our comfort, when God puts us to a le&s;&s;er trouble, it is for our greater good.</P>
<P>There is yet &s;omething more doth offer it &s;elfe to us.</P>
<P><Q>[To&s;&s;ed with waves]</Q></P>
<PB N="84" REF="55">
<P>He doth not &s;ay the &s;hip was drow|ned with waves; but it was ro&s;&s;ed with waves: It was to&s;&s;ed, but it was not drow|ned: whence, in an Allegory,</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;ia quam vis pote&s;t tur|bari, tamen non pote&s;t mergi. premi non &s;upremi, &amp;c.</NOTE> Though the Church of God may be to&s;&s;ed with waves, yet it &s;hall never be &s;wallowed up of the waves.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t may &s;uffer the &s;hip of his Church to be to&s;&s;ed upon a trouble&s;ome and tempe&s;tuous &s;ea, yet hath hee care of its &s;afety, it &s;hall never be &s;wallow|ed up of the waves: To&s;&s;ed it is often, never drowned; It was in danger, to&s;&s;ed if you will in <HI>Ahabs</HI> dayes, when they digged downe the Altars, &s;lew the Pro|phets, &s;et up the wor&s;hip of the <HI>Sidoni|ans;</HI> in&s;omuch, that <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> though he had been alone. But yet though to&s;&s;ed, it was not drowned, God had then &s;even hundred in I&s;rael <HI>that had never bowed the knee to Baal.</HI> I might in&s;tance in the times of <HI>Antiochus,</HI> who <HI>entred the Temple at</HI> Jeru|&s;alem, <HI>burned up the Books of</HI> mo&s;es <HI>and the Prophets, proclaimed fea&s;ting aad ryot in the Temple of God, and put to death all that would not renounce their Religion.</HI></P>
<P>It was to&s;&s;ed in the times of the ten bloudy Per&s;ecutions, began under <HI>Ne|ro,</HI> when <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> were beheaded;
<PB N="85" REF="55">and continued under <HI>Dometian,</HI> when <HI>John</HI> was bani&s;hed into <HI>Patmos,</HI> and &s;o carryed on for divers Emperours more.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quo tem|pore univer|&s;us orbis &s;acro martyrum eruore infe|ctus.</NOTE> When the whole world did &s;wim with the bloud of innocent Martyrs: yet at that time God did not only pre&s;erve, but
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Sanguis Marty rum &s;emen Eccle|&s;iae.</NOTE> increa&s;e his Church; in&s;omuch, that <HI>Julian</HI> le&s;t off to per&s;ecute Chri&s;tians as his predece&s;&s;ors had done,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Non ex mi|&s;cricordia &s;ed ex invidia.</NOTE> not out of mercy, but out of envy; becau&s;e he &s;aw the more they were afflicted, the more they grew.</P>
<P>And from him wee might goe downe, and &s;ee the Church &s;till upon a trouble|&s;ome &s;tormy &s;ea, but to&s;&s;ed, not drowned. It was but like <HI>Noah's</HI> Ark on the waters; or <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Bu&s;h on fire, not con&s;umed; like the Sun under a cloud, all its glory vay|led and hid under troubles and per&s;ecuti|ons. But our hope is, that God is making his Churches glorious in the earth, that he will give inlargements for our &s;traits, comforts for our troubles, &amp; that he will make the inlargements of his people, as vi&s;ible as their &s;traits have been.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> If &s;o? Let wicked men cea&s;e to attempt any thing again&s;t the Church and People of God:
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Impellere po&s;&s;unt, &s;ed in totnm pro|&s;ternere non po&s;&s;unt, cru|deliter me tractare po&s;|&s;unt, &s;ed non extirpare, dentes nuda|re &s;ed non devorare, oc|cidere me po&s;|&s;unt, &s;ed in totum me per|dere non po&s;|&s;uut. Luther.</NOTE> It is but la|bour in vain, they &s;hall never attain what
<PB N="86" REF="56">what they &s;eem to ayme at, the ruine of the Church of God. Hee hath &s;aid 12 <HI>Zach.</HI> 3. That <HI>hee will make his Church a a burthen&s;ome &s;tone, they that lift at it &s;hall be cru&s;hed by it, though all the Nations of the world &s;hould bee gathered together a|gain&s;t it.</HI> St. <HI>Jerome</HI> on this place &s;aith, that in <HI>Jeru&s;alem they had at the gates of the City a great &s;tone, which men, to trye their &s;trengths, did lift at; and if they attempted it, &amp; were not able to lift it, they hurt them|&s;elves thereby.</HI> Such a &s;tone wil God make his Church. We know the Peece over|charged, &s;trikes not downe that a man ayms at, but rather he him&s;elf is &s;trucken down with its own recoyle: Hee that &s;hoots again&s;t the Church, &s;hoots in a Peece o're-charged, and &s;hall be &s;ure to be &s;truck downe with its own recoyle.</P>
<P><HI>Pharaoh</HI> followed the children of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;o long, till at la&s;t hee was over-whelmed in the waters.</P>
<P><HI>Jnlian</HI> lifted &s;o long at this &s;tone, till at la&s;t it fell upon him, and cru&s;hed him to powder. A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves you &s;hall but make rods for your owne back, you &s;hall but pave a way to your own de&s;tru|ction; you &s;hal but dig pits to bury your &s;elves in, twi&s;t cords to bind your &s;elves
<PB N="87" REF="56">wituall. <HI>No weapon formed again&s;t thee &s;hall pro&s;per; and whoever ri&s;eth up again&s;t thee &s;hall fall for thy &s;ake.</HI> Again, <HI>they &s;hall bee covered with &s;hame that warre agasn&s;t Sion, &amp;c.</HI> Read 4. <HI>Mic.</HI> 11, 12, 13.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Mic. 11, 12, 13. 43 I&s;. 3, 4. &amp;c.</NOTE> And 43. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 3, 4. <HI>I will give men for thee, and people for thy life.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore as <HI>Pilates</HI> wife &s;aid to her husband, <HI>Have nothing to do with that ju&s;t man;</HI> &s;o I to thee, have nothing to do, by way of injury, with the Church of God, &amp;c. But we will now come to the third particular of this danger.</P>
<P><Q>[The wind was contrary.]</Q></P>
<P>Here is the next cau&s;e of their troubles; <HI>The wind was contrary.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Contrariety is the ground of all &s;torms. Contrary &s;pirits will ever cau&s;e tempe&s;t.</P>
<P>That which rai&s;eth &s;tormes betweene God and man, between man and him|&s;elfe, between one creature and another, it is contrariety. Take away contrariety and take away &s;tormes. The way to have a calme &s;ea is to cea&s;e the winds: &s;o the way to have calmne&s;&s;e in the Church, in the &s;tate, is to take away contrariety. The Deci&s;ions of the hand, are but the fruits of the differences in the heart. The diffe|rences
<PB N="88" REF="57">of mens judgements, doe ever rai&s;e differences and troubles without.</P>
<P>If men were all of one mind, they might be all of one heart, and all would row the &s;ame way: but this is a happine&s;&s;e not to be expected, though prayed for, till the fourth watch when Chri&s;t &s;hall enter the &s;hip; but yet allowance for differences, may prevent &s;tormes. A faire Latitude for differences may procure love, prevent troubles, where the contrary indangers te~|pe&s;ts, &amp;c. But why &s;hould this cau&s;e &s;tormes? me thinks if wicked men will not goe to heaven them&s;elves, yet they &s;hould let them alone that would go. In|deed they &s;ay they would goe to heaven too, but they would not goe your pace: they will not overgoe the world, their plea&s;ures, profits, this is too fa&s;t: what needs &s;uch ha&s;te: and therefore rather than mend their owne pace, they would take them away that goe before them.</P>
<P>When they &s;ee others to walk in a more &s;pirituall and holy way than them&s;elves, they are ca&s;t and condemned in their own thoughts, that their way is not good, and having no de&s;ire to come up to them, and to the rule, thereupon they hate and per|&s;ecute tho&s;e that goe before them.</P>
<PB N="89" REF="57">
<P>And if I mi&s;take not this was the cau&s;e of the fir&s;t Murther that ever was, 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 3.12. <HI>Caine</HI> was of that wicked one who &s;lew his Brother,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. John 3.</NOTE> and wherefore &s;lew hee him? Why &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Becau&s;e his owne Workes were evill, and his Brothers good.</HI> It was not becau&s;e God re&s;pected one, and not the other: for God tells him, 4. <HI>Gene&s;is</HI> 7. <HI>That if hee would doe well, he &s;hould be accepted too: but it was be|cau&s;e his owne workes were bad, and his Brothers good.</HI> But could this be a good rea&s;on? were his Workes bad? Why did hee not mend them? was this any cau&s;e to kill his Brother? This was the cau&s;e: His Workes were bad, and hee was convinced of that, both by <HI>A|bels</HI> procti&s;e, and <HI>Gods</HI> different accepta|tion: And becau&s;e hee had no mind to mend them, therefore he would kill <HI>A|bel,</HI> hee would murther him that vvent before him, that his Con&s;cience might not bee continually condemning and tor|menting of him, for that vvhich he had no mind to mend.</P>
<P>And you have the like in the Scribes and Phara&s;ees, &s;et out in the Parable of the Vineyard and Husbandman, they
<PB N="90" REF="58">had Gods Vineyard, were the husband|men in the Church, but they would yield no fruit:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 10.16, 11, 12.</NOTE> God &s;ends to them over and over, they beat and mi&s;-u&s;ed the Me&s;&s;engers. At la&s;t God &s;ends his Son, with this &s;weet expectation; <HI>Sure they will reverence my Sonne,</HI> though they have per&s;ecuted and killed the Prophets,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">13. ver&s;e.</NOTE> yet my &s;onne &s;hall find other acceptati|on of them; &s;ure they will receive my Sonne.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">14 ver&s;e.</NOTE> But marke now their Spirits, <HI>This is the Sonne, &s;ay they, come let us kill him, that the Inheritance may be ours.</HI></P>
<P>You know it is a Parable, the Vine|yard is the Church, the ordinances and the fruit which God expected, was ho|line&s;&s;e, and &s;utable obedient walking: The me&s;&s;engers that God &s;ent to call to them for it; were the Prophets, who called them to obedience and holine&s;&s;e. But becau&s;e they de&s;turbed them in their way, and would not &s;uffer them to live as they li&s;t, therefore they mi&s;u&s;ed them, per&s;ecuted, killed them: La&s;t of all, God &s;ends his &s;onne, and then they &s;ay, <HI>This is the heire, let us kill him, and the Inheritance is ours:</HI> Then the day was theirs, they might &s;inne without check,
<PB N="91" REF="58">controule, they &s;hould bee di&s;turbed no more, they &s;hould doe their will and none &s;hould check them, here was the rea&s;oning of their heart.</P>
<P>To the&s;e heights in &s;inning doth a &s;in|full heart carry men at la&s;t.</P>
<P>Sinne will never re&s;t, till it hath tur|ned a man all into &s;in, devili&s;hed men; you &s;ee how many there are that &s;in a|way, not onely a forme of godline&s;&s;e, but their moralities, nay even their naturall Con&s;ciences; &s;inne will &s;pend at la&s;t up|on the main &s;tocke, and eate out the very naturall principles of men.</P>
<P>There is yet another thing which offers it &s;elfe to us from this.</P>
<TRAILER>The end of the &s;econd Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="92" REF="59">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><P>[The winde was contrary.]</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_HAd
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Si maturius ventus con|trarius exor|tus fui&s;&s;et mox &s;e ad portum recipere po|mi&s;&s;ent, &amp;c. Chem.</NOTE> the winde been contra|ry before, either they would not have &s;et out to &s;ea, or if they had, yet they might have returned back: but it is not contrary till they come into the mid&s;t of the Sea. And indeed there &s;eemes to be a mercy in it.</P>
<P><NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Hic lacus juxta Plin. l. 5. latitude. 6. mil. longitud. 16. mill. juxta Jo&s;eph. l. 3. 100 &s;ta|dia in longi|tud. 40. &s;tad. in latitud. &s;tadium e&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ctava pars miliarii, &amp;c.</NOTE> The&s;e &s;eas were narrow and &s;trait, being but a few miles over, and the night was darke, and had they had a wind for them, it might have hazarded them, and da&s;hed them again&s;t the rocks: and there|fore it was le&s;&s;e for their danger, that the windes were contrary, though it was more for their exerci&s;e.</P>
<P>It is better to be in a tempe&s;t upon the mid&s;t of the &s;ea, then to have too &s;trong a gale for us to drive us on the &s;hoare. A mans harbour may &s;ometimes be more
<PB N="93" REF="59">dangerous then the &s;ea. A man may as well come too &s;oone into his harbour, as be kept too long upon the &s;ea; many have been lo&s;t at harbour, who have been &s;afe at &s;ea. A tempe&s;tuous &s;ea is not &s;o dangerous, as an un&s;afe harbour. It &s;peaks thus much.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> God may be working our pre|&s;ervation, when we think he is working our de&s;truction: or that which we &s;ome|times think to be in judgement, may yet be in greate&s;t mercy. It was &s;o here &mdash;</P>
<P>The Whale that &s;wallowed up <HI>Jonah,</HI> was a meanes to bring him to &s;hore; and that trouble which we think oftentimes will &s;wallow us up, may be a meanes to bring us to our harbour.</P>
<P>There is no judging of Gods heart and purpo&s;es, by his outward proceeding of providences in the world. By thus judging, wicked men undoe them&s;elves, and Gods people afflict them&s;elves.</P>
<P>Gods outward proceedings may be good, when the purpo&s;es of his heart are evill to a man; againe, they may be &s;ad, when his purpo&s;e is good,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Jer. 29.11.</NOTE> <HI>Ier.</HI> 29.11. I know the thoughts I think to thee, they are thoughts of peace and not of trouble, to give thee at the la&s;t an expected end,
<PB N="94" REF="60">but yet at this time they were in captivi|ty, his pre&s;ent proceedings were &s;ad to them.</P>
<P>It is our wi&s;dome to &s;hut our eyes to works, and look to the word, to look up|on promi&s;es and not upon providences, this is to live by faith, and not by &s;en&s;e. But of this more afterwards&mdash;</P>
<P>We are now come to the fourth par|ticular, wherein their danger is expre&s;&s;ed, and their trouble heightned.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t was ab&s;ent.</P>
<P>We reade in <HI>Matth.</HI> 8.24.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 8.24, 25.</NOTE> that the Di&s;ciples were on the &s;ea, a tempe&s;t a|ro&s;e, and they were in great danger; but then Chri&s;t was in the &s;hip, who pre|&s;ently rebuked the &s;torme: but here Chri&s;t was ab&s;ent: well might they think had Chri&s;t been here, he would not have &s;uffered this &s;torme to have ri&s;en; if he had &s;uffered it, yet he would quickly have laid it. But what &s;hall we do now Chri&s;t is ab&s;ent? Give me leave to com|mend two or three in&s;tructions from this. One is <HI>Zuinglius.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> There is nothing but &s;tormes to be expected, where Chri&s;t is not in the &s;hip.
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Ab&s;ente Chri&s;to, nil ni&s;i turbatio, Chri&s;to pre|&s;ente omnis motus &s;eda|tur. Zuing. in loc.</NOTE></P>
<P>If Chri&s;t be not in a Family, in a Ci|ty,
<PB N="95" REF="60">in a Kingdome, Chri&s;t in his grace, Chri&s;t in his truth, in his wor&s;hip, in his ordinances, you mu&s;t looke for &s;tormes.</P>
<P>It is &s;aid in <HI>Iudges</HI> 5.8. <HI>They cho&s;e new godi, and then was war in the gates.</HI> Where there is &s;in you may looke for a &s;torme. Sin like vapours, &s;ent up into the middle Region of the Aire, which though you heare nething of it for a time, all is quiet;
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Vbi non e&s;t gratia, ibi non e&s;t pax.</NOTE> yet at la&s;t it comes downe in a &s;torm.</P>
<P>Where on the contrary, <HI>The fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall be peace, and the effect of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall be quietne&s;&s;e and a&s;|&s;urance for ever, I&s;ay</HI> 32.17.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ay 32.17.</NOTE> As many as walke according to this rule, <HI>Peace be up|on them, and upon all the I&s;rael of God, Gal.</HI> 6.16.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t is a Prince of peace, but he is a Conquerour fir&s;t:
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Pax non habitat ubi Chri&s;tus non regnat. Ber.</NOTE> where Chri&s;t doth not conquer and reigne, there looke for no peace; no peace with God, no peace with man, no peace with con&s;ci|ence;
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><P>Con&s;cientia quadruplex.</P>
<P N="1">1 Con&s;cien|tia bona, non quieta.</P>
<P N="2">2 Con&s;cientia bona &amp; qui|eta.</P>
<P N="3">3 Con&s;cientia neque bona, neque quieta.</P>
<P N="4">4 Con&s;cientia quieta, non bona, &amp;c.</P></NOTE> unle&s;&s;e &s;uch a peace as wicked men injoy, which is the peace of the de|vill, not the peace of God; the &s;trong man keeps the hou&s;e, and all is at peace, but it is the peace of the devill; not the peace of God.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Let it teach us then as ever we
<PB N="96" REF="61">de&s;ire peace, peace in con&s;cience, peace in the Church, &amp;c. to get Chri&s;t into the &s;hip, and he will allay all &s;tormes. A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves the&s;e &s;tormes will ne|ver be laid, till Chri&s;t be admitted into the &s;hip, till Chri&s;t reigne; till Chri&s;t in his truth, wor&s;hip, grace, doe reigne among us.
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Fluctibus agitantur con&s;cientia|rum, &amp; ventis contrariis tentationum vexari nece&s;|&s;e e&s;t, qui Chri&s;tum in|navi &s;ecum non vehant. Pareus.</NOTE></P>
<P>A &s;econd thing which is ob&s;ervable.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That the ab&s;ence of Chri&s;t from the &s;oule in trouble, makes &s;ufferings un|&s;ufferable, and troubles intollerable.</P>
<P>As the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t in his grace, in his comforts, doth inable the &s;oule to undergoe the greate&s;t calamities,
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Malim pre|&s;ente Chri&s;te e&s;&s;e in infer|no, quam ab|&s;ente Chri&s;to in caelo. Lu|ther. in Gen. cap. 30.</NOTE> e|ven to &s;mile upon the face of dangers, and check the terrors of death:
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Beati foli &s;unt cum illo, qui beati e&s;&s;e non po&s;&s;unt ni&s;i in illo. Sern.</NOTE> It gives inlargement to the &s;oule in &s;traits, com|fort in trouble, liberty in pri&s;on, ea&s;e in bonds, life in death. You &s;ee in <HI>Daniel,</HI> the three Children. <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas, Ste|phen.</HI> So the ab&s;ence of Chri&s;t will be in|tolerable in any &s;ad-condition. Oh what a mi&s;ery is it for a poore &s;oule to be in &s;ickne&s;&s;e, danger, death, and for Chri&s;t to be ab&s;ent from the &s;oule!</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Let us then in all our &s;ad condi|tions get Chri&s;t pre&s;ent with us; get him but pre&s;ent with you in his grace, and he
<PB N="97" REF="61">wil never be ab&s;ent from you in his com|forts in the time of need. Who is able to comfort us in the mid&s;t of all di&s;com|forts;
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Quid &s;i &s;ine domo, &amp; non &s;ine domino, &s;inc ve&s;te, &s;i non &s;ine fide, &s;ine cibo, &amp; non &s;ine Chri&s;to. Ful|gent.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is more able to give comforts without creatures, nay, in the oppo&s;ition of all created comforts, then the Sun to give light without Stars. Can the Sun give light without Stars? and cannot Chri&s;t give us comfort without creatures, nay in oppo&s;ition of all crea|ted comforts.</P>
<P>Againe, Chri&s;t was ab&s;ent; yea, but Chri&s;t was with them in Spirit, though he was ab&s;ent from them according to the fle&s;h: had they had faith enough, they had &s;een Chri&s;t pre&s;ent, even in his ab&s;ence.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> When Chri&s;t is ab&s;ent to the eye of &s;en&s;e, yet a beleever may conclude him pre&s;ent, and &s;ee him by the eye of faith.</P>
<P>He hath promi&s;ed never to leave us nor for&s;ake us,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> 13 <HI>Heb.</HI> 5. There are five negatives to make it firme to us; I will not, I will not leave thee, neither not, not, for&s;ake thee; or, neither will I by any meanes for&s;ake thee. He hath &s;aid, when we pa&s;&s;e through the waters, he will be with us, that the flouds &s;hall not drowne
<PB N="98" REF="62">us; when we pa&s;&s;e through the fire he will be with us, that the fire &s;hall not burne us.</P>
<P>He will be with us, 1 To coun&s;ell us in our &s;traits; 2 To &s;upport us in our &s;orrowes; 3 To comfort us under cro&s;&s;es; 4 To &s;anctifie all our troubles to us; 5 And at the la&s;t to deliver us out of all.
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Vidimus Chri&s;ium in promi&s;&s;o lu|mine &s;piritu|ali, quando non in pre|&s;entia lumine &s;en&s;ibili.</NOTE> and thus we may conclude him by faith, when we are not able to di&s;cerne him by &s;ence.</P>
<P>If the Sun were here below, we &s;hould be deprived of the benefit of it; every mountaine, every hill, every hou&s;e, would deprive us of the light and comfort of it. But being now above all the&s;e, we enjoy the comfort of it.</P>
<P>While Chri&s;t was here in the fle&s;h, he was as the Sun here below, every thing did hinder us of his pre&s;ence and com|fort, if he were pre&s;ent in one place, he was ab&s;ent from another; but now being in heaven, he can di&s;play the rayes and beames of his gracious pre&s;ence into all places.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Chri&s;tians learne to &s;ee Chri&s;t by the eye of faith, when you cannot be|hold him with the eye of &s;ence; labour to &s;ee him in a promi&s;e, when you can|not
<PB N="99" REF="62">behold him in his pre&s;ence; when the eye of &s;ence is put out, go to a promi&s;e and behold him there.</P>
<P>Thou art in temptations, in de&s;erti|ons, and thou can&s;t not &s;ee Chri&s;t by the eye of &s;ence, but thou mai&s;t conclude him pre&s;ent by faith, pre&s;ent I &s;ay in his grace, though thou want the pre&s;ence of his comforts.</P>
<P>The cloud may hinder the light of the Sun from our eyes, but it cannot take the Sun from the sky, it is there though it do not appeare. Chri&s;t may &s;eeming|ly be gone, when yet he is really there; and it mu&s;t be your wi&s;dome to live by faith, when you cannot live by &s;ence, to &s;ee him with you by his grace, when you cannot behold him in his comforts.</P>
<P>But we will pa&s;&s;e this.&mdash; There is one thing more that I would pre&s;ent to you from the whole tryall, which you &s;ee is heightned by &s;everall gradations; they were in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea, and in the darke of the night, nay and to&s;&s;ed with waves, the winde was contrary, &amp; Chri&s;t him&s;elfe was ab&s;ent: here is wave upon wave, trouble upon trouble. It tels us thus much.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That God doth not only &s;uffer
<PB N="100" REF="63">his people to be brought into &s;traights, but he doth heighten their &s;traights, and rai&s;e up their difficulties higher and higher, before he do deliver them.</P>
<P>It is plaine here, and al&s;o in the &s;to|ries of I&s;raels troubles in Egypt: their troubles were great before,
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Quo pro|prior e&s;t &s;a|lui, eo magis pericula cre&s;|cere &s;inaet. Chem.</NOTE> but they were heightned before God delivered them. In&s;omuch, as they looked upon the beginnings of their deliverance as bad as the wor&s;t of their &s;ufferings; and were rather content to be in their former &s;la|very, then to indure the paines of a deli|verance. But yet though they were high|er, they were not at the height, till they came to the Red Sea, when a &s;ea before them not to be pa&s;&s;ed, an inraged enemy behinde them, not to be re&s;i&s;ted &amp; moun|taines on each &s;ide them that they could not tell what to doe, whither to betake them&s;elves, which was the ri&s;e of their deliverance.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Quando ad <GAP DESC="foreign"> per|ventum e&s;t, tum Chri&s;tus &s;alvator a|de&s;t. Chem.</NOTE> God u&s;eth to take a ri&s;e of deliverance from the lowe&s;t &s;tep of his peoples &s;ufferings.</P>
<P>Read but the &s;tories of <HI>David,</HI> of the Jewes in re-building the Temple, and you &s;hall &s;ee the truth of this; that God doth heighten the troubles of his people before he do deliver them. And this God doth,</P>
<PB N="101" REF="63">
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. To heighten our graces: your faith, not your feare, your hope, not your di&s;couragements.
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">In veris Chri&s;tianis cre&s;cit amor fidei, quantum ip&s;a pericula cre&s;cunt. Chem.</NOTE> As difficulties do ari&s;e, &s;o &s;hould the faith of Gods people ri&s;e too. As it was with <HI>Noahs</HI> ark, the waters ro&s;e higher and higher, and &s;till as the waters aro&s;e, the Ark aro&s;e; the waters never aro&s;e above the Arke.
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Non cogi|tan lum quan|tum &s;it peri|culum in quo agim&abque; aut quid vire~s no|&s;trae po&s;sint &s;ed quid is cui fidemus pote&s;t. Cartw.</NOTE> So &s;hould it be with a Chri&s;tians faith, as troubles ari&s;e, &s;o our tru&s;t &s;hould a|ri&s;e, no difficulties &s;hould ari&s;e above our faith: if God have weakned the arme of fle&s;h, we &s;hould &s;trengthen the arme of faith; if he have &s;hortned us in the re|liefe of creatures, we &s;hould &s;trengthen our &s;elves in our relyance and re&s;t upon God.</P>
<P>It is our &s;in, we are too high in &s;ucce&s;|&s;es, and too low in lo&s;&s;es; we are too big when things go well, and too little when things goe ill; and it mu&s;t needs be &s;o; men that are proud in &s;ucce&s;&s;es, will be as ba&s;e in lo&s;&s;es.</P>
<P>This is the nature of faith; it makes us nothing in our &s;elves when things go well, and it makes us all in God when things go ill. Nothing &s;hould po&s;e our faith, but what po&s;eth God; if there be any thing too great for God to doe, then
<PB N="102" REF="64">there might be &s;omething too big for us to beleeve: but &s;o long as there is nothing above his power and love to doe for his people, why &s;hould there be any thing a|bove our faith, to beleeve God will doe for them? It is better to dye over-hoping, then over-fearing; though we had no in|couragements from below, yet we have enough from above.</P>
<P>We have incouragements, 1 From Gods name,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> nomen mag|num, glorio|&s;um appropri|atum, exi&s;ten|tiam o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nibus promi&s;sis &s;uis adhibens <GAP DESC="foreign"> ex <GAP DESC="foreign"> fortis &amp; pronom <GAP DESC="foreign"> qui, &amp; <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ufficiens hinc <GAP DESC="foreign"> De|us omnipo|tens, &s;uffici|ens ad omnia prae&s;tanda, in &s;e, &amp; a &s;e, &s;uf|ficientiam, &amp; abundantiam omni modum habens, Sufficiens ab&s;que alicu|jus ope, Ad opem con|ferendum, ad &s;uos prote|gendum&punc; ad promi&s;&s;a &s;er|vanda &amp; ex|plendos defe|ctus omuium.</NOTE> every name of GOD &s;peaks incouragement. 2 We have in|couragements from Gods Attributes, his Power, Wi&s;dome, Mercy, Ju&s;tice, &amp;c. Every thing in God &s;peakes incourage|ment to faith, becau&s;e every thing in God is for the good of his people. 3 We have incouragements from his covenant, his promi&s;es to us: where can you look and not finde &s;omething to &s;peak incourage|ment to you. 4 You have incourage|ment from the experience of Gods dea|lings with others of his people, nay from the experience of his dealing towards our &s;elves. Enough, enough, to hold up our hearts. Though there be weakne&s;&s;e be|low, yet there is &s;trength above, though a famine on Earth, yet there is no dearth in Heaven, as the Nobleman thought.
<PB N="103" REF="64">Infinite power and infinite love cannot be po&s;ed. It is a kinde of limiting Gods power, and taking away the Almighty, not to re&s;t upon God in the greate&s;t of difficulties.</P>
<P>He is not only the God of the Vallies, but of the Hils al&s;o. He is not only able to helpe in the le&s;&s;er, but in the greate&s;t difficulties. You can never &s;well a diffi|culty above the power of God; you can never be &s;o low,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Deut. 33.2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> but everla&s;ting armes are able to relieve you.</P>
<P>You read in <HI>Zach.</HI> 8.6. God had pro|mi&s;ed them deliverance, but it was almo&s;t above their faith to beleeve it; they thought it almo&s;t impo&s;&s;ible, that ever tho&s;e dead bones &s;hould live. But &s;aith God, <HI>Becau&s;e this is marvellous in your eyes, is it marvellous to me, oh hou&s;e of I&s;ra|el:</HI> things wonderfull to you, are famili|ar to me; things marvellous to you, are yet ea&s;ie to me: <HI>My thoughts are not as your thoughts.</HI></P>
<P>God would not that any difficulty &s;hould ri&s;e above our faith; this were to rai&s;e a difficulty above God him&s;elfe: he would have our faith ri&s;e as the trouble ri&s;eth. And therefore he doth heighten our troubles, that he might highten our
<PB N="104" REF="65">faith; which indeed if it once worke and bottome on God, there is no difficulty can ri&s;e above it, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 2. God doth heighten our diffi|culties before hee doth deliver us, to heighten our duties; hee heightens our troubles to heighten our prayers.</P>
<P><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Quo pro|fundiores an|gu&s;tiae, eo profundiora &s;u&s;piria. Mol. in 130. P&s;al.</NOTE> The greater our &s;traights, the greater &s;hould be our inlargements; the greater our difficulties, the more earne&s;t and fervent &s;hould be our prayers.</P>
<P>Difficulties doe mightily quicken the &s;oule to duties; God &s;aith &s;o, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 5.1. <HI>In the time of their affliction, then they will &s;eek me early, me diligently.</HI> Then will the &s;oule wre&s;tle with God, by the &s;trength of faith, of Chri&s;t, of promi&s;es, &amp;c. <HI>Ja|cobs</HI> prayer in his great &s;traight, is called a wre&s;tling with God.</P>
<P>See the &s;tories of <HI>David,</HI> of <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> of the Church in <HI>He&s;ters</HI> time, <HI>Jeho&s;o|phat,</HI> &amp;c. they were in great &s;traits, and their prayers were wre&s;tling prayers.</P>
<P>Difficulties are to grace as the bellowes to the fire, to intend it, and make it burn more vehemently; then will the foule pray more fervently, with more exten&s;i|on and intention of &s;pirit; and will joyn teares with prayers, humiliation with
<PB N="105" REF="65">&s;upplication, as you &s;ee in <HI>He&s;ters</HI> time, <HI>Nehemiah, Ezra.</HI> And now doth the &s;oule gather up arguments from God, from his pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ni&s;es, attributes, from the mi&s;eries of the Church, &amp;c. and the &s;trength, in&s;olency, and pride of the ene|my to wre&s;tle with God, &amp;c. Therefore doth God heighten our difficulties, that he might heighten out duties.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 3. God doth heighten our diffi|culties, that he might heighten our deli|verances. So much as comes into a trou|ble to heighten that, &s;o much &s;hall again come into a deliverance to increa&s;e that.
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Aqua <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">in quantum de|&s;cendit, in tantum a&s;cen|dit.</NOTE> The water ari&s;eth as high as it doth fall low: we &s;ay, The lower the ebbe, the higher is the tyde. God will make the ri&s;es of his people proportionable to their ca&s;tings downe. The lower the foundation, the more high and eminent will be the &s;tructure; a &s;hallow founda|tion will &s;erve the turne for an ordinary &s;tructure; but he that goes about to rai&s;e an eminent &s;tructure, layes his foundati|on low. The &s;ame proportion God ob|&s;erves in difficulties before, the &s;ame will he ob&s;erve in deliverances afterward. The darker the morning, the cleerer will be the day; the &s;adder the Week, the more
<PB N="106" REF="66">joyfull the Sabbath. When the Chil|dren of I&s;rael came out of Egypt, you &s;ee how their difficulties were inlarged; but if you read the &s;tory, you &s;hall find, what ever came in for an addition to their trouble, came in al&s;o as an addition to their deliverance. The power, greatne&s;&s;e, rage and malice of the Adver&s;ary in pur|&s;uing them unto the Red Sea, was a great heightning of their difficulty, and you &s;ee it was a great inlargement of their de|liverance, by this meanes they were rid of all their enemies at once. If their &s;traits had not bin &s;o great, their inlarge|ments had not been &s;o glorious. God de|lights to make the inlargements of his people as vi&s;ible as their &s;traits have bin. The like you have in the &s;tory of the five Kings,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo&s;h. 9.1.2. Jo&s;h. 10.3, 4, 5, 6, &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>who&s;e hearts God hardned,</HI> &s;ayes the Text, to come out again&s;t <HI>Jo&s;huah:</HI> it mu&s;t needs be a great heightning of their difficulty, when five potent Kings of Ca|naan united all their power and forces together again&s;t them; but you know, it was as great a heightning of their delive|rance, for by that meanes they had all their enemies &s;laine at once, &s;trook off at one blow.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> 4.11.12, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE></P>
<P>You may reade the like in <HI>Micha</HI> 6.12,
<PB N="107" REF="66">13. And now many Nations are ga|thered together again&s;t thee, O <HI>Sion,</HI> that &s;ay, Let her be defiled, let our eye &s;ee her glory, but they know not the thoughts of the Lord, for he &s;hall gather them to|gether as &s;heaves unto the floore: Ari&s;e and thra&s;h oh Daughter of <HI>Sion,</HI> &amp;c. Where you &s;ee Nations, and many Na|tions, and all the&s;e gathered together a|gain&s;t one <HI>Sion.</HI> Here was a difficulty heightned: but you &s;ee, though their thoughts were the ruine of <HI>Sion,</HI> Gods thoughts were the ruine of them&s;elves. And God inlarged the difficulty, for the inlargement of their deliverance.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 4. God doth heighten the diffi|culty of his psople, to heighten his owne glory, the glory of his wi&s;dome, power, mercy, faithfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>As Chri&s;t an&s;wered concerning the blinde man in <HI>Iohn</HI> 9.9. When they a&s;|ked, whether it was for his &s;ins or his pa|rents, that he was borne blinde, Chri&s;t an&s;wers, <HI>For neither, but that the workes of God might bee made manife&s;t in him,</HI> that is, that the power, mercy, &amp; glory of God might be made con&s;picuous in the healing of him. And for the &s;ame rea&s;on doth he rai&s;e the difficulties of his <HI>Church.</HI></P>
<PB N="108" REF="67">
<P>You reade an excellent pa&s;&s;age to this purpo&s;e in the <HI>Iohn</HI> 11.4, &amp;c. <HI>Lazarus</HI> &s;i&s;ters &s;ent to Chri&s;t, to tell him, that their brother was &s;icke, and intreat him to come downe and heale him: Chri&s;t an&s;wers, <HI>This &s;ickne&s;&s;e is not unto death, but that the glory of God might be revealed, and manifested.</HI> And mark now the way that Chri&s;t takes to advance his glory, Ver&s;e 6. <HI>When hee had heard,</HI> &s;aith the Text, <HI>that he was &s;ick, he abode two dayes still in the &s;ame place where he was.</HI> One would thinke this a &s;trange pa&s;&s;age; hee &s;hould rather have gone pre&s;ently, and have recovered him. But this was now the way Chri&s;t took to advance his glo|ry; he doth not only &s;uffer him to be &s;ick, but to dye of his &s;ickne&s;&s;e, nay, to be bu|ried, and to lye in the grave foure dayes: and thus lets the difficulty go beyond the power of man, that the power and glory of God might be more vi&s;ible and mani|fe&s;t: as he tels us in the 15. and 40. Ver&s;es.</P>
<P>You have the like al&s;o in <HI>Luke</HI> 8. from the 41. to the 49. Ver&s;e.</P>
<P>Speciall cures wins more glory to the Phy&s;itian, then many ordinary cures: &s;o &s;peciall deliverances brings God more glory,&mdash; &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="109" REF="67">
<P>God is lo&s;t in &s;maller Deliverances, when yet he is vi&s;ible and con&s;picuous in greater. In &s;uch men wil be forced to &s;ay, none but a God could have done the&s;e things for us.</P>
<P>Thus doth God heighten our difficul|ties, to heighten his own glory.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Rea&s;.</HI> God doth heighten our dif|ficulties before deliverance, that hee might heighten our pray&s;es, our thank|fulne&s;&s;e for a deliverance.</P>
<P>God is very de&s;irous of the pray&s;es of his Saints: as he doth bathe him&s;elfe in their teares, &s;o he doth delight him&s;elfe in their joyes: hee loves to heare their prai&s;es as well as their prayers.</P>
<P>And therefore doth God bring us into &s;traits, and heighten our &s;traights, that being delivered, we might be more inlar|ged with thankfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Mo&s;es</HI> difficulty at the Red Sea, did furni&s;h him with matter of pray&s;es, when hee was come to the &s;hore, 15 <HI>Exodus Who is a God like to thee? glorious in ho|line&s;&s;e, fearefull in pray&s;es, doing wonders,</HI> 11 <HI>ver&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Nothing doth &s;o much &s;well a mercy, as our nece&s;&s;ity of it: God is forced to make us the more mi&s;ertble in pre&s;&s;ures,
<PB N="110" REF="68">that wee might be more thankfull in de|liverances.</P>
<P>The&s;e with many other might be na|named. To conclude this: Let us not bee ca&s;t downe, nor di&s;coura|ged,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quando ur|gentia mala expul&s;urus &s;it, tum graviora inducat. Chri&s;.</NOTE> though God doe bring us into &s;traits, yea and heighten our difficulties too: It is the u&s;uall way which God goes in the deliverance of his people.</P>
<P>All the&s;e are but the buddings and pre|&s;ages of future deliverances.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gravi&s;&s;ima certamina &amp; pericula, &s;unt certi&s;&s;ima nuncia libera|tionis, &s;unt veluti indices vicinae libe|rationis.</NOTE></P>
<P>Let but the heightning of our diffi|culties, heighten our faith, our graces, our duties, and you &s;hall &s;ee they &s;hall be all the heightning, and inlargement of our deliverance. But we will re&s;erve our &s;elves for the further application of this till afterwards, &amp;c.</P>
<P>We will now come to the next ver&s;e, which is the dawnings of the morning of comfort after a darke and &s;tormy night.</P>
<P N="25">25. <MILESTONE N="25" UNIT="Ver."> Ver&s;e. <Q><HI>And in the fourth Watch of the night, Je&s;us went unto them, wal|king on the Sea.</HI></Q></P>
<P>In the former ver&s;e you had the dan|ger and di&s;tre&s;&s;es the Di&s;ciples were in. In this we have Chri&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to re|lieve and help them.</P>
<PB N="111" REF="68">
<P>And this is &s;et downe in foure parti|culars.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1. He takes a veiw of their danger and trouble.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. He goes out to help them: <HI>He went unto them.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. We have the manner: <HI>Walking on the Sea.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The time, and that is, <HI>In the fourth Watch.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>We will begin with the fir&s;t, though not expre&s;&s;ed in the Text, yet you &s;hall finde it in the 6 <HI>Mark.</HI> 48. He &s;aw them on the &s;ea toyling and rowing, he takes a view of their danger before he went out to deliver them.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Chri&s;t doth &s;ee and take notice of us in our greate&s;t afflictions.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t here &s;aw the Di&s;ciples in their great danger: had they known that Chri&s;t &s;aw them, that hee tooke notice of them, it would have comforted their heart un|der their great affliction, this wee know, though it was hid from their eyes, that Chri&s;t takes notice of us in our great af|flictions. 5. <HI>Exod.</HI> 7. And the Lord &s;aid
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Penitas per|&s;pexi.</NOTE> <HI>I have &s;eene, I have &s;eene:</HI> that is I have
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Deus bonos non negligit cum negligit.</NOTE> throughly &s;een the afflicti|on of my people in Egipt, and have heard their cry.</P>
<PB N="112" REF="69">
<P><HI>David</HI> had many afflictions on him, 56. P&s;al. 9.
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Fugas nu|meras. Illu&s;tre argu|mentum &s;in|guleris curae &amp; proveden|tiae Dei erga &s;uos. Mu&s;c. Singulos pa&s;|&s;us exilii &s;ui numerat deus. Mol.</NOTE> <HI>Thou telle&s;t my wande|rings, and putte&s;t my teares into thy bottle.</HI> God takes notice of every &s;tep which <HI>Da|vid</HI> trod in the wilderne&s;&s;e. 31. <HI>Gen.</HI> 42. <HI>God hath &s;een my affliction, and the labour of my hands,,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Jacob.</HI> 34. P&s;alme 15. <HI>The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his eares are open unto their cry, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> This may comfort us in all our troubles, that Chri&s;t takes notice of them, and therefore will not &s;uffer them to be too big for our &s;trength, nor
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Quenquam ad tempus do|minus viderur &s;uos relinque|re nequa|quam tamen avertir ocu|los. &s;ed eo|rum labores con&s;iderat. etiam&s;i illis non apparet.</NOTE> too long for our patience; he doth not defer, becau&s;e he knowes not our Troubles, but becau&s;e he will take the fitte&s;t time and &s;ea&s;on to relieve us.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> If &s;o? then let us behave our &s;elves Chri&s;tianly under all Gods corre|ctions: God &s;ees you, therefore doe not you murmure, quarrell, bee not impati|ent, nor turne a&s;ide to unju&s;t wayes, to get out of your troubles: God &s;ees you, and he will come to you in his due time: and that is the next thing.</P>
<P N="2">2. Chr&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to help them.</P>
<P><Q>[Ie&s;us went unto them.]</Q></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That when Chri&s;t &s;ees the affli|ctions of his people upon the &s;hore, he
<PB N="113" REF="69">will not long be off the Sea: when hee once takes a view of his peoples troubles, he &s;tayes not long, but goes forth to help them.</P>
<P>You &s;ee this in the 3. Exod. 7, 8. <HI>I have &s;urely &s;een the affliction of my people in Egypt, by rea&s;on of their Taske-Ma&s;ters, for I know their &s;orrowes.</HI> And thereupon it followes: <HI>And I am come downe to de|liver them out of the hand of the Egiptians.</HI> When God once &s;ees, he pre&s;ently helps. As he is &s;aid to come downe to &s;ee &s;inne, before he puni&s;h it; as of <HI>Sodome:</HI> and when he comes downe to &s;ee, hee doth a&s;&s;uredly come out to puni&s;h. So he is &s;aid to come downe, to &s;ee the troubles of his people, before he doe deliver them; and if once he come to &s;ee, he wil a&s;&s;ured|ly come to helpe.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> Let us then be&s;peak God to looke downe upon our afflictions: &s;ay with the Church. <HI>Look down, O Lord, from heaven,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">80 P&s;al. 14, 15, 16,</NOTE> <HI>and vi&s;ite thy vine; it is burnt with fire, it is cut downe,</HI> &amp;c.&mdash;</P>
<P>God hath bowells of mercy, if once he look downe he will vi&s;it: our eye affects our heart, and moves our hand. Gods heart moves his eye, and when his eye is once moved to &s;ee, his hand and heart
<PB N="114" REF="70">will be upward to help.</P>
<P><Q>[Je&s;us went unto them.]</Q></P>
<P>Why but how did Chri&s;t goe to them, he had no &s;hip, they were now upon the Sea.
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Veri &s;imile e&s;t peraeramo mento tempo|ris, permea&s;&s;e donec prope ade&s;&s;et eis. Brugen&s;. in loc.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> There cannot be want of means, if <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> have a purpo&s;e to relieve his peo|ple. I &s;ay the want of meanes can be no ob&s;tacle if Chri&s;t have a purpo&s;e to deli|ver: hee that can help with meanes can help without, if it plea&s;eth him. What though men and means be wanting, what though no boats nor &s;hips, yet hee can walke upon the Seas.</P>
<P>Infinite wi&s;edome, and infinite power can never be at a &s;tand.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> And therefore this &s;peaks incou|ragement to tru&s;t in God in our lowe&s;t conditions:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 14.11.</NOTE> <HI>It is all one with thee to helpe with many or with few, &amp;c.</HI> &amp;c. &s;ayes <HI>A&s;a.</HI> God hath made no promi&s;e to &s;trength, but he hath to weakne&s;&s;e, not to policy, but to &s;implicity.</P>
<P>You never knew &s;elf-confident &s;trength to pro&s;per, nor never read, that tru&s;ting weakne&s;&s;e doth mi&s;crrry.</P>
<P>God loves to joyne with weakne&s;&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> Judg. 2.</NOTE> when not with &s;trength; with few, when not with many; <HI>Gideon.</HI> And where God
<PB N="115" REF="70">joynes, there will neither bee want of power, nor of policy, of number, nor of skill: he can &s;upply all defects him&s;elfe. Yet further:</P>
<P><Q>[Je&s;us went unto them.]</Q></P>
<P>It was not a &s;tormy Sea that &s;hould bee able to &s;eperate between Chri&s;t and his Di&s;ciples in trouble: though there was a Sea, and a &s;tormy tempe&s;tuous Sea betweene Chri&s;t and them, yet this &s;hall not part him and his Di&s;ci|ples.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Nothing &s;hall bee able to &s;epa|rate Chri&s;t and his people in trouble. 8. <HI>Rom.</HI> 35.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Rom. 35.</NOTE> <HI>Who &s;hall &s;eparate us from the love of Chri&s;t?</HI> not per&s;ons, not things: <HI>Shall tribulation, or di&s;tre&s;&s;e, or per&s;ecuti|on, or famine, or nakedne&s;&s;e?</HI>&mdash; No, all the&s;e &s;hall not be able to &s;eparate. You read in the 8 <HI>Cant.</HI> 7. <HI>Many waters can|not quench love, neither can the flouds drown it.</HI> It is true heare: Here was many wa|ters; a Sea which is the gathering toge|thar of many waters; yet all this could not quench the love of Chri&s;t to his Di&s;|ciples, nor hinder him from going to them in their trouble.</P>
<P>Hee that would goe through a Sea of wrath to &s;uccour his people, that would
<PB N="116" REF="71">drinke up the Sea of Gods wrath, <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 110. <HI>ult. Hee &s;hall drink of the brook in the way;</HI> which is taken for to be meant of his pa&s;&s;ion, where hee drunk up that Sea of wrath was between God and us. Hee that would goe through a Sea of wrath to his people, will not &s;uffer any Sea of trouble to &s;eparate between him and his people.</P>
<P>Nothing &s;hall hinder Chri&s;t from going to his people in trouble; no Sea, no &s;ickne&s;&s;e, no pri&s;on, nor any thing &s;hall &s;eparate between him and us.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e</HI> This might be a mighty con&s;ola|tionu to the people of God, you can never be in &s;uch a condition, as that Chri&s;t can|not come to you.</P>
<P>If our reliefes lay in men, many things might interrupt and hinder our &s;uccour. In many afflictions, or friends can but &s;tand on the &s;hore, &s;ee us, and pitty us at the mo&s;t, but they cannot come to us, they cannot helpe us.</P>
<P>A Sea, a &s;torme, a &s;ickne&s;&s;e, a pri&s;on, may part us and our friends, us and the be&s;t of our friends and &s;uccours: but no|thing can part us and our God. It is &s;aid <HI>when Io&s;eph was in pri&s;on God was with him.</HI> 39. <HI>Gen.</HI> 20, 21. He that was with
<PB N="107" REF="71"><HI>Io&s;eph</HI> in pri&s;on, with <HI>David</HI> in the wil|derne&s;&s;e, with <HI>Ieremiah</HI> in the Dungeon, with <HI>Ionah</HI> in the belly of the Whale, with <HI>Daniel</HI> in the Den of Lyons, with the <HI>three Children</HI> in the fiery furnace, with <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> in the &s;tocks; that God wil be with his people in their grea|te&s;t &s;traits and difficulties;
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Etiam hic meum eris bone Je&s;u, Chri&s;te tibi patiendum erit mihi.</NOTE> which made <HI>Diony&s;ius</HI> &s;ay when he was going to the fire, Even here al&s;o thou wilt be with me oh &s;weet Chri&s;t. This is the promi&s;e 43. <HI>I&s;.</HI> 2. <HI>When you pa&s;&s;e through the Wa|ters I will be with you, &s;o that the flouds &s;hall not drowne you; and when you pa&s;&s;e through f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">re I will be with you, that the fire &s;hall not devoure you, &amp;c.</HI> And what a comfort is this to the godly.</P>
<P>Many things parts us and friends here. It is &s;aid, afflictions parts friends: they part the affections of friends, where there are any who with <HI>Ruth</HI> will hold clo&s;e to a Sun burnd <HI>Naomi:</HI> many with <HI>Orpah</HI> will fall off. Nay and many things parts the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of friends, though not the affections of friends, 5. Jud. 15. <HI>For the devi&s;ions of</HI> Ruben <HI>there were great thoughts of heart:</HI> There was a Jordan be|tweene <HI>Ruben</HI> and their brethren, that though they had the affections of breth|ren,
<PB N="118" REF="72">yet they were not able to afford the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of brethren.</P>
<P>But now nothing can part Chri&s;t and the &s;oule in trouble.</P>
<P>Though there be mountaines between Chri&s;t and us, yet the&s;e &s;hall not part.</P>
<P N="1">1. He can melt the mountaines, e|ven mountaines &s;hall fall downe at his pre&s;ence; mountaines of Iron &s;hall di&s;|&s;olve like mountaines of Snow. <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> 94.3.</P>
<P N="2">2. Or he can levell the mountaines, and lay unpa&s;&s;ible difficulties into plains. <HI>Zach.</HI> 4.7.</P>
<P N="3">3. Or he can skip over the mountains; as he is de&s;cribed when hee comes to re|deem his Church from &s;inne, <HI>Cant.</HI> 2.8. So when he comes to deliver his Church from trouble, he can skip over the heads of all ri&s;ing oppo&s;ition. Nay, though not only mountains, but a Sea be between Chri&s;t and his people, yet this &s;hall not part them.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1. He can dry up the Sea, as the River <HI>Euphrates.</HI> 16. <HI>Rev.</HI> 12.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Or he can devide the &s;ea, as he did the red &s;ea for his people.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Or he can walk on the &s;ea, and make the oppo&s;itions of his enemies to bee
<PB N="119" REF="72">the path to the deliverance of his people.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>Nothing &s;hall part Chri&s;t and his Church in trouble; much water cannot quench love. Yet further.</P>
<P><Q>[Je&s;us weut unto them.]</Q></P>
<P>It is not &s;aid that hee went towards them, but hee went to them: men may onely goe towards us in trouble, but can|not goe to us; but Chri&s;t, if hee goe to|wards, he goes to them. Chri&s;t reliefes are full and perfect. Againe it is &s;aid he went to them, when yet he wes but going towards them: Indeed hee is as good as there already, as &s;oone as hee &s;ets out to goe.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> What Chri&s;t doth purpo&s;e to doe, it is as good as done already; though not in <HI>effectu operis,</HI> in regard of executi|on it be yet to doe, yet <HI>re&s;pectu decreti,</HI> in re&s;pect of his purpo&s;e it is as good as done already.</P>
<P>Hence you read in the 8. <HI>Rom.</HI> 30. <HI>Whom he hath ju&s;tified he hath glorified.</HI> Though glorification be to come in re&s;pect of the full po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of it; yet it is as &s;ure as come already in re&s;pect of the &s;tability of the decree.</P>
<P>So tho&s;e places: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are you when
<PB N="120" REF="73">men per&s;ecute you, for great is your reward in the Kingdome of heaven:</HI> He doth not &s;ay, great &s;hall be your reward: but great is: Here Chri&s;t takes a future <HI>medium</HI> to prove a pre&s;ent ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e, 6. <HI>Luke</HI> 22.32. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>yee are ble&s;&s;ed, for great is your reward in the Kingdome of heaven:</HI> which inference could not be &s;ound; if that future <HI>medium</HI> were not certaine, in re&s;pect of the firmne&s;&s;e of the decree, to faith, which gives to the promi&s;es of God a kind of pre&s;ub&s;i&s;ting, and pre&s;ent being, though future in accompli&s;hment.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> And this is a comfort to us, what e|ver God purpo&s;eth to doe for us, or to doe again&s;t our enemies its as &s;ure as done already.</P>
<P N="1">1. What ever God hath purpo&s;ed to doe for us, it is as &s;ure as done: ble&s;&s;ed are they who are per&s;ecuted for righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;ake, <HI>for great is their reward in the Kingdsme of heaven.</HI></P>
<P>He hath made many glorious promi&s;es to his Church: and though in re&s;pect of execution of them, they are yet to come, yet in re&s;pect of the &s;tability of the pur|po&s;e, they are as good as performed. <HI>Je|ho&s;aphat</HI> when he had a promi&s;e, &s;ets the &s;ingers to prai&s;e the Lord in the beauty
<PB N="121" REF="73">of holine&s;&s;e, hee was as &s;ure of it, as if al|ready done: It was his worke rather to believe than fight, and to &s;hout a victory rather than to &s;trike a &s;troke, 2 <HI>Chro.</HI> 20.21.22. <HI>He appoynted Singers to pray&s;e the Lord in the beauty of his holine&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. What ever God hath purpo&s;ed again&s;t the enemies of the Church it is as good as done already.</P>
<P>He hath &s;aid that Anti-Chri&s;t &s;hall down: and though all the world &s;hould contribute their power, and put to their &s;houlders to hold him up, yet they &s;hall never be able.</P>
<P>Nay, God hath &s;aid, &s;he is fallen alrea|dy, 14. <HI>Rev.</HI> 8. <HI>Babilon is fallen, is fallen:</HI> The word is doubled, to &s;hew the cer|tainty of her ruine. Let all the world cry it up, if God cry it downe, it &s;hal fall. The Peece hath &s;truck dead, before the noy&s;e be heard: So Anti-Chri&s;t is dead &s;truck in the threatning, although the re|port of his fall be not yet come unto us.</P>
<P>Againe it is &s;aid that <HI>[Chri&s;t went to them:]</HI> hee doth not &s;ay delivered them, rebuked the &s;torme, but Chri&s;t went to them.</P>
<P>It is a happy thing when Chri&s;t doth not only helpe us, but come to us, Chri&s;t
<PB N="122" REF="74">helps many whom yet he comes not to: God out of his royall bounty doth ma|ny things for tho&s;e, whom yet he will not owne.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t gives bread to many, and main|taines many a family, that yet he will not live in: many that partake of his mercy, that doe not partake of him&s;elfe: many that he gives other things to, but he doth not give him&s;elfe.
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Mea non pro&s;uns &s;ine me nec tua pro|&s;unt &s;ine te. Bern.</NOTE> But happy and ble&s;&s;ed are the people who enjoy mercy, and the God of mercy with it, that par|take of deliverrnce, and the comfort of it too, who have not only the help of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> but the pre&s;ence of <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> Chri&s;t comes to them as well as delivers them. Bet|ter to be in trouble than to bee delivered, and Chri&s;t not come to thee: better to have the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t in trouble, than deliverance, and want Chri&s;t. That man hath &s;mall comfort in a deliverance, who enjoyes not Chri&s;t with it. It is but a reprievall, not a di&s;chrrge. It is a deli|verance in judgement, rather than mercy.</P>
<P>There are pre&s;erva&s;ions, that may bee called re&s;ervations to wor&s;er evills. Such are the&s;e.</P>
<P>Thus much for Chri&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to helpe them: we now come to the man|ner.</P>
<PB N="123" REF="74">
<P N="3">3. Of his comming to them.</P>
<P><Q>[Walking on the Sea.]</Q></P>
<P>To let pa&s;&s;e the &s;everall di&s;putes about this,
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Hieroni|mus &s;entit a quas &s;olida|tas fui&s;&s;e corpus leve factum contra manichaeos.</NOTE> whether Chri&s;t did con&s;oli|date the water, or attenuate his body; whether he made the water more earthy, and his body more ayry; wee will pa&s;&s;e the&s;e niceties. Chri&s;t here walketh on the &s;ea, the Text &s;aith, and this as upon
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Tanquam in&s;olido pa|vimento, Amb.</NOTE> &s;olid ground:
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Ju&s;t. Mart. Sine ulla mu|tatione cor|poris Chri&s;tus ambulavit Super mare</NOTE> And this hee did without any change of his body; By his owne Almighty and divine power, by which he made <HI>Peter</HI> doe the like, with|out any alteration either in his body, or the &s;ea. Chri&s;t ever in his lowe&s;t aba&s;e|ments &s;hewed &s;omething of his deity. When he &s;uffered upon the Cro&s;&s;e, which was his lowe&s;t aba&s;ement, then like the Sun he lets out the greate&s;t lu&s;tre and brighte&s;t beames of the deity, when &s;et|ting, even then he rent the rocks, opened the gravs, &s;ealed up the beams of the Sun, &amp;c. Which were all vi&s;ible demon&s;tra|tions of his deity. You read in the begin|ning of this Chapter; that Chri&s;t upon the hearing of <HI>John Bapti&s;ts</HI> beheading, did withdraw him&s;elf and the Di&s;ciples, 13. <HI>ver&s;e.</HI> Now this might have occa&s;io|ned a temptation, that Chri&s;t being God,
<PB N="124" REF="75">&s;hould flye from the wrath of man.</P>
<P>And therefore it is ob&s;erveable, that Chri&s;t doth here doe foure great mira|cles, to &s;tabli&s;h their hearts again&s;t &s;uch a temptation.</P>
<P><LIST>
<ITEM>1. He fed five thou&s;and, be&s;ides one women and children with 5. loaves and two fi&s;hes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Hee comes now walking to them on the Sea.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. Hee makes <HI>Peter</HI> to walk on the Sea al&s;o.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. He rebuked the &s;tormes, calmed the Sea, and brought them to harbour.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>By the&s;e declaring, that though hee went from <HI>Herod,</HI> yet it was not for fear, not that hee thought hee was not able to pre&s;erve him&s;elfe and Di&s;ciples; he that could doe all this, might have done the other.</P>
<P>It is Gods great mercy that hee hath been plea&s;ed in his lowe&s;t aba&s;ements to give us withall &s;ome demon&s;trances of his deity.</P>
<P>When he hungred, he declared him|&s;elfe to be a man, but when he fed thou|&s;ands with a few loaves, he demon&s;trated him&s;elfe to be God.</P>
<P>When he fled from <HI>Herod,</HI> he &s;hewed
<PB N="125" REF="75">him&s;elfe to be man, but when he walked on the &s;ea, hee declared him&s;elfe to be God.</P>
<P>In his life he &s;eemed to be man and not God, he was &s;ubject to our infirmities: but in his miracles, rai&s;ing the dead, gi|ving eyes to the blinde, healing the &s;ick, ca&s;ting out Devils, he declared him&s;elfe to be God as well as man.</P>
<P>When he hung upon the cro&s;&s;e he &s;ee|med to bee man, but when hee rent the vaile of the Temple, darkned the Sunne, &s;hook the Earth, rent the Rocks, conver|ted the Thiefe, he declared him&s;elfe God as well as man, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But we will come to the words. Je&s;us went unto them,</P>
<P><Q>[Walking on the Sea.]</Q></P>
<P>Why, but Chri&s;t could as well have helped them on the &s;hoare, as to have come and walked to them on the &s;ea. But then they had nor &s;o cleerely knowne Chri&s;t helped them: either they might have attributed their &s;afety to their own endeavours in rowing, or they might have thought the &s;torme cea&s;ed by acci|dent, &amp;c. And therefore Chri&s;t comes to them before he helps them, that they might &s;ee and acknowledge it was his do|ing.</P>
<PB N="126" REF="76">
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> It is the be&s;t part of a deliverance to &s;ee and acknowledge the deliverer.</P>
<P>As it is the wor&s;t part of an affliction not to &s;ee the hand which inflicteth it: &s;o it is the be&s;t part of a mercy to &s;ee the author of it. There are too many, who like Swine do feed under the Tree, and never look up to the Tree; that drink at the &s;treame, and never regard the Foun|taine. Many who&s;e bellies are filled with hid ble&s;&s;ings, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16. Not becau&s;e they do not &s;ee the mercies, but becau&s;e they &s;ee not the God of mercy.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians de&s;ire God in the be&s;tow|ing of his gifts, that he would not con|ceale the giver, that all your mercies might be as cleere gla&s;&s;es, and not as thick clouds which hinder you from beholding God in them. It is the ble&s;&s;ing of mercy to &s;ee and ta&s;te God in it.</P>
<P>Yet further, and that which is the maine.</P>
<P><Q>[Walking on the Sea.]</Q></P>
<P>It was a &s;trange way that Chri&s;t went in the deliverance of his Di&s;ciples, to walk on the &s;ea, never was this heard of before, God hath delivered his people by deviding the &s;ea, but never before by walking on the &s;ea.</P>
<PB N="127" REF="76">
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That God will goe unheard of untracted wayes, &s;trange wayes to deliver his people, rather then his people &s;hall not be delivered.</P>
<P>God is not tyed to any way, his paths are in the great waters, and his foot&s;teps are not knowne. God wals in the wayes of the deliverance of his Churches, as a man that walks in the &s;now, who becau&s;e he would not be tracted; he often chan|geth his &s;hooe.</P>
<P>Whole Volumes might be writ of the many &s;trange wayes that God hath gone in the deliverance of his Church &amp; peo|ple. Sometimes he hath done it imme|diately by him&s;elfe: as you &s;ee in the &s;to|ries of <HI>Herod, Acts</HI> 12.23, 24. <HI>Iulian,</HI> who when he went to warre again&s;t the <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> he vowed to his Idoll Gods, that he would give them a &s;acrifice of all the Chri&s;tians in the Empire when he tur|ned back: but he was prevented by death, being &s;mitten with an unknowne blow from Heaven. So God delivered the Church in <HI>Maximinus</HI> his time:</P>
<P>&s;ometime he hath done it mediately:</P>
<P N="1">1. Either by making them&s;elves as in&s;truments to de&s;troy them&s;elves; as you &s;ee in the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians,</HI> the <HI>Midianites, Iudg.</HI>
<PB N="128" REF="77">7.22. And thus was <HI>Paul</HI> delivered, <HI>Acts</HI> 23.6, 7.</P>
<P N="2">2. Or by arming &s;econd cau&s;es, put|ting &s;trength into weak and contempti|ble in&s;truments, for the deliverance of his Church. As <HI>Ieremy</HI> was drawne out of the dungeon with old rotten rags, thrown a&s;ide and good for nothing, <HI>Ier.</HI> 38.11. So the Lord doth deliver his Church of|ten by &s;uch in&s;truments as the enemies thereof would before have looked upon with &s;corne, as de&s;pi&s;ed and contempti|ble in&s;truments. You &s;ee this in <HI>Cyrus,</HI> in <HI>Deborah.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3 Sometimes arming naturall cau&s;es, the Sun, the Moone, the Stars, Haile, Winde: the Starres in their cour&s;e are &s;aid to fight again&s;t <HI>Si&s;era:</HI> the Lord &s;lew I&s;raels enemies with haile, the <HI>Moa|bites</HI> with the Sun &s;hining on the water. And we read in Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Hi&s;tory, that the Chri&s;tians being to fight again&s;t the <HI>Barbarians,</HI> &amp; being in great di&s;tre&s;&s;e for water, upon their prayers, God &s;ent abundance of raine, but incounter'd their enemies with thunder and fire from hea|ven; in remembrance of which, the <HI>Ro|mans</HI> called the Chri&s;tian Legion
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> legio ful|minatrix.</NOTE> the thundring Legion. The&s;e we may take
<PB N="129" REF="77">for a ta&s;te of tho&s;e innumerable exam|ples that might be alledged, of the &s;trange wayes GOD hath gone to deliver his Church. He walkes &s;till upon the &s;ea, goes untracted wayes in deliverance of his Church: how ordinary is it with him, to make tho&s;e things which in them&s;elves are di&s;tructive, to be helpe|full to the deliverance of his Church and people. He that can finde a pa&s;&s;age on the &s;eas,
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Mille mali &s;pecies, mille &s;aiutis erant.</NOTE> wants no wayes to deliver and helpe his people.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> And therefore let us never di&s;tru&s;t in our God, who&s;e arme cannot be &s;hort|ned that he cannot &s;ave, who can never be brought to a non plus, never po&s;ed in the wayes of deliverance. He is not only able to rai&s;e deliverance out of the du&s;t, but out of nothing he can create delive|rances; nay, he can not only out of no|thing, but out of contraries, he can make contraries &s;erve his ends. Even his ene|mies &s;erviceable to the purpo&s;es of his mercy and deliverance.</P>
<P>When God hath a purpo&s;e to deliver his Church, he can make tho&s;e things which are in them&s;elves di&s;tructive, to be &s;ub&s;erviently furthering the delive|rance of his people; he can walk on the
<PB N="130" REF="78">&s;ea, he can make a way to his people in trouble, and in that a furtherance to a deliverance, which was in its &s;elfe the greate&s;t hindrance. As the Phy&s;itian can order poy&s;onous and di&s;tructive ingredi|ents, to phy&s;icall and healthfull purpo|&s;es; &s;o can God make tho&s;e things for us which are u&s;ed as engines again&s;t us, and make our enemies doe his work with their own hands.</P>
<P>God hath wayes enough, he cannot be brought to the utmo&s;t of his thoughts; and therefore when you are at an end in your thoughts: Learn to &s;hut your eyes to things below, and turne your eyes up|ward to him that is above. Say with <HI>Ieho|&s;haphat. We know not what to do, but our eyes they are upon thee, who hath ever an eye to them, who&s;e eyes are fixed upon him, and will in his owne due time work deliverance for them.</HI> And that is the next thing.</P>
<P>The time when Chri&s;t came to helpe them. In the fourth watch.</P>
<P><HI>[And in the fourth watch of the night Ie&s;us went.]</HI></P>
<P>Where fir&s;t we mu&s;t inquire,</P>
<P N="1">1 What is meant by the fourth watch.</P>
<P N="2">2 Why Chri&s;t came no &s;ooner to help them.</P>
<PB N="131" REF="78">
<P N="3">3 Why he &s;tayed no longer.</P>
<P N="1">1 What is meant by the fourth watch?</P>
<P>For the better under&s;tanding of this, you mu&s;t know that the
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Rab. Sol.</NOTE> Hebrewes divided their night, which con&s;i&s;ted of twelve hours, into three watches, each of them containing foure houres a peece.</P>
<P><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> principium vi giliarium.</NOTE> The fir&s;t watch you read of in the 2 <HI>Lam.</HI> 19. and this was called the begin|ning of the watches.</P>
<P>The &s;econd watch you read of in <HI>Iudg.</HI> 7.19.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> And this was called the middle watch, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third watch you read of in the
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Vigilia matu|tina.</NOTE> 14 <HI>Exod.</HI> 24. And this was called the mor|ning watch, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Afterwards, when the Jewes came to be under the dominion of the Romans, they left their own cu&s;tome, and follow|ed the cu&s;tome of the Romans,
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><P>Nox in qua|tuor partes diri&s;a, &amp; vi|giliae a lati|nis, cu&s;todiae a Grae. dictae. Bruge. in loc.</P>
<P N="1">1 Contici|nium.</P>
<P N="2">2 In tempe&s;tu~</P>
<P N="3">3 Gallicinium</P>
<P N="4">4 Ante luca|num.</P></NOTE> who divided their night which con&s;i&s;ted al&s;o of 12 houres into 4 watches, every one containing three hours a piece.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Soliti &s;unt veteres no|ctem in qua|tuor vigilias partiri, &amp; &s;in|gulis tres ho|ras attribuere Chem.</NOTE></P>
<P>And they were called watches, becau&s;e they u&s;ed once in three houres to change their &s;everall watches, and put in new men to watch.</P>
<P>So that this fourth watch was the la&s;t warch of the night,
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Quarta vi|gilia paulu|lum ante|quam aurora illu&s;ce&s;cit. Chem.</NOTE> a little before
<PB N="132" REF="79">the morning,
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Ad octo, &mdash; plus minu&s;ve, horas in i&s;ta colluctatione, laborarint. Chem.</NOTE> they had been full eight houres in this tempe&s;t, conflicting with their fears and dangers.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> God doth not only exerci&s;e his people with troubles, but he doth length|en and continue their troubles al&s;o, be|fore he doe deliver them.</P>
<P>And therefore this doth preach pa|tience and Chri&s;tian fortitude to under|goe pre&s;&s;ures and calamities, and to wait with patience Gods time of deliverance, <HI>Lament.</HI> 3.26. It is good for a man to hope and quietly to wait for the &s;alvati|on of God. But this will fall in the other que&s;tions.</P>
<P N="2">2 Why Chri&s;t came no &s;ooner to helpe them.</P>
<P>It was for divers rea&s;ons, for the tryall and for the exerci&s;e of their graces, as al|&s;o for the advancement of his own mer|cy in deliverance. It was the time which he cho&s;e for their deliverance.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> God hath a fulne&s;&s;e of time to accompli&s;h all his purpo&s;es, and to per|forme all his promi&s;es to his people. God hath a fourth watch.</P>
<P>Gods mercy moveth him to come in bond, and his wi&s;dome pitcheth upon the day of payment. God promi&s;ed <HI>A|braham</HI>
<PB N="133" REF="79">a childe, but there was a time ap|pointed for the performance of it. He promi&s;ed to deliver I&s;rael out of Egypt, and to bring them into Canaan, but he had an appointed time for the doing of it: hee promi&s;ed to &s;et <HI>David</HI> on the throne, to bring his people out of <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> to &s;end Chri&s;t into the world, but he took a fulne&s;&s;e of time to accompli&s;h all this in.</P>
<P>God hath a fulne&s;&s;e of time to accom|pli&s;h all his thoughts of mercy to his people: and therefore doth he take time to quicken us to &s;eeke, to prepare us for the mercy, to ripen our enemies for di|&s;truction.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> And therefore this &s;peaks patient waiting upon God. God hath had ever &s;ome great promi&s;es on foot, upon pur|po&s;e to exerci&s;e the graces of his people, their faith, patience, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The great promi&s;es which God kept on foot in the Old Te&s;tament, was the promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, which was promi&s;ed in <HI>Adams</HI> time, renewed in <HI>Abrahams,</HI> and every age after; and this he kept on foot to exerci&s;e their graces, their faith, their hope, expectation, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.13. <HI>Luke</HI> 2.25.26.</P>
<PB N="134" REF="80">
<P>And the great promi&s;e he keepes on foot now, is the down-fall of Antichri&s;t; and this to exerci&s;e our graces too; our faith to beleeve it, our hope to expect, and patience to wait for it. How many Worthies of whom we may &s;ay, as of them in <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.13. that have dyed in faith, <HI>Saw the promi&s;e afarre off</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> O&s;culantes, &s;alutantes complexi fu|i&s;&s;ent: ver|bi promis&s;i exi&s;tentiam notat.</NOTE> <HI>and im|braced it:</HI> that did &s;omething in their dayes to prepare for her ruine, and left the re&s;t to us to accompli&s;h and ha&s;ten. It is our worke then to doe our duty and wait upon God for the i&s;&s;ue.</P>
<P N="1">1 Wait upon God in deferres, though it tarry, wait for it, <HI>Hab.</HI> 2.3. Though God do &s;eeme to deferre
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Non e&s;t ju|dicandum de operibus dei ante quintum actum.</NOTE> the accom|pli&s;hment of his promi&s;e, yet wait up|on God for the performance of it.</P>
<P N="2">2 Wait upon God in &s;eeming deni|als; when all things &s;eem to walke con|trary to the performance of the pro|mi&s;e, yet hold up your hearts to beleeve and wait the performance of it.</P>
<P>But 3 e&s;pecially hang upon God when he &s;eemes to come in and &s;peake the per|formance of promi&s;es: &s;lackne&s;&s;e in du|ty, doth ill befit either the incomes or expectations of mercy.</P>
<PB N="135" REF="80">
<P>But &s;o wayt as to doe your duty. There are &s;ome promi&s;es which God doth bring about by his owne immediate hand. Some which hee will accompli&s;h by meanes. In the former, our wayting doth extend no further than to &s;upplication, and expectation, as you &s;ee the promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, to the performance of which, we could do nothing, it was to be wrought by God onely; and there all our worke was to pray and wait, as they did, 2 <HI>Luke</HI> 25.36. Where you &s;hall read of <HI>Si|meon</HI> and <HI>Anna,</HI> and others who con|tinued in the Temple night and day pray|ing to God, and wayting for the con&s;ola|tion of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that was all they could doe, pray and wait. But now in the lat|ter, <HI>viz.</HI> &s;uch promi&s;es as God will effect by meanes, here we mu&s;t not onely pray, and wayt, but u&s;e our utmo&s;t indeavours to bring about the thing promi&s;ed.</P>
<P>The great promi&s;e which God hath made to us of the downfall of Anti|chri&s;t, it is a promi&s;e that &s;hall be effe|cted by meanes, 2. <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.8. and the 17. <HI>Rev.</HI> 16. It is &s;aid, <HI>The Kings of the earth &s;hal joyne together, and hate the whore, and make her de&s;olate, and eate her fle&s;h, and burne her with fire, &amp;c.</HI> Here meanes is to be u&s;ed.</P>
<PB N="136" REF="81">
<P>And if but three things were done throughly, it would greatly &s;peed his ruine.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Cleare preaching, Secondly, Spirituall walking, Thirdly, joynt pray|ing.</P>
<P N="1">1. Cleare preaching: He was borne in the darke, in the darke&s;t times. and he lives in the darke, the darke&s;t places. He is a Brat begotten between the devill and ignorance, the devill the father, and ig|norance the mother, and Idolatry and &s;u|per&s;tition his elde&s;t daughters. Now clear preaching would di&s;cover this man of &s;in, the light of truth would di&s;cover the darkne&s;&s;e of errour. This is one way &s;et downe, 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2.8. <HI>The Lord &s;hall con|&s;ume him with the &s;pirit of his mouth, and destroy him by the brightne&s;&s;e of his com|ming.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Spirituall and holy walking. All his religion lies in fle&s;hy and carnall de|votion, hee is &s;aid ro bee the bea&s;t that comes out of the earth, 13. <HI>Revel.</HI> 21. Indeed the Romi&s;h Religion is out of the earth, it is an earthy wor&s;hip, hath earthly grounds, earthly aymes, earthly ends. All the con&s;iderations that feed Popery are out of the earth, from &s;uch
<PB N="137" REF="81">things as plea&s;e the &s;ences, and the out|ward man, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Now if we were more &s;pirituall in our wor&s;hip, more holy in our lives, wee &s;hould bla&s;t al his painted pomp, it could not &s;tand up under it: for it is not the &s;trength of his cau&s;e, but the coldne&s;&s;e and luke-warmne&s;&s;e of our hearts which holds him up.</P>
<P N="3">3. Joynt praying. When God de|livered his people from <HI>Babilon,</HI> hee &s;tir|red up their hearts mightily to &s;eek him. So when he delivers his people from mi|&s;ticall <HI>Bahilon.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Non tam ferro quam fide &amp; votis. Aug.</NOTE></P>
<P>I never read that ever God be&s;towed any extraordinary mercy and deliverance upon his people, but before he be&s;towed it, he mightily &s;tirred up the hearts of his People to &s;eek him. And I never read that ever God did mightily &s;tirre up the hearts of his people to &s;eek him, but &s;ome great mercy and deliverance was com|ming: prayer u&s;eth to bee the harbinger of mercy. He doth not &s;ay to the &s;eed of <HI>Iacob, &s;eek my face in vaine.</HI> When trou|ble &s;ends us to prayer, deliverance &s;hall &s;end us to pray&s;es:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">45. I&s;. 29.</NOTE> God will make his people as thankful, as prayerful, as thank|full
<PB N="138" REF="82">enjoyers, as earne&s;t &s;eekers.</P>
<P>And &s;o much for the &s;econd, why Chri&s;t came no &s;ooner: wee come now to the third, why he &s;tayes no longer.</P>
<P>And that may bee becau&s;e he would not overthrow the graces of his people; God loves to everci&s;e grace,
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Deus per adver&s;itates &s;uos tentat, &s;ed non dere|linquit. Cart.</NOTE> but hee will not de&s;troy grace.</P>
<P>The Mu&s;itian hee will wind up his &s;trings to the height, it makes then the &s;weete&s;t mu&s;ick, but hee will not over|wind them, le&s;t he break them: So God loves to exerci&s;e the graces of his people, to wind them up to the height,
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ubi plus pe|riculi, ibi plus auxilii. Chem. Chri&s;tus pro|cuju&s;que mo|dulo tentati|onem nuget. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> but hee will have a care of de&s;troying their graces. As God hath a fulne&s;&s;e of time to accompli&s;h al the purpo&s;es of his mercy.</P>
<P><HI>D.</HI> So
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Quamvis nu&s;quam &s;e dominus o|&s;tendit, tamen curam illo|rum habet, in tempore oportuno &s;al|vabit. Jan&s;. in loc.</NOTE> when that fulne&s;&s;e of time is come, he will make good what ever he hath purpo&s;ed. You &s;ee this in <HI>Abraham,</HI> in the Children of I&s;raels bondage in E|gypt, hee had a fulne&s;&s;e of time; but when that fulne&s;&s;e of time was come, then God delivered them. You read <HI>Exo.</HI> 12.42. <HI>It came to pa&s;s at the end of the</HI> 430 <HI>years, eveu the &s;elfe &s;ame day, God brought I&s;rael out of Egypt:</HI> the like of I&s;raels de|liverance from <HI>Babylon,</HI> God took a ful|ne&s;&s;e of time, 70 years were determined
<PB N="139" REF="82">to fini&s;h tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions: But when that fulne&s;&s;e of time was accompli&s;hed, God deliuered them.
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Derelinquit Deus fuos ali|quando ad tempus, &s;ed non u&s;que valde, non omnino, op|portuno tem|pore fert o|pem. Greg.</NOTE></P>
<P>The like of the promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, God took a fulne&s;&s;e of time, and it was a long time between the fir&s;t promi&s;e of Chri&s;t, and his comming into the world, but when fulne&s;&s;e of time was come, <HI>then God &s;ent his &s;onne made of a woman.</HI> 4. <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.</P>
<P><NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Celerita|tem non no|&s;tro judicio definiendam, &s;ed Dei, qui novit non tantum one|ris gravita|tem, &s;ed quam diu id fera|mus, Cartwr.</NOTE> We are in trouble, and we wonder that God doth not help and deliver us, why but we mu&s;t wait till the fulne&s;&s;e of time, &s;tay till the fourth watch.</P>
<P>The time between the promi&s;e and the performance of the promi&s;e, is cut out for our waiting upon God.</P>
<P>It is our fault, we are too &s;hort-brea|thed, we cannot wait: if deliverance come not in our time, wee are ready to give up and faint.</P>
<P>It was the fault of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> 5. <HI>Evod.</HI> 22, 23. they were impatient, they could not wait.</P>
<P>It was <HI>Davids</HI> fault too, when he &s;aw Gods outward proceedings of providence to &s;eeme to walke &s;o oppo&s;ite to the per|formance of his promi&s;e, he breaks out into impatience, <HI>All men are lyers.&mdash; I &s;hall one day peri&s;h by the hand of</HI> Saul.</P>
<PB N="140" REF="83">
<P>And this doth ari&s;e from a &s;ecret root of pride and unbeliefe: either pride, that we will not &s;ubmit to Gods wi&s;edome, Gods will, Gods time, Gods meanes, but will propound God away, and limit God to time and means: or el&s;e it ari&s;eth from unbelief: as you &s;ee it plain in the ca&s;e of <HI>David,</HI> his failing in wayting for the per|formance of the promi&s;e, did ari&s;e from a &s;ecret di&s;tru&s;t of the truth of the pro|mi&s;e, fir&s;t he &s;ayd, <HI>All men are lyars,</HI> and then he &s;ayes, <HI>I &s;hall one day peri&s;h by the hand of</HI> Saul.</P>
<P>And yet it may ari&s;e from ignorance too: we are unacquainted with the wayes that God takes for the performance of his Promi&s;es. God may walke with his pro|mi&s;es, when to &s;ence he &s;eems to walke a|gain&s;t them: as you &s;ee in <HI>Io&s;eph,</HI> God &s;eemed in all to walke again&s;t his Pro|mi&s;e; but if you doe examine the &s;tory, you &s;hal find in ail this, God walked with his Promi&s;e, and <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> Pri&s;on was the way for <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> advancement, the like of <HI>David, &amp;c.</HI> And the Promi&s;e is often|times neare&s;t to fulfilling, when to &s;ence and rea&s;on it &s;eemes furthe&s;t off. Looke but on she &s;tory of Scripture, and you &s;hall &s;ee this truth, that when man hath
<PB N="141" REF="83">had lea&s;t hopes, and probabilities that the Promi&s;e &s;hould bee fulfilled, than hath been the time which God hath taken to accompli&s;h his Promi&s;e.</P>
<P>You &s;ee in <HI>Abraham,</HI> there was never more improbobility that the Promi&s;e &s;hould bee fulfilled, than at that time when it was fulfilled, 4. <HI>Romans</HI> 18, 19. <HI>Sarah's</HI> wombe was dead, and <HI>Ahraham</HI> was old, his body dead too: they had out|lived the &s;trength and hopes of nature, if he had but looked upon him&s;elf who was now dead, and upon <HI>Sarah,</HI> who&s;e womb was dead al&s;o, every thought would have given a lye to the Promi&s;e, he could not but &s;ee an utter impo&s;&s;ibility in the cour&s;e of nature, that ever this Promi&s;e &s;hould be effected, if hee had con&s;ulted with fle&s;h and bloud. And yet you &s;ee that then when the Promi&s;e &s;eemed mo&s;t unlikely to bee fulfilled, was the time God chu&s;e for the fulfilling of it. The like of <HI>David,</HI> of <HI>I&s;rael, Daniel, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>I will give you one in&s;tance more, 14. <HI>Zac.</HI> 6, 7. <HI>At evening time it &s;hall be light:</HI> they expected it in the day, that was the mo&s;t likely, the evening was mo&s;t improbable, then is nothing but darknes to be expected, but at evening it &s;hall be
<PB N="142" REF="84">light, the mo&s;t improbable time.</P>
<P>But the maine thing that this &s;peakes to us is this: you &s;ee here the Di&s;ciples had beene in great danger, and they had beene long conflicting with the&s;e dan|gers, &amp; were now ready to commit them|&s;elves to the mercy of the Sea, much lon|ger it was not po&s;&s;ible for them to hold out. As <HI>Job</HI> &s;ayes, 6. <HI>Iob</HI> 12. <HI>Is my &s;trength the &s;trength of &s;tones, or is my fle&s;h of Bra&s;&s;e.</HI> Certainly they could not much longer endure, they were now ready to give up. And when it was come to the
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ad extre|mum <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> la&s;t pinch, even to the utmo&s;t, Chri&s;t he comes in.
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Tritum hoc, tum Dei auxilium in|cipit, quando humanum de|finit.</NOTE> Whence this old truth,</P>
<P><HI>Doctr.</HI> Mans extremity, is Gods op|portunity.</P>
<P><NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Neque pre|&s;entior e&s;t u&s;quam Chri|&s;tus, quam cum omni huma, na &s;pe &s;umus de&s;tituti. Zuin. in 6 John</NOTE> It is the ob&s;ervation of <HI>Zuinglius</HI> upon this place: God is never more pre|&s;ent, than when all humane help &s;eems to be ab&s;ent. <HI>Thou art a pre&s;ent help in trou|ble,</HI> &s;ayes the P&s;almi&s;t.</P>
<P><NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Quando ad|ver&s;itas &s;um|ma fuerit, tunc &s;ciamus &s;alu|tam ade&s;&s;e proximam. quando ad <GAP DESC="foreign"> per ventum e&s;t, tum Ceri&s;tus &s;alvator ade&s;t Chem. 3 Exo. 7, 8.</NOTE> When trouble is at the highe&s;t, then is &s;alvation the neare&s;t. The depths of mans mi&s;ery, cals in for the depths of <HI>Gods</HI> mercy: when the burthens of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> were increa&s;ed, <HI>when they cryed under their an|gui&s;h,</HI> then did God &s;end mo&s;es to deliver them. <HI>I have &s;een the afflictions of my</HI>
<PB N="143" REF="84">people, and have heard their cry by rea|&s;on of their task-ma&s;ters, for I know their &s;orrowes: as if he had &s;aid, I know they will not cry for nothing; I have heard, and I know, and then it followes, I am come downe to deliver them out of their hands. It is that which was promi&s;ed in <HI>Deut.</HI> 32.35, 66. To me belongeth ven|geance and recompence, the foot of your enemy &s;hall &s;lide in due time. For the day of their calamity is at hand, &amp;c. For the Lord &s;hall judge his people, and repent him&s;elfe for his &s;ervants, when he &s;eeth that their power is gone, and there is none &s;hut up and left.</P>
<P>It is ob&s;erved in all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Hi|&s;tories, then was deliverance the neere&s;t,
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Quo citius finienda &s;unt mala eo ma. gis in grave&s;|cunt. Ba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> when the per&s;ecution of the enemy was the hotte&s;t: the Scribes and Phari|&s;ees bla&s;phemed mo&s;t, when neare&s;t their ruine: the Devill rageth mo&s;t when his time is &s;horte&s;t: this is that Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12.12. <HI>Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, for the Devill is come downe with great wrath,</HI>
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Populus dei tunc max|ime affligitur, cum propin|qua e&s;t &s;alus. Auget certa|mina quando liberabit. Chri&s;.</NOTE> <HI>becau&s;e his time is but &s;hort.</HI> The greate&s;t darkne&s;&s;e is &s;aid to be before the morning watch, and the greate&s;t troubles before deliverance.</P>
<P>The ancient <HI>Tragaedians,</HI> when things
<PB N="144" REF="85">were brought to that pa&s;&s;e, that there could be no po&s;&s;ibility of humane helpe imagined they u&s;ed to bring downe &s;ome of their gods out of the clouds:
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. E|ra&s;. Adag.</NOTE> thence was a phra&s;e they had like to that the Jewes al&s;o u&s;ed when they were brought into great &s;traits beyond all hope of hu|mane helpe. <HI>In the Mount of the Lord it &s;hall be &s;eene:</HI> which is the &s;ame with our Engli&s;h. Mans exrremity, is Gods op|portunity: when the enemies are at the height of their rage and cruelty, when the people of God are brought to the lowe&s;t, when the arme of fle&s;h is withered up; when the &s;treame of &s;econd cau&s;es doth not runne, when the channell of creature reliefes is dry,
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Ne dubite|mus nos &s;er|vari, etiam&s;i Chri&s;tus ab e&s;t aut tar|dius venire nobis videa|tur. Nam in|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">re&s;cente for|midine &amp; pe|riculo, ade|rit dominus repente. Zuing.</NOTE> then is the time for God to ari&s;e and have mercy upon Sion. But here may be demanded two things.</P>
<P N="1">1 Why God &s;uffers us to be brought into extremities before he help us.</P>
<P N="2">2 Why God doth help us in extremities.</P>
<P>I will be briefe on them, being things frequently pre&s;&s;ed, you are able to in|large them in your own thoughts.</P>
<P N="1">1 God &s;uffers us to be brought into ex|tremities before he help us, that his mer|cy might be more con&s;picuous.</P>
<P>If Chri&s;t had helped the Di&s;ciples be|fore
<PB N="145" REF="85">they had u&s;ed all meanes to helpe them&s;elves, they might perhaps have thought that their owne indu&s;try would have helped; they could by their owne wi&s;dome &amp; &s;trength have relieved them|&s;elves. And therefore Chri&s;t &s;taies
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Deus quos in aeternum diligit, ali|quando ad tempus relin|quit. Greg. in cap. 30. Job.</NOTE> till they were brought to extremities, lets them go to the utmo&s;t of their owne in|deavours, that the helpe of God might be more vi&s;ible to them, <HI>Iohn</HI> 2.3, 4. Chri&s;ts hour of helpe, is, when our gla&s;&s;e is out.</P>
<P N="2">2 God &s;uffers it, as to make his mercy con&s;picuous, &s;o to make his mercy great in their eyes. The great de&s;igne that God doth drive, is the advancement of his own glory; and therefore hee &s;uffers us to be brought into troubles, and to extremities in tho&s;e troubles, that his glory, the glo|ry of his mercy, of his truth, wi&s;dome, might be advanced by men.</P>
<P N="3">3 To quicken us to prayer, nece&s;&s;ities do mightily &s;tir up to duties, and makes the &s;oul earne&s;t in it. You &s;ee the Church in <HI>Hesters</HI> time, &amp;c. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5.50.</P>
<P N="4">4 To inlarge his peoples hearts with
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Quia ex Dei beneficiis non &s;atis ag|no&s;cimus. il|lius bonita|tem, ideo de|us &s;alutis cau|&s;a immittere adver&s;a &s;oler.</NOTE>
<PB N="146" REF="86">thankfulne&s;&s;e; things ea&s;ily got, are as &s;oone forgot, where a mercy in nece&s;|&s;ity will be &s;et up as a living remem|brance of prai&s;es, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The&s;e, with many others might be na|med, why God doth &s;uffer his people to be brought to extremities before he help.</P>
<P N="2">2 Why God doth helpe us in extremi|ties.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 1. Becau&s;e God is ingaged to re|lieve us in &s;traits.</P>
<P>There are foure mercifull ingagements of God, which moves him to relieve us in our &s;traits.</P>
<P N="1">1 becau&s;e wee are his people he is our God, we are his Spou&s;e, he our husband; we are his children, he our father; we are his members, he our head: what will not a loving father do for his childe, &amp;c. We are his by choice, his by purcha&s;e, his by covenant; and there is nothing he doth in the world with more delight, then tho&s;e things he doth for his people. In|deed there is nothing to ingage him to make us his people before he did make us his people, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Deut.</HI> 7.7, 8. <HI>He loved us, becau&s;e he loved us,</HI> &amp;c. but there is &s;omething to ingage him to doe
<PB N="147" REF="86">for us now hee hath made us his people, becau&s;e we are his people. This is excel|lently &s;et downe in the 2 <HI>Samuel</HI> 12.21. <HI>The Lord will not ca&s;t off his people for his great names &s;ake:</HI> and why? what is the ingagement? nothing but this; <HI>Seeing it hath plea&s;ed the Lord to make you his people.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2 Becau&s;e he hath made many preci|ous promi&s;es to us. Promi&s;es of pre&s;er|vation: take that in <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 33.16. A place &s;peaks fully, <HI>He &s;hall dwell on high;</HI> out of the reach of all his enemies, nay higher many heights: but is it not po&s;&s;ible to reach him? if you did, yet not hurt him, <HI>he is in a place of defence,</HI> but that is not &s;o &s;trong but we may come to him? yea, his place of defence is the munition of Rocks: yea, but we &s;hall &s;tarve him out; there is no plowing and &s;owing on rocks, <HI>but bread &s;hall be given him.</HI> Yea, but what &s;hall he doe for water? there is no getting of water out of the rock; but he &s;hall have <HI>waters too:</HI> but though hee have they will faile: no, <HI>his waters &s;hall be &s;ure, never failing waters.</HI> And look downe in the twenty one Ver&s;e, there another; and <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 43.3, 4. <HI>I gave Egypt for thy
<PB N="148" REF="87">ran&s;ome, Ethiopia and Seba for thee:</HI> the Church of God was in bondage and cap|tivity in Egypt, and he gave Egypt for her ran&s;ome: how? That is, becau&s;e they could not be delivered without the lo&s;&s;e of Egypt; God would rather part with the whole land of Egypt, then his peo|ple &s;hould not be ran&s;omed, he would &s;inke the whole land of Egypt if it &s;tood between his people and deliverance. So in the fourth Ver&s;e, <HI>I will give men for thee, and people for thy life. I will not &s;tick to give the lives of thou&s;ands to uphold thine, multitudes &s;hall be de&s;troyed, rather then that thou &s;houlde&s;t not be pre&s;erved.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3 A third ingagement is, becau&s;e his people tru&s;t in him.</P>
<P>Tru&s;t is a kinde of ingagement upon a man although he had made never a pro|mi&s;e. But what is it when it is upon a promi&s;e. No man will deceive another that tru&s;ts on him; we u&s;e to &s;ay, I can|not faile him, he tru&s;ts upon me: and do you think God will. A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves there was never any who tru&s;ted upon God, who devolved his &s;oule on him, but he found God to be that to him that he expected: faith ingageth all the power, wi&s;dome, mercy of God, to releeve you;
<PB N="149" REF="87">and if all the&s;e can helpe, you &s;hall not want &s;uccour in your extremities.</P>
<P N="4">4 A fourth ingagement, becau&s;e his people &s;eek him. He doth not &s;ay to the &s;eed of <HI>Iacob, Seek my face in vaine, I&s;ay</HI> 45.19. Faith and prayer will remove Mountaines: nothing &s;hall be too hard for that people to doe; who&s;e hearts and &s;pirits he holds up to beleeve and pray. There is a kinde of omnipotency in faith and prayer, becau&s;e the&s;e two &s;et the great God, yea, the greatne&s;&s;e of the pow|er of the great God to work for us. <HI>Lu|ther</HI> u&s;ed to pray, <HI>Let our will be done, Fi|at voluntas no&s;tra.</HI> I have read of a &s;tory of him, that having been in his &s;tudy ear|ne&s;t with God about the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of the Church, and having received a gracious an&s;wer, he comes downe and cryes, <HI>Vi|cimus, Vicimus,</HI> We have overcome, the day is ours: and &s;o it fell out, &s;aith the &s;tory, the Church prevailed.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 2. God doth helpe his people in extremities, that both we our &s;elves, and the generations to come might be incou|raged to tru&s;t in him.</P>
<P N="1">1. We our &s;elves. We reade this, the fruit of Gods helping I&s;rael in extremi|ty at the red &s;ea, <HI>Exod.</HI> 14.31. They &s;aw
<PB N="150" REF="88">the great work God had done, and they beleeved God. <HI>David</HI> thus rea&s;ons, <HI>The God who delivered me from the Lion and Beare, &amp;c. will. P&s;al.</HI> 63.7. <HI>Becau&s;e thou ha&s;t been my helper, therefore under the &s;ha|dow of thy wings I will roioyce. I have had experience of thy goodne&s;&s;e, therefore will I depend on thee:</HI> where experience is the promi&s;e, a&s;&s;urance may be the conclu&s;i|on. <HI>David</HI> was a man of many choice ex|periences of Gods goodne&s;&s;e, and he was choice of them, he laid them up, and made u&s;e of them at every need. It is a pa&s;&s;age not to be neglected, when he was forced to flye from <HI>Saul;</HI> comming to <HI>Abimelech</HI> the Prie&s;t, he de&s;ired him to lend him a weapon for his defence, hee told him he had none, &s;ave only the &s;word of <HI>Goliah,</HI> whom he had &s;laine; <HI>There is none to that,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David, give it mee.</HI> 1 <HI>Sam,</HI> 21.9. This was a Trophie of Gods former goodne&s;&s;e; it was both an expe|rience and a weapon; in carrying this, he tooke an experience with him, which might comfort him in &s;traits. So 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.10. &amp;c.</P>
<P N="2">2. That the generations to come might be incouraged to tru&s;t in him, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 22.5. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 51.9. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 9.10. <HI>Thou ha&s;t not for&s;aken
<PB N="151" REF="88">nor thou wilt not for&s;ake them that tru&s;t in thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 3. God will helpe his people in extremity for the di&s;appointment and torture of wicked men.</P>
<P>When <HI>Haman</HI> had prevailed &s;o far as to get a bloody decree again&s;t the <HI>Church of God,</HI> no doubt hee joyed exceedingly, as one that promi&s;ed to him&s;elfe the ut|ter ruine of them: and he brought it up very high: there was mans extremity. But you &s;ee how God cro&s;&s;eth it; and who is able to expre&s;&s;e the vexation and torture of <HI>Haman</HI> for his di&s;appoint|ment: He goes home, and vexeth him|&s;elfe, he could not eat, nor drinke, nor &s;leepe, for very vexation that his de&s;igne did not take. The like of <HI>Achitophel,</HI> he hangs him&s;elfe for very pride and mad|ne&s;&s;e. God hath wayes enough to make wicked men to gna&s;h their teeth before they come to hell: and this is one way to bring his people into &s;traits, and put the wicked in a kinde of hope of having their will on the godly: and then relie|ving his people and di&s;appointing them, no man knowes what vexation and tor|ture this is to their &s;pirits.</P>
<PB N="152" REF="89">
<P>The&s;e, with many other rea&s;ons might be named, as becau&s;e now deliverance will be mo&s;t welcome, his people mo&s;t thankfull, helpe mo&s;t glorious.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> But to conclude this. Let us not be ca&s;t downe and too much troubled, though God do bring us into extremities before he helpe us, you &s;ee it is Gods time of helpe. When the extremities of a people are above the reliefes of creatures, it is not only our time to &s;eek, but it is Gods time to helpe us: You &s;ee it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 108.12. <HI>Give us helpe from trouble, for vaine is the helpe of man.</HI></P>
<P>There are five &s;peciall times when God will helpe his people.</P>
<P N="1">1 When we know not what to doe; when we are brought to the utmo&s;t of our thoughts and know not what to doe: Such a &s;trait was I&s;rael in at the red Sea; they knew not what to do; the &s;ea before them, the Egyptians behinde them. But this was the time of Gods help. <HI>Deut.</HI> 32.35. It is there &s;aid concerning the ene|mies of Gods people, <HI>Their feet &s;hall &s;lide in due time:</HI> but when is that? he &s;hewes in the 36 Ver&s;e, when he &s;eeth that his peoples power is gone, &amp;c. when they know not what to do. Such a &s;trait was
<PB N="153" REF="89"><HI>Ieho&s;aphat</HI> in 2 Chronicl. 20.12. <HI>Wee have no might again&s;t this great multitude that comes again&s;t us, neither know we what to doe, but our eyes are upon thee.</HI> This was Gods time of help.</P>
<P>Gods time of help is u&s;ually when mans time of help is gone. 31. <HI>Jerem.</HI> 36, 37. <HI>There is hope in thy end,</HI> when there was in a manner an end of all hope, when they had &s;pent up all their &s;tock of hopes, then doth God &s;ay, there is hope in thine end. You read in the 33. <HI>I&s;ai.</HI> 7, 8, 9. ver&s;es, of a &s;trange introduction to mer|cy and deliverance. <HI>Behold their valiant ones &s;hall cry without, the Emba&s;&s;adours of peace &s;hall weep bitterly, the high wayes lye wa&s;te, and the wayfering man cea&s;eth,&mdash; the earth mourneth and langui&s;heth, Leba|non is a&s;hamed, and hewen downe, Sharon is like a wilderne&s;&s;e.</HI> &mdash; Here is a &s;ad Preface: what can be expected to fol|low, but as &s;ad a &s;tory,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Sic con&s;uevit dominus ve|hementiones labores im|mittere, velu|ti indices vi|cinae libera|tionis. Et gra|vir&s;ima cer|tamiua &s;unt certi&s;&s;ime nuncia libe|rationis.</NOTE> But God makes the pre&s;&s;ures of his People to be Prefaces to his mercy: and therefore it followes, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 10. <HI>Now will I ri&s;e, &s;aith the Lord, now will I be exalted; now will I lift up my &s;elfe.</HI> Indeed now God &s;hould get mo&s;t glory, and for that end he &s;tayed till now. As you &s;ee the like 30. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 17.18.</P>
<PB N="154" REF="90">
<P N="2">2. When wee know not what God will doe, when God &s;eems to forget his People, and in his outward Providences to walke contrary to his owne promi&s;es. When wee are brought to a &s;tand, and know not what to think, then is there a time for God to &s;tep forth.</P>
<P><HI>David</HI> when hee was brought to that &s;tand by pre&s;ent providences to him, that hee begins to que&s;tion, the truth of Gods promi&s;es: <HI>All men are lyars.</HI> He was now wound up to the height, it was time for God to come, le&s;t all break a&s;&s;under.</P>
<P>A third time when God will helpe: when we are brought to &s;uch &s;traits, as</P>
<P N="1">1. Wee mu&s;t either &s;inne foully: Or,</P>
<P N="2">2. We mu&s;t &s;uffer &s;adly.</P>
<P>In this &s;trait was <HI>Daniel</HI> and the three Children, either they mu&s;t &s;inne foul|ly, or &s;uffer &s;adly: if they bowed downe to the Image they &s;inned foully; if not, they were to be ca&s;t into the fiery Fur|nace, and &s;o were to &s;uffer &s;adly. And now was the time that God took to deli|ver them.</P>
<P N="4">4. When the enimies are carryed on with mo&s;t rage, and promi&s;e to them|&s;elves mo&s;t &s;ucce&s;&s;e, again&s;t the Church
<PB N="155" REF="90">and People of God, then is the time for God to &s;tep into relieve us, when they are on the highe&s;t Pinacle once, then they are neare&s;t their ruine, 14. <HI>I&s;.</HI> 13, 14; 15, 16. When men &s;hew them&s;elves ma|licious, then will God &s;hew him&s;elf gra|cious. You &s;ee this in the 15. <HI>Exod.</HI> 9, 10. when the enemy &s;aid in his heart, <HI>I will pur&s;ue, J will over-take, I will divide the &s;poyle, my lu&s;t &s;hall be &s;atisfied upon them, I will draw my &s;word, my hand &s;hall de&s;troy them:</HI> then it followes: <HI>Thou did&s;t blow with thy wind, the &s;ea covered them, they &s;unk as lead in the mighty waters.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. When God doth give and hold up a mighty &s;pirit of prayer in his People to &s;eek him: A cloud of Incen&s;e is a pre|&s;age of a &s;houre of mercy: 16. <HI>chapt. Levit.</HI> 13. <HI>ver.</HI> You &s;ee this in the deli|verance of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> from <HI>Babylon:</HI> at that time God &s;tirred up a mighty &s;pirit of Prayer in them, 9. <HI>Dan.</HI> 23,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Praecibus no&s;tris Deus &s;aepe &s;e id tribuere te|&s;tatur, quod alioqui &s;pon|te &amp; ex pro|mi&s;&s;ione fac|turus e&s;t. Mol. in loc.</NOTE> And this was Promi&s;ed in the 102 <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.
<NOTE N="&s;" PLACE="marg">Argumen|tum redemp|tionis a pio|rum conjunc|te votis. Mole|rus. Populi re|&s;titutionem praecibus, fide|lium ad&s;cri|bit Deus.</NOTE> <HI>Thou &s;halt returne, and have mercy upon Sion, for the time to favour her, the &s;et time is come.</HI></P>
<P>But how &s;hall we know that? he tels us in the fourteenth ver&s;e, <HI>for thy &s;ervants take plea&s;ure in her &s;tones, and favour the
<PB N="158" REF="91">du&s;t thereof.</HI> That is, they mourn, <HI>(t)</HI> they pray,
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Tempus mi&s;erandi e|jus, &amp;c. hinc. Mu&s;c. Tempus &s;up|plicandi, e&s;t tempus mi&s;e|rendi, quan|do corda con|trita &s;unt, tunc tempus mi&s;erendi.</NOTE> and it is thy time to help and deliver. As you &s;ee in the &s;eventeenth <HI>ver. Thou &s;halt regard the prayer of the desti|tute, and not de&s;pi&s;e their cry.</HI></P>
<P>As when the Lord hath an intent to de|&s;troy a People, he doth either expre&s;&s;ely charge them not to pray for them, as hee did <HI>Ieremiah,</HI> 14. <HI>Ier.</HI> 11. Or hee doth &s;ecretly dead, and &s;trayten their hearts, that they cannot Pray. So when he doth &s;tirre up the hearts of his People to &s;eek him, it is an evident demon&s;tration that God will doe great things for a Peo|ple.</P>
<P>Prayer is the Harbinger of mercy; When God purpo&s;es to give, he &s;tirres up us to begge: and this begging puts us into a frame for receiving. You read in the third Chap. of <HI>Ieremiah,</HI> 19. ver&s;e, God had promi&s;ed to doe great things for his People; but at la&s;t &s;aith, <HI>How &s;hall I put thee among the children, and give thee a plea&s;ant land?</HI> As if hee had &s;aid, I have purpo&s;es of mercy to thee, I have thoughts of deliverance, &amp;c. But what way &s;hal I take to bring about this? How &s;hall I doe with thee that I may bring about this purpo&s;e? Mark what
<PB N="159" REF="91">followes; <HI>and I &s;aid thou &s;halt call me me Father:</HI> As if he had &s;aid, I have now bethought me of a way, I will poure a &s;pirit of Prayer upon thee, thou &s;halt call me Father, and &s;o I will put thee among my Children, I will give thee a plea&s;ant Land.</P>
<P>Thus much for the 25. Ver&s;e Chri&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to help them: the manner, the time: we &s;hall now come to the 26. Ver. which containes the Di&s;ciples apprehen|&s;ion of him.</P>
<TRAILER>The end of the third Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="158" REF="92">
<P>_WEE are now come to the 26. Ver&s;e. Hitherto our times have been &s;o unhappy as to &s;uit with this Hi&s;tory: and I feare they will carry too great re&s;em|blance with what followes.</P>
<P>Wee will come now from Chri&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to help them, to the Di&s;ciples apprehen&s;ion of him; they took their Deliverer to be a de&s;troyer.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>26. VERSE.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And when the Di&s;ciples &s;aw him walking on the Sea, they were troubled, &s;aying it was a Spirit, and they cryed out for feare.</P></Q>
<P>In which Ver&s;e you have,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Di&s;ciples di&s;covery of Chri&s;t, <HI>They &s;aw him.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Their thoughts and apprehen&s;ions on hjm, <HI>It is a &s;pirit.</HI></P>
<PB N="159" REF="92">
<P N="3">3. The effect and fruit of the&s;e ap|prehen&s;ions, <HI>How they worked.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Ad intra,</HI> They were troubled.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Ad extra,</HI> They cryed out for feare. Here was
<LIST>
<ITEM>Terrour,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Clamour.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>We begin with the fir&s;t, The Di&s;ci|ples di&s;covery of him:</P>
<P><Q>[And when the Di&s;ciples &s;aw him.]</Q></P>
<P>And yet I cannot &s;ay, it was the di&s;covery of Chri&s;t; it is &s;aid they all &s;aw him, but it is not &s;aid they &s;aw Chri&s;t, they &s;aw him, but they knew not who it was: if &s;o, they could not have beene troubled: As for Chri&s;t they knew they left him on the &s;hore, and therefore could not conjecture that it was hee that was now upon the Sea.</P>
<P><HI>Doctr.</HI> Chri&s;t may bee comming to &s;ave his People, and yet they not able to di&s;cerne him.</P>
<P>Sometimes mens eyes are blinded with ignorance, and &s;ometimes bleered with Pa&s;&s;ion. <HI>Hagar</HI> cryes for water, and yet the Well was neare her; her eyes were &s;o bleered with pre&s;ent Pa&s;&s;ion, that &s;he could not &s;ee the waters, though they were at hand.</P>
<P>So the Di&s;ciples were &s;o clouded with
<PB N="162" REF="93">pre&s;ent pa&s;&s;ion of feare, and trouble, that they could not di&s;cerne a deliverer, from a de&s;troyer.</P>
<P>Here was their mi&s;take: and that is the &s;econd thing.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Di&s;ciples thoughts and ap|prehen&s;ions of Chri&s;t.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>It is a &s;pirit.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Or,</ITEM>
<ITEM>It is a gho&s;t.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P><NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Spectrum &amp; terricula|mentum ali|quod, quale in nocte ap|parrere &s;olet daemonis illu|&s;ione. Jan&s;. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Sy r. interp. vi&s;io mendax, vi&s;io fallax, il|lu&s;io diaboli|ca terriculum diabolicum. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Vi&s;io vel res aliqua peram|bulans in te|nebris, homi|nes terrens Chem.</NOTE> It is a gho&s;t; a lying vi&s;ion, a Diabolicall illu&s;ion, &amp;c.</P>
<P>We read in the 20. <HI>Iob</HI> 8. <HI>(x)</HI> Of a vi&s;ion of the night, &s;omething walking in the night which terrifies men.</P>
<P>So they looked upon Chri&s;t as a gho&s;t,
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Ad navim evertendam veniens. Chem.</NOTE> which came rather to overwhelme the &s;hip, than to helpe them on the Sea.</P>
<P>And the Mariners they thought the&s;e kind of &s;ights did
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Huju&s;mo|di vi&s;a pre&s;en|tis naufragii pre&s;agia. Chem.</NOTE> pre&s;age their pre&s;ent wrack,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Huju&s;modi vi&s;a, pre&s;ens exitium portendere na|vigantibus. Brugen.</NOTE> that they did portend imme|diate ruine and de&s;truction.</P>
<P><NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Dicuntur <GAP DESC="foreign"> Etiam <GAP DESC="foreign"> in aere, &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">a quae &s;omniantibus occur&s;ant, &amp;c. Artius in loc.</NOTE> It is a &s;pirit, or it is a gho&s;t, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Do.</HI> That men may &s;ometimes think their deliverers to be their de&s;troyers. I &s;ay they may &s;ometimes look upon tho&s;e
<PB N="161" REF="93">who come to deliver them, as &s;uch who come to de&s;troy them.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t comes here to help his People. he comes to deliver them, but they think him to bee a gho&s;t, one that comes to de|&s;troy them.</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee the I&s;raelites looked upon <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> God &s;ent him to be their de|liverer, but when their taske of brick was doubled, when their burthens were in|crea&s;ed, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> then appeares to them as a gho&s;t, as a de&s;troyer, rather than a delive|rer.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Ex. 19, 20, 21.</NOTE> Such fal&s;e apprehen&s;ions they had of him. You may read their own expre&s;&s;i|on in the 5. <HI>Exodus</HI> 19, 20, 21. <HI>And the Officers of the Children of I&s;rael did &s;ee them&s;elves that they were in an evill ca&s;e, and they met</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>and</HI> Aaron, <HI>who &s;tood in the way as they came forth from</HI> Pharaoh; <HI>and they &s;aid unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge, becau&s;e you have made our &s;a|vour to be abhorred in the eyes of</HI> Pharaoh, <HI>and in the eyes of his &s;ervants, to put a &s;word in their hand to &s;lay us.</HI> Here they looked upon their deliverers, as their de&s;troyers.</P>
<P>How did
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Non tan|tum Herodes turbatur quan tum diabolus in Herode.</NOTE> <HI>Herod</HI> and all <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> looke upon
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tus non erat per &s;e cuiquam formidabilis &s;ed &s;i fui&s;&s;et agnitus, &s;um|me amabilis. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> Chri&s;t as a gho&s;t as &s;oon as borne? who yet came &s;o to reigne, as not to unthrone any, but the Prince of
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Quid me|tuis talem re|gem qui &s;ic venit regnare, ut te nolit excludere. Chri&s;ti nati|vitas &s;pectrum formidabile. Mu&s;c.</NOTE>
<PB N="162" REF="94">darkne&s;&s;e.
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Ex ea re quae ad &s;um|mam con&s;ola|tionem in&s;ti|tuta erat, &s;um|mae excitan|tur angu&s;tiae.</NOTE> And the Scribes and Pha|ra&s;ees, how did they look upon him as a gho&s;t; <HI>if we let him alone, all men will be|lieve on him:</HI> and what then; why then the <HI>Romans</HI> will come and take away our place and nation: Chri&s;t came to bee their deliverer, but he appears as a gho&s;t, as one that came to
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Non &s;olum inaniter me|tuamns quae nocere non po&s;&s;unt, &s;ed perver&s;e eti|am horrea|mus ea quae ad &s;alutem fa|ciunt. Mu&s;c. in loc.</NOTE> de&s;troy them. And thus men look upon Chri&s;t, and the wayes of Chri&s;t to this day: if they ad|mit of Chri&s;t in his Kingdom, wor&s;hip, Di&s;cipline, oh then this will be the i&s;&s;ue, or that will be the &s;ad con&s;equence of it, we &s;hall be all undone; in the &s;eeking of of our <HI>&s;pirituall,</HI> wee &s;hall hazard, wee &s;hal lo&s;e our <HI>temporall</HI> Priviledges. And thus mens hearts doe act.</P>
<P>A &s;ad thing it is when Chri&s;t &s;hall ap|peare as a gho&s;t any way, Chri&s;t in his Per&s;on, Chri&s;t in his Ordinances, Chri&s;t in his Lawes; Wor&s;hip, Government,
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Amant. im|pii veritatem lucentem, o|derunt verita|tem redar|guentem. Aug. confe&s;. lib. 4. cap. 26.</NOTE> Truth. And thus he doth to wicked men, he is as a gho&s;t to them in his Ordi|nances, they cannot away with him, they flye from them, and cannot endure the faithfull di&s;pen&s;ation of them: hee is a gho&s;t to them in his Lawes, and therefore they cry depart from us, wee will have none of his wayes.
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Evangeli|um Chri&s;ti|mundo &s;em|per &s;pectrum fuit, &s;ed incul|pa &s;unt noc|turnae tene|brae. Mu&s;c.</NOTE></P>
<PB N="163" REF="94">
<P>He is a gho&s;t to them in his wor&s;hip, they cannot brook with, and endure the &s;imple &s;ingle plainene&s;&s;e of his govern|ment, &amp;c.</P>
<P>There are three times Chri&s;t appears as a gho&s;t to his owne People.</P>
<P N="1">1. In time of humiliation for &s;inne; when he writes bitter things again&s;t us, and makes us to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the iniquities of our youth, as <HI>Job</HI> complaines.
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Adver&s;a|rium tuum in &s;inu ge&s;tis, &amp; tamen a|micum, Cypr.</NOTE> Now the &s;oule is filled with the &s;ad apprehen|&s;ion of his di&s;plea&s;ure, and looks upon God as a &s;evere Judge, his bench &s;et, a Ju|ry impannelled, evidence cleare, and his &s;word drawne, ready to doe execution on a &s;infull &s;oule: It was the &s;peech of one who was in this condition, his con&s;cience opened, and his &s;innes &s;et in order before him, and his &s;oule bleeding under the &s;ad apprehen&s;ions of a wrathfull di&s;plea&s;ed God: he &s;aid that he never looked up to|wards Heaven, but he thought hee &s;aw e|very Cloud lined with thunder, and rea|dy to doe execution on him for &s;inne.</P>
<P>It would be endle&s;&s;e to tell you the gho&s;tly apprehen&s;ions that poor &s;oules have had of God, and of all his dealings, even the be&s;t of his mercies to them in this condition. Con&s;cience now arming
<PB N="164" REF="95">all the faculties again&s;t it &s;elfe.
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Faelix con|&s;cientia in qua luctamen huju&s;modi, &amp;c. Bern in vig. nat. dom. Ser.</NOTE> This is the day of <HI>Jacobs</HI> trouble, but God will deliver them out of it.</P>
<P>Therefore doth he wound thee, that hee might heale thee, kill thee that hee might cure thee;
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Et &s;i timet a judice, &s;pe|rat a &s;alvtao|re. Bern. 29 Ierem. 11.</NOTE> Ca&s;t thee downe, that he might rai&s;e thee up; terrifie thee, that hee might comfort thee in his due time. It is &s;weetly expre&s;&s;ed by Chri&s;t, It is not the will of your heavenly Fa|ther, that one of the&s;e little ones &s;hould peri&s;h.
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Ludit &s;ua|vi&s;&s;ime, cum nos putamus omnia e&s;&s;e perditi&s;&s;ima Luther in loc.</NOTE> I know the thoughts I thinke to thee, they are thoughts of peace, thoughts of good and not of evill, to give thee at the la&s;t an unexpected end, an&s;werable to thy expectations: nay an end above all thy expectations. A&s;&s;ure thy &s;elfe God will make thy comforts proportionable to thy con|flicts, thy joyes to thy troubles, thy rai|&s;ing up, to thy ca&s;ting downe: The &s;ame proportion that Gods &s;pirit doth ob&s;erve in the Law in humbling of thee, believe and wayt for the &s;ame proportion, in rai|&s;ing and comforting of thee.</P>
<P>God is skilfull at all di&s;ea&s;es, he heals all our infirmities. 103. <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 3. But he is mo&s;t &s;overaigne at the binding up a broken heart. He hath fitted Chri&s;t for
<PB N="165" REF="95">this work, It is his charge, 67. <HI>E&s;ay, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ay 61.1.</NOTE> <HI>becau&s;e the Lord hath anointed me to preach glad ty|dings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted.</HI></P>
<P>A &s;econd time, when he appears as a Gho&s;t to the Saints, and that is in times of temptation.</P>
<P>In temptation (&s;aith <HI>Luther</HI>) we look upon God otherwi&s;e then in trueth he is, we doe not think him to be God,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">In tentationi|bus &s;ingimus Deum, alium quam revera e&s;t, putamus Deum tunc non e&s;&s;e De|um, &s;ed phan|ta&s;ma, hoc e&s;t horribile &s;pe|ctrum quod nos velit de|vorare. Luth. in loc.</NOTE> but a Gho&s;t, one who will de&s;troy us, &amp; &s;lay us.</P>
<P>The Devill doth now &s;ugge&s;t fal&s;e no|tions of God to you, he pre&s;ents you with fal&s;e Ideas, erroneous apprehen&s;ions of GOD, &s;utable to the darkne&s;&s;e of the condition, and the blackne&s;&s;e of the tem|per the &s;oule is now in. None know the
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Non pro|motus &s;ed ex|pertus Doctor e&s;t. Luth. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 2 Cor. 2.14. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Rev. 2.24. profundi|tates Satanae <GAP DESC="foreign"> machinatio|nes. 2. Cor. 3.2.14.</NOTE> methods,
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Non pro|motus &s;ed ex|pertus Doctor e&s;t. Luth. <GAP DESC="foreign">. 2 Cor. 2.14. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Rev. 2.24. profundi|tates Satanae <GAP DESC="foreign"> machinatio|nes. 2. Cor. 3.2.14.</NOTE> the depths of Sathan, but tho&s;e who have been in depths, tho&s;e know the wiles of this prince of darknes, the methods, machinations, devices of undoing &s;ouls.</P>
<P>A third time, when he appears as a Gho&s;t to his own people, and that is in times of de&s;ertion, when God hath with|drawn him&s;elf, and &s;eems to be an enemy to the &s;oul, fighting again&s;t it with all his terrours, as <HI>Job</HI> complaines. And
<PB N="166" REF="96"><HI>Heman</HI> at large, 88. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 7.15.16. Ver&s;es.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 77.3.</NOTE> Nay thus <HI>David</HI> looked upon him in the 77. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> where you read him in a de&s;erted condition, and profe&s;&s;ing in the 3. Ver&s;e, <HI>that when he remembred God he was troubled;</HI> A &s;trange Expre&s;&s;ion! the thought of whom did er&s;t-while fill his heart with a confluence of comfort, far above all created Comforts, that now thoughts of God &s;hould be a terrour, a trouble to him. And why was he now troubled at the remembrance of God, but becau&s;e he had fal&s;e apprehen&s;ions,
<NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Deum in|&s;pectum tran&s;|formant &amp; tunc timent. Mu&s;c. in loc.</NOTE> he had erroneous conceits of God now, ei|ther Sathan doth pre&s;ent him fal&s;ly to him, as he doth in the&s;e conditions; he repre&s;ents God in a terrible manner to the &s;oul, or el&s;e he looked upon him with a di&s;turbed eye, Sathan hath di&s;turbed the eye, he hath rai&s;ed up corruption, and that cannot look upon him, but be di&s;turbed. As tho&s;e who have the Jaun|di&s;&s;e, all they look upon is yellow.</P>
<P>Or if the Organ whereby we &s;hould &s;ee God be not di&s;turbed, yet the medium whereby he is repre&s;ented, is a fal&s;e me|dium, and that pre&s;ents things like to it &s;elf, as if a man look through a red gla&s;&s;e, all he beholds is red.</P>
<PB N="167" REF="96">
<P>And therefore it is well &s;aid of <HI>Luther</HI> on this place,
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Quando in Augu&s;tiis &s;u|mus, non e&s;t Credendum no&s;tris cogi|tationibus de Deo. Luth. in loc.</NOTE>) when we are in troubles, we are not to give credit to our owne thoughts and apprehen&s;ions of God, we are not to look upon God as our di&s;tur|bed imaginations doe repre&s;ent him, but as he is repre&s;ented in his Word.</P>
<P>We &s;ee Rea&s;on doth correct &s;en&s;e; if we put a &s;traight &s;tick into the Water, &s;ence will give it to be crooked, the eye doth repre&s;ent it crooked, but now rea&s;on corrects it, and concluds it &s;traight, and if rea&s;on correct &s;en&s;e, why &s;hould not Faith correct Rea&s;on?</P>
<P>It will be your wi&s;edome in the&s;e con|ditions, when &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on give in fal&s;e apprehen&s;ions of God, To &s;hut the eyes of &s;en&s;e, and look upon God only by Faith, not to think on God, as you for the pre&s;ent &s;ee him, and apprehend him, but as he hath revealed him&s;elf in his Word.</P>
<P>And though you are not able at pre&s;ent to evidence him &s;uch a God to you, as he hath manife&s;ted him&s;elf in his Word, yet by faith conclude him &s;o, when you can|not cleer him &s;o. Thus <HI>Job</HI> did; &s;o <HI>Job.</HI> 13. <HI>The&s;e things ha&s;t thou hid in thy heart,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 10.13.</NOTE> <HI>yet J know that this is with thee, though</HI> I
<PB N="168" REF="97"><HI>cannot &s;ee it; yet</HI> I <HI>doe beleeve it, though</HI> I <HI>cannot cleer it, yet</HI> I <HI>doe conclude it.</HI> And thus the Church, 36. <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> 16. <HI>Doubtle&s;&s;e thou art our Father;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 63.16.</NOTE> She will not be rea|&s;oned out of her faith, &s;he will hold the conclu&s;ion of faith again&s;t all the evi|dence that &s;en&s;e and rea&s;on can bring to the contrary: This is with <HI>Uly&s;&s;es,</HI> to bind our &s;elves fa&s;t to the ma&s;t, and not &s;uffer our &s;elves to be charmed away, to the de|&s;truction and undoing of our own &s;ouls.</P>
<P>And the&s;e are the three times that Chri&s;t &s;eems to appear as a Gho&s;t to his own people.</P>
<P>Now there are foure times Chri&s;t ap|pears as a Gho&s;t to wicked men.</P>
<P N="1">1. When he comes with his Fan in his hand, to purge and reform his Church; men look upon Reformation as their de|&s;truction, And think Chri&s;t comes to de&s;troy them, when he comes to reforme them, men may &s;ometimes look upon that as the greate&s;t evill, which yet is in|tended for their greate&s;t good. It is the Speech of <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> upon this place, That there &s;hall be &s;uch troubles &s;hall a|ri&s;e about the fourth watch, a little be|iore the end of all things, that men &s;hall look upon Religion, &s;hall I &s;ay, becau&s;e
<PB N="169" REF="97">of the troubles that it rai&s;es, when it comes to be &s;etled in its Power and Glo|ry,
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Res Chri|&s;tiana phan|ta&s;ma videtur.</NOTE> they &s;hall look upon Religion as a Gho&s;t: Not becau&s;e Religion will hurt them, but hurt their &s;ins.</P>
<P>How ju&s;tly may that be applyed to us now, which was &s;poken of <HI>I&s;rael, When I would have healed I&s;rael, then the iniquity of I&s;rael did appeare.</HI> So it is with us, when the Lord would heale us, and reforme us, then doth the iniquity of men, the malice, the pride, the hatred of the purity of Or|dinances, then doe all the&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ppeare. What is the ground of all this trouble a|mong us now? why are &s;o many up in Arms,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Vitia no&s;tra quia amamus, defendimus.</NOTE> but to keep out Chri&s;t, in the Power and purity of his Ordinances. Reformation is now the Gho&s;t, that hath frighted them into Arms, men that are afraid, they run unto their weapons; &s;o they, frighted with the Gho&s;t of Refor|mation, get up weapons, put them&s;elves in armes to oppo&s;e it. So long as Refor|mation is looked upon as an enemy, it &s;hall finde enemies enow, though in|deed it is an enemy to nothing but their &s;innes.</P>
<P>A &s;econd time when he appeares as a Gho&s;t to them
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Haec in e&s;t nobis perver|&s;itas, ut quae vere mala &s;unt non timea|mus, &amp; ea quae nocere ne po&s;&s;unt formidemus. Mu&s;c. in loc.</NOTE> when he comes to re|form
<PB N="170" REF="98">their Per&s;ons, then they cannot a|way withall, they fear holine&s;&s;e, love &s;in, that which &s;hould be object of hatred, is object of love, and that which &s;hould be object of love, is object of feare, they can|not brook holy wayes, they will not &s;ub|ject to the Lawes of God, they cannot part with their &s;ins, take away their &s;ins, &amp; take away their be&s;t friends, they have been wicked, and will be wicked. They thank God, they are no Changlings, In|deed not to change in a good way is com|mendable, but to be unchangeable in a bad way, is damnable. To be unchangably evill, is to be as Divells are, for ever &s;in|full, and for ever mi&s;erable. Fir&s;t cleer your way to be good, and then glory in our unchangeablene&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">A third time, when Chri&s;t appears as a gho&s;t to them, and that is, when they lie upon the bed of &s;ickne&s;&s;e, the bed of death, Oh then Chri&s;t is terrible, when a man &s;hall lye upon his death bed,
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Vadeo ne&s;|cio quo, ens entium mi&s;e|rere mei. Animula va|gula biandula quae nunc Abibis in loca. de Adriau. dicitur.</NOTE> and connot tell what &s;hall become of his &s;oul to all eternity; when a man &s;hall &s;ay, as once a great per&s;on did in the &s;ame condition. I cannot live, I dare not dye, he knows not what &s;hall become of him to all eternity, when he &s;hall behold his
<PB N="171" REF="98">friends weeping over him, but cannot helpe him, his relations and comforts lea|ving him, his riches not able to relieve him, his &s;innes pre&s;ented and &s;et in order before him, and a di&s;plea&s;ed and wrath|full God ready to de&s;troy him. Oh here God appeares as a Gho&s;t indeed. You made bug-beares,
<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">There &s;hal come in the la&s;t dayes &s;coffers, <GAP DESC="foreign">. Such as &s;hall make childrens play of all the terrors of the Lord, 2 Pet. 3 3.</NOTE> childrens play, and &s;coffed at all the terrors of the Lord be|fore, but now they appeare reallities to you. The precepts of the Law were a gho&s;t to you in your life, and the terrors of the Law are now a gho&s;t to you at death: the comforts of the Lord were a gho&s;t to you before, and ju&s;t it is, the terrors of the Lord &s;hould be a gho&s;t to you now.</P>
<P N="4">4 A fourth time, and that is at the day of judgement, when Heaven and Earth and all the world is on fire; then &s;hall Chri&s;t appeare as a Gho&s;t indeed full of terror to every wicked and ungodly per|&s;on. We reade, that the wicked at that day,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Rev. 16.17.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall call upon the mountaines to fall upon them, to hide them from the face of him that &s;itteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lambe, for the day of wrath is come, and who &s;hall be able to beare it?</HI> In their thoughts, they were better able to
<PB N="172" REF="99">beare the weight of Rocks, of Mountains on them, then the &s;ight of Chri&s;t: &s;o ter|rible will Chri&s;t appeare to ungodly men at that great day.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Oh then, knowing the terror of the Lord, we per&s;wade you; Chri&s;tians! as you would not have Chri&s;t to appeare as a Gho&s;t to you, terrible at the day of death, terrible at the day of judgement: let him not appeare as a Gho&s;t to you now.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Optima &s;e|curitas <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> Let him not appeare terrible to you in his word, in his wor&s;hip, in his lawes, in his truth. If Chri&s;t be a terror to you now in the&s;e wayes, a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves he will be a terror to you hereaf|ter. Be willing then to receive Chri&s;t in his truth, in his wor&s;hip, wayes, &amp;c. Bid him welcome in your hou&s;es, your hearts: if Chri&s;t be not a terror to you now, if you can brook with &s;trict and ex|act walking, if you can brook the power and purity of his ordinances, he will ne|ver be a terror to you hereafter.</P>
<P>This is all I &s;hall &s;ay of the &s;econd: the Di&s;ciples thoughts and apprehen&s;ions of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>We come to the third; and that is the effects of the&s;e apprehen&s;ions.</P>
<P>Which were two fold.
<PB N="173" REF="99">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 <HI>Ad intra.</HI> They were troubled.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 <HI>Ad extra.</HI> They cryed out for feare.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>We begin with the fir&s;t, The effect of this apprehen&s;ion in them&s;elves.</P>
<P><Q>[They were troubled.]</Q></P>
<P>But this was farre from Chri&s;ts end, he came to helpe them, and not to terri|fie them, to relieve them, not to di&s;quiet them; how came it to pa&s;s that they were troubled? Certainly they were not af|fraid of deliverance, that was that which they de&s;ired; but they were terrified at the manner of Chri&s;ts comming to deli|ver them.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Chri&s;t may come to helpe his people in &s;uch a way, as yet the very means of helpe may be a terror to them. I &s;ay, Chri&s;t may come in &s;uch a way to deliver his people, as yet the appearance of Chri&s;t may be a terror to them. It is the &s;peech of one upon this,
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Ade&s;t Chri|&s;tus ut eos ju|vet, &amp; t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">men ip&s;i horrent venientem.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is comming here to helpe them, and yet they feare his approach.</P>
<P>Thus it was with the children of I&s;ra|el in Egypt, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> came to helpe them, and yet they were afraid of his comming, they &s;aw things went wor&s;e with them then before, and therefore they de&s;ired him to be gone and let them alone; they
<PB N="174" REF="100">would rather continue in their former bondage, then indure the pains of a deli|verance, <HI>Exod.</HI> 5.21.</P>
<P>God delivered <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> out of pri&s;on, but it was by an earthquake: a terrible way. So God doth &s;ometimes come to deliver his Church, but yet by earthquakes, by land-quakes, by great commotions, as is prophe&s;ied, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.13. and thought to be now in fulfilling.</P>
<P>This is a terrible way, though a way of deliverance.</P>
<P>We reade in <HI>Ioel</HI> 2.21. <HI>Fear not O land, bee glad and rejoyce, for the Lord will doe great things for you.</HI> It was a time of joy in re&s;pect of the deliverance God purpo|&s;ed to work for them, but yet a time of feare, in re&s;pect of the manner and way which God might take to deliver them.</P>
<P>You have an excellent Scripture for this, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 65.5. <HI>By terrtble things in righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e wilt thou an&s;wer us, oh God of our &s;alvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth.</HI></P>
<P>The Saints had been praying, and here they had &s;ome an&s;wer in their &s;pirits, an a&s;&s;ured confidence that God would an|&s;wer them, yea, and an&s;wer them in righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, but yet by terrible things. <HI>By
<PB N="175" REF="100">terrible things in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e wilt thou an&s;wer us, O God of our &s;alvation.</HI></P>
<P>If you looke into the word, you &s;hall finde the wayes of Gods deliverance of his Churches, have yet for the mo&s;t part beene terrible wayes. I&s;rael was deli|vered from their bondage in Egypt, but yet the way was terrible, the enemies pur|&s;ued them, &amp; they were to pa&s;&s;e through the &s;ea for their deliverance.</P>
<P><HI>Daniel</HI> was delivered out of the hands of his enemies, but the way was terrible, he mu&s;t be given into the pawes of hun|gry Lions, to be delivered from the hands of cruell men.</P>
<P>The Three Children were delivered, but the way was terrible, by fire, from fire.</P>
<P><HI>Jonah</HI> was delivered, but the way was terrible, by a Whale which &s;wallowed him up; his devourer, is his deliverer.</P>
<P>When Chri&s;t &s;hall come to deliver his Church at the end of all things, you read how terrible the way is; <HI>Luke</HI> 21.25, &amp;c. <HI>There &s;hall be &s;ignes in the Sunne, and in the Moone, and in the Starres, and upon the Earth di&s;tre&s;&s;e of Nations; the Sea and waters roaring, mens hearts failing them for feare, and for looking after the things that &s;hall come upon the Earth, for the pow|ers
<PB N="176" REF="101">of heaven &s;hall be &s;haken.</HI> A very terri|ble way; yet the way of deliverance, as followes: <HI>And when you &s;ee the&s;e things to come to pa&s;&s;e, then lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.</HI> Here was deliverance you &s;ee to the godly, but yet the way of deliverance was a terrible way.</P>
<P>So that you &s;ee the Doctrine is plaine. Chri&s;t may come to helpe his people in &s;uch a way, that the very meanes of helpe may be a terror to them.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> I &s;hall make the application which one doth upon this place.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Non de|&s;pondeamus animum, ta|met&s;i quae no|bis auxilio fore promit|titur, quan|do&abque; &s;peciem quandam in|teritus affe|rant, &amp;c. Cartw. in loc.</NOTE> Let us not be di&s;couraged, or too much ca&s;t downe; though tho&s;e things which are u&s;ed for our deliverance, may carry the face of de&s;truction with them. Who will reject a Potion becau&s;e it is bitter, an Antidote, becau&s;e there is poy&s;on in it. As Phy&s;itians can order poy&s;onous and di&s;tructive ingredients, to phy&s;icall and u&s;efull purpo&s;es; &s;o God can make tho&s;e things, which in them&s;elves are e|vill, for the good of his people.</P>
<P>The man-childe of deliverance is not brought forth without pangs: ill hu|mours long in growing, are not removed without paine. Sometimes the fiering of
<PB N="177" REF="101">the pri&s;on, hath been a deliverance of the pri&s;oner. A blow with a &s;word hath bro|ken an Impo&s;tume in the head. Tho&s;e things which in them&s;elves &s;eeme hurt|full and di&s;tructive, God is able to u&s;e them as helpefull, and turne them to our comfort.</P>
<P>And therefore wee are not to bee too much ca&s;t downe. God would have us to &s;ee deliverance even through de&s;tructi|on, and comfort through confu&s;ion. God doth often put his people to &s;uck honey out of the Rock, and oile out of the flinty Rock, <HI>Dout.</HI> 32.13.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gloria habi|tat in rupibus Ciem. Alex.</NOTE> Glory dwels in the Rocks, and deliverance in difficulties. And therefore let not your &s;pirits &s;inke under the &s;ad appearance of things.</P>
<P>But yet we have great cau&s;e to be hum|bled: though you are not to be ca&s;t down to de&s;peration, yet are wee to be ca&s;t downe to humiliation: that God mu&s;t take &s;uch &s;ad wayes to do us good, that God &s;hould work us good by &s;uch terri|ble means, wee have cau&s;e to bee hum|bled.</P>
<P>Had it not beene for our &s;innes, the de|liverance of his Church might have been brought about in a more comfortable way, reformation might have been &s;etled
<PB N="178" REF="102">in a peaceable way, without blood. But our &s;ins have cau&s;ed God to lay the foun|dation of <HI>Englands</HI> future good, in <HI>Eng|lands</HI> pre&s;ent mi&s;ery.</P>
<P>And therefore we have cau&s;e to be hum|bled for it this day. We hope God is tra|velling in the greate&s;t of his &s;trength, to deliver his poore bleeding and langui&s;h|ing Church. But the way is terrible to fle&s;h and blood. For this let us be hum|bled.</P>
<P>But yet, though the meanes of &s;alvati|on and deliverance be &s;o terrible, let us take heed that &s;alvation it &s;elfe become not a terror to us, though the phy&s;ick be terrible, let health be de&s;irable: though the way God takes to reforme us be ter|rible, yet let not reformation it &s;elfe be|come a terror to us.</P>
<P>And &s;o much for that doctrine, and for this time.</P>
<TRAILER>The end of the fourth Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="5" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="179" REF="102">
<P>_I Shall not carry you back to to the review of what I have &s;poken, Vnto all that I have &s;aid, Give me leave to adde this more. It calls in for as good a &s;hare of our paines, and of your attention, as any thing which hath yet been delivered &mdash;</P>
<P><Q>[They were troubled.]</Q></P>
<P><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Quid hoe e&s;t Domine? venis ut metus tol|las; &amp; illis oc|ca&s;ionem prae|bes, qua vehc|mentius ti|ment! Baez.</NOTE> What is this LORD? Thou com|me&s;t to take away their feares; and gi|ve&s;t occa&s;ion of more fear!
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Timent Apo|&s;toli, &amp;, ut &s;ol|vat timorem vehementius auget. Baez.</NOTE> The Apo|&s;tles feared; and that he might deliver them from fear, he augments their fear. was it not terror enough to be in the midds of the Sea; to&s;&s;ed with waves, the winde contrary; and in the darke of the night? But that CHRIST &s;hould adde fear to fear? It &s;peakes thus much.</P>
<P><NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Quanda ur|gentia mala expul&s;urus &s;it tum graviora &amp; teribiliora inducat. Chry|&s;o&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>Doct.</HI> GOD doth oftentimes en|crea&s;e
<PB N="180" REF="103">our troubles, when he comes to re|move our troubles.</P>
<P>The Phifitian doth often ca&s;t his Pati|ent into a <HI>Fever</HI> to cure a <HI>Lethargy:</HI> He makes him a <HI>Little Sick,</HI> for his <HI>Greater Health.</HI> Wee often make the Patient <HI>more &s;ick</HI> for the pre&s;ent, to Cure him of his <HI>&s;ickne&s;se.</HI> The Chirurgion doth Cut and Lance, which is increa&s;ing of the pain for the pre&s;ent: But yet it is for the removing of the Paine for the future:
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Plagam &s;a|naturus, ali|am graviorem priori infliget. Cartwr.</NOTE> So <HI>God</HI> doth u&s;ually <HI>Increa&s;e</HI> the trou|bles of his People, When he comes to <HI>Remove</HI> the troubles of his People.</P>
<P>You &s;ee this in the <HI>I&s;raelites:</HI> GOD had taken notice of the afflictions of his People in <HI>Egypt;</HI> and he came down to <HI>remove</HI> them; and for this end, he &s;ent <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> to <HI>deliver</HI> them. But if you ob&s;erve the &s;tory, you &s;hall finde, That their <HI>troubles</HI> were <HI>far more encrea|&s;ed,</HI> before God did Deliver them. Their Bondage was made more heavy: The Task of Brick was Doubled: In&s;omuch that they were rather content to be in their <HI>former &s;lavery,</HI> then to endure the <HI>paines</HI> of a <HI>Deliuerance.</HI> And therefore the quarrell with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron:</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Exod. 5.19, 20, 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> they grow weary of their <HI>Deliverers:</HI> any of
<PB N="181" REF="103">their <HI>deliverance</HI> too; and de&s;ired rather to be as they were, even in their former bondage, then to be at the pains and co&s;ts of a <HI>Deliverance.</HI></P>
<P>A &s;tory which runs parallell with our Times, and (which is wor&s;e) our Spi|rits too: Which of us, with them, doe not look upon the Beginnings of our De|liverance (becau&s;e of the paines and co&s;ts of it) to be as bad as the Bottome of our &s;ufferings? And doe not many of us, wi&s;h, There never had been a Parlia|ment? doe we not wi&s;h; That they had never &s;ought to Deliver us? Are we not weary of our Deliverers? Nay, are wee not weary of our Deliverance? Rather content to be <HI>As we were,</HI> nay wor&s;e; then to endure the Paines, to be at the Co&s;ts, to run the hazard of a Deliverance? Thus God <HI>increa&s;eth our Troubles,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Signum e&s;t in propinquo a|de&s;le con&s;ola|tionem a Do|mino, &s;i quan|do tentatio ad &s;upremum u&s;|que crevi&s;&s;e deprehendi|tur. Mu&s;e.</NOTE> when yet he comes to <HI>Remove our Troubles.</HI></P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee in <HI>Iacob;</HI> God inten|ded to Deliver him; and yet you &s;ee, be|fore God did deliver him, hee Increa&s;ed both in his Fears and his Dangers; as you may &s;ee in the Story both of <HI>Lahan</HI> and <HI>E&s;au.</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gen. 25, 26.</NOTE> <HI>Lahan</HI> followed him, and would be avenged on him, for taking away his gods.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Gen. 32.6, 7.8.</NOTE> And <HI>E&s;au,</HI> he came out again&s;t
<PB N="182" REF="104">him, for to be revenged for the taking a|way his Birth-wright. An Hard Father, And a Cruell Brother! And <HI>God</HI> was in the way now of <HI>Iacobs</HI> Deliverance.</P>
<P>So you &s;ee in <HI>David.</HI> God had a Pur|po&s;e to Deliver him, as he had promi&s;ed: But yet you
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">i Sam. 23.26, 27, 28. 1 Sam. 24.3, 4 1 Sam. 26.2, 3.</NOTE> &s;ee how God did Increa&s;e his Troubles, before he did deliver him; In&s;omuch that he &s;aith, <HI>I &s;hall one day peri&s;h by the hand of Saul.</HI> 1. Sam. 27.1. To &s;uch a height were his troubles ray|&s;ed, that now they had over&s;welled his Faith, and in regard of the &s;trange procee|dings of Gods Providence to him, he be|gins to doubt of the truth of the promi|&s;es made to him. <HI>I &s;hall one day peri&s;h,</HI>&mdash; I cannot ever hold out, I have e&s;caped this time miraculou&s;ly out of his hands, as you &s;ee in the former Chapter, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 26. But I &s;hall one day be a prey to his cruelty, certainly I cannot ever hold out, <HI>I &s;hall one day peri&s;h</HI> &mdash; To this height did God rai&s;e histroubles, before he de|livered him.</P>
<P>So <HI>Iob.</HI> God intended to Deliver him. But yet you &s;ee,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quo magis &s;a|lus appropin|quit, eo magis acuit dolores. Baez.</NOTE> The neerer he grew to Deliverance out of Trouble, the more was his Trouble increa&s;ed on him.</P>
<P>And if you &s;hould aske me, Why
<PB N="183" REF="104">God doth increa&s;e our Troubles, when he comes to Remove our Troubles; I would tell you: God doth it to make the Increa&s;e of our Troubles.</P>
<P N="1">1. The di&s;covery of our hearts. So you &s;ee in the Eighth of <HI>Deutr.</HI> 16.17. where <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> tells them the rea&s;on, why God led them Fourty yeers through the Wilderne&s;&s;e: It was
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Timorem auget ut no&s;tram fidem probaret, &amp; &s;uam vertu|tem declarat.</NOTE> To try them, and to Prove them, and Di&s;cover what was in their hearts. Not but that God knew it: But God would have them to know it. And this was one rea&s;on here, why he did &s;end his Di&s;ciples to Sea, and &s;uffered them to be to&s;&s;ed, To di&s;cover their Spirit, their Faith, their feare, their Patience, their Impatience, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Hence Troubles and Afflictions are called <HI>Gods Fanne,</HI> that will di&s;cover Wheat from Chaffe; and <HI>Gods Fining Pot,</HI> and <HI>Fire,</HI> that will di&s;tingui&s;h be|tween dro&s;&s;e and Gold, <HI>Gods Touch-&s;tone,</HI> that will di&s;cover Counterfeit and True Coyne.</P>
<P>Wee had never known <HI>Abrahams</HI> Faith and Love; <HI>Davids</HI> Piety; Jobs Patience; <HI>Pauls</HI> Courage and Con&s;tan|cy; If they had not been brought upon exerci&s;es. Nor &s;hould wee &s;o well di|&s;cerne
<PB N="184" REF="105">either our &s;innes or our graces, our &s;trength, or our weakne&s;&s;e, if God did not exerci&s;e us with troubles and difficul|ties.</P>
<P>If Gods children &s;hould ever lye in Garri&s;on, neither their &s;trength, nor their weakne&s;&s;e; their &s;ins, nor their gra|ces would be known. And therefore God doth bring them out into the field, doth exerci&s;e them with many difficulties and troubles, that &s;o they might be di&s;cove|red both to them&s;elves, and to others. Hence you read in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.7. <HI>You are in heavine&s;&s;e, through many temptations, that the triall of your faith might be found to the glory of God.</HI></P>
<P>And it was upon this ground, GOD brought <HI>Iob</HI> into &s;o many difficulties, that his Faith and Patience might be di&s;cove|red, and Satan for ever confuted and con|founded. You know it wes the Devills argument concerning <HI>Job,</HI> (and it was true in the mayne) God &s;aid, that <HI>Job was an holy and patient man.</HI> Why but (&s;aith Satan) what thanks is there to him for that? he mu&s;t needs be patient, who hath nothing to di&s;turbe his patience, or pro|voke impatience.</P>
<P>And the Argument was true in the
<PB N="185" REF="105">main, when all things which are fewll for patience are enjoyed, when a man hath what his heart can wi&s;h: what tryall of Patience?</P>
<P>Therefore doth God bring <HI>Iob</HI> into the Field, exerci&s;e him with an hard Battell; wherein hee had not onely to deale with Satan, but his friends too, as enemies. Nay God him&s;elfe &s;eemes al&s;o to joyn with Satan; not only by withdrawing of him|&s;elfe from him, but by po&s;&s;itive inflicting of di&s;plea&s;ure upon his &s;pirit. <HI>Thou figh|te&s;t again&s;t mee with all thy terrours, and o|verwhelmest me with all thy waves. Iob</HI> 13.</P>
<P>And all this while God increa&s;ed his troubles to di&s;cover his heart.</P>
<P>When God brings judgements and calamities on a nation, he is &s;aid to &s;ift a nation, <HI>Amos.</HI> 9.9. <HI>Troubles are Gods &s;ieve.</HI> The greater the troubles, the &s;mal|ler and finer is Gods &s;ieve: &s;mal troubles, they are but a cour&s;e &s;ieve; they will not bee able to di&s;cover the flower from the bran; much bran, notwith&s;tanding this &s;ifting will pa&s;&s;e through. <HI>Orpha</HI> may goe farre with <HI>Ruth,</HI> but will not goe throughout. The Scribe came to Chri&s;t, and would have gone farre, if you will be|lieve him upon his &s;olemne prote&s;tations,
<PB N="186" REF="106"><HI>Ma&s;ter,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Matth. 19, 20, 21.</NOTE> <HI>I will follow thee wither&s;oever thou goe&s;t:</HI> but when he heard it was a matter of paines and hard&s;hip, he mu&s;t bee con|tent to lye with Chri&s;t in the fields,&mdash; <HI>The Foxes have holes, and the Fowles of the ayre have ne&s;ts, but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head,</HI> then hee returnes home to his warme bed,
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Quid fine domo &s;i non &s;ine domino &s;ine lecto, &amp; non &s;ine Chri|&s;to fulgens.</NOTE> rather con|tenting him&s;elfe to have his bed without Chri&s;t, than Chri&s;t without a bed.</P>
<P>And as big profe&s;&s;ions the young man made al&s;o:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">19 Matth. 16.</NOTE> he would follow him too, but when it came to the di&s;covery, that it was a matter of co&s;t to follow Chri&s;t, he was to goe <HI>&s;ell all and give to the poore,</HI> then he leaves him, though &s;orrowing. While Peace and Plenty, Religion and injoy|ments go hand in hand together; &s;o long many will be religious: but if once god|line&s;&s;e comes to bee a matter of co&s;t, if once Religion and riches &s;hake hands and mu&s;t part,; if the world goe one way, &amp; Chri&s;t another, then with the young man they leave him, and follow that Ma|&s;ter they love better.</P>
<P>The <HI>Stony ground</HI> went far too;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">13. Matt. 20, 21.</NOTE> It re|ceived the &s;eed a&s;wel as the be&s;t; It &s;prang up, promi&s;ed as much as the be&s;t. But the Sun &s;cortcheth; in the times of per&s;ecu|tion,
<PB N="187" REF="106">when troubles and per&s;ecutions ari&s;e becau&s;e of the Word: by and by he is offended.</P>
<P>Many that are good, for want of temp|tation, like the Weather-Cock, they &s;tand this way, for want of a &s;tronger wind. It is a &s;trange thing to &s;ee upon what &s;light and ea&s;ie grounds many doe adhere, and more doe fall off from the cau&s;e of God.</P>
<P>Some there are that adhere to it as the Beare-bind to the Wheat,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Hic e&s;t nos vulgi quod magno ex par te religionem ventris cau&s;a, &amp; emolumen|ti colit hoc corruptum vulgi ingeni|um notat Pro|pheta. Chem. 2 Micac. 11.</NOTE> or as the Ivie to the tree, not becau&s;e they love it, but becau&s;e it nouri&s;heth them, they can &s;uck leaves and berries from it: the&s;e hold to it for matter of gaine: others againe, be|cau&s;e it is matter of co&s;t, therefore they fall off from it; the more co&s;tly things, the le&s;&s;s lovely.</P>
<P>Some againe that hold to it out of private and per&s;onal ingagements,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quicunque occupati &s;unt negotiis rei|publicae, de|bent hoc ip&s;um facere propter De|um. Rab. Ga<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> friend|&s;hip, love, relations; and others upon the &s;ame ground, or el&s;e upon &s;ome per&s;onal grudges to &s;ome that appear in it, fall off from it: what di&s;-&s;ervice we have had by &s;uch private &s;pirits wee all know to our co&s;t.&mdash;</P>
<P>It was the behaviour of <HI>Themi&s;tocles</HI> and <HI>Ari&s;tides,</HI> when ever they were im|ployed
<PB N="188" REF="107">in the publike &s;ervice of the &s;tate, they left all their private enmities in the borders of their owne Countrey, and did not re&s;ume them, till they returned and became private men: It had been well for us, if the publike affections to the cau&s;e, (in tho&s;e who have appeared in it) might have &s;wallowed up all per&s;onall, and pri|vate grudges and di&s;contents.&mdash;</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee the many &s;lender grounds and ends that weak and deceitfull &s;pirits have, and doe propound to them&s;elves in their adhering to, and falling off from the cau&s;e of God: pitty it were that Re|ligion, &s;o precious a thing, &s;hould have &s;uch a&s;&s;ertors! to who&s;e defence I know nothing &s;o meane, but is too good to bee intru&s;ted. Woe bee to us if Religion &s;tands in need of &s;uch defenders.&mdash;</P>
<P>Men who&s;e Morives are from without, are like unto clocks, carried about with waights, &amp; have no principle of motion within &amp; therefore
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Nullum vio|lentum e&s;t perpetuum, Simulata non diu durant.</NOTE> can never hold long to any cau&s;e: he that will &s;erve God for outward re&s;pects, may be drawne to &s;erve the Devill for the &s;ame, if hee may mend his wages: hee is unfit for a &s;ouldier of Chri&s;t who hath an eve to things vi&s;ible,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">11 Heb. 27.</NOTE> but wants an eye to &s;ee him that is invi|&s;ible, 11. <HI>Heb.</HI> 27.</P>
<PB N="189" REF="107">
<P>That which inabled the Apo&s;tles to goe through all tho&s;e difficulties as true &s;ouldiers of Chri&s;t, which you may read at large in the 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4, 8, 9. &amp;c.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 4.8, 9, 10.17.18.</NOTE> It was this, they looked not at the things that were &s;eene, but to tho&s;e things which are
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Eternita<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters"> pingo, better aeternitate pugno.</NOTE> not &s;een, <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 18. Chri&s;tians, the&s;e times will unca&s;e you; they will di&s;co|ver the bottome of your hearts: they will not make them that are good bad, but onely di&s;cover mens badne&s;&s;e. It is true what one &s;aith, <HI>A hypocrite is but an Apo|&s;tate vayled; and an Apostate is but an hy|pocrite revealed.</HI> Had wee not had the&s;e times of tryall, wee had not had &s;o many hearts di&s;covered; As the Apo&s;tle &s;aith,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> Tim. 5.2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>Some mens &s;innes goe before them to judge|ment, &s;ome follow after:</HI> So here, though many had been di&s;covered, yet &s;ome men had pa&s;&s;ed this life for Saints; whereas, now their &s;ins goe before them, to judge|ment; their hearts are layd open, be|fore tho&s;e bookes are opened. How many that in former times would have &s;aid, <HI>Come &s;ee my zeal for the Lord of Ho&s;ts,</HI> with <HI>Iehu,</HI> who would have &s;ided again&s;t the corruptions of the times, who now with <HI>Iehu,</HI> doe march furiou&s;ly again&s;t the Reformation of them? And as it was
<PB N="190" REF="108">&s;aid of the Spaniards of <HI>Aldens</HI> Compa|ny in <HI>Germany:</HI> they fired the Ca&s;tle of <HI>Lippa,</HI> which before they pretended to defend. So now they &s;et them&s;elves a|gain&s;t that, which before they pretended to advance.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Ficta Cito ad naturam redierint &s;u|am. Luke 2.34, 35</NOTE> And therefore to di&s;cover the bottome of mens hearts, and &s;pirits, as it was &s;aid of Chri&s;t, <HI>Luke</HI> 2.34, 35. That <HI>he was &s;et up for the fall and ri&s;ing of many in I&s;rael, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.</HI> So it may be &s;aid of our pre&s;ent troubles.&mdash; And we have &s;eene enough, Treacheries and Apo&s;ta&s;ies enough, falenes enough. Oh! that God would now &s;tabli&s;h the hearts of tho&s;e, who&s;e hands have undertaken the worke! that he would &s;ift us no longer, but now make us up in one Loafe: At lea&s;t thus far, To be of one undivided &s;pirit for the publike good! And this is the fir&s;t rea&s;on.</P>
<P>God doth often increa&s;e our troubles, when hee comes to remove our troubles; to di&s;couver our hearts; that the thoughts of many hearts might bee revealed: that, as the Apo&s;tle &s;ayes of Here&s;ies, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.18, 19.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.18, 19.</NOTE> <HI>I heare there are devi&s;ions among you, Schi&s;mes, Sects; and I partly believe it:</HI> For &s;aith he, <HI>There mu&s;t be Here&s;ies a|mong you, that they that are approved might
<PB N="191" REF="108">be made manife&s;t among you.</HI> That is, that tho&s;e who are &s;ound, who&s;e hearts are up|right might be di&s;covered: What the A|po&s;tle &s;ays of Here&s;ies, I may &s;ay of the&s;e troubles: There mu&s;t be troubles among you, and nece&s;&s;ary that the&s;e troubles &s;hould be increa&s;ed, that they who are ap|proved might bee made manife&s;t. That the dro&s;&s;e might bee knowne from the gold. the counterfeit from the true, the corrupt from the &s;incere, the Cha&s;t from the Corne, the precious from the vile, the Tares from the Wheat.</P>
<P>Which though it be not yet fully ma|nife&s;ted; yet I feare God will heighten our troubles, and increa&s;e our difficulties, till hee hath made further di&s;coveries. Our de&s;ire is rather, that God would u&s;e naturall Spirits for Spirituall purpo&s;es; &s;tabli&s;h them we have, than to le&s;&s;en the number of them. However, it &s;hall bee my admonition to you all, which Chri&s;t gave the Churches in that day, when they are to fight the great battell again&s;t An|tichri&s;t: (which &s;ome think hath beene begun the&s;e many yeares in <HI>Germany,</HI> and now in <HI>Ireland,</HI> whatever it is in <HI>Eng|land.</HI> You &s;hall find it in <HI>Rev.</HI> 16.15. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is he that watcheth and keepeth his
<PB N="192" REF="109">garments clean, le&s;t he walke naked, and they they &s;ee his &s;hame.</HI></P>
<P>You have (many of you) had a good e&s;teeme in your places; <HI>you have run well,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.7.</NOTE> you have been &s;uch as have &s;ometimes appeared for God; you have had a gatment of Profe&s;&s;ion; frequented Sermons; holy exerci&s;es; given in &s;ome te&s;timony again&s;t the corrupti|ons of the times formerly. Why this is my admonition; <HI>Keep fa&s;t your garments, lo&s;e not the things you have wrought,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Ep. Joh. 8.</NOTE> lo&s;e not that e&s;teem you have had, keep fa&s;t your gar|ments, le&s;t you walk naked, and your &s;hame be di&s;covered.</HI> That is, le&s;t all your former profe&s;&s;ions be di&s;covered nothing el&s;e but hypocri&s;ie, le&s;t all your former e&s;teeme be lo&s;t, your nakedne&s;&s;e and your &s;hame, the un&s;oundne&s;&s;e and rottenne&s;&s;e of your hearts be di&s;covered. And &s;o much for the fir&s;t rea&s;on. I have been too large.&mdash;</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> God doth increa&s;e our troubles, when he comes to remove our troubles; to make the increa&s;e of our troubles, the le&s;&s;ening of our &s;innes. God doth bring Troubles on us, and by them doth le&s;&s;en our e&s;tates, our trea&s;ure, our comforts, it may be our relations: And all this, that he might le&s;&s;en our &s;innes.
<PB N="193" REF="109">He troubles us for &s;inne, becau&s;e wee troubled him by &s;inne. He makes us bear a little for &s;inne, becau&s;e we make him to bear much: He complaines under them, that he is pre&s;&s;ed as a Cart is pre&s;&s;ed with &s;heaves.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Amos 13.</NOTE></P>
<P>Chri&s;t hath &s;hed his bloud for &s;inne, and he de&s;ires not our bloud for &s;atisfa|ction, hee would rather have our teares than our bloud. But becau&s;e we will not give him teares, therefore hee requires bloud. Becau&s;e we will not be humbled and reformed, therefore he threatens to humble us, to de&s;troy us. Doth God af|flict us, it is becau&s;e we have &s;inned: Doth God increa&s;e our troubles? it is becau&s;e we have increa&s;ed our &s;innes: And if you would have God to remove them, you mu&s;t le&s;&s;en your &s;innes. Are your trou|bles grievous? let your &s;ins bee grievous. Would you have God to ea&s;e you? doe you ea&s;e him. There is no rea&s;on you &s;hould expect, God &s;hall ea&s;e you, when you burthen him every day. Would you not have God to put more Cords into your whip, more Twigs into your Rod? would you not have God to increa&s;e your troubles? doe you le&s;&s;en your &s;ins, le&s;&s;en your pride; let &s;ome plume fall off, or
<PB N="194" REF="110">God will humble you, le&s;&s;en your cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e, or God will le&s;&s;en your &s;tore: Le&s;&s;en your drunkenne&s;&s;e, or God will pull the cup from your no&s;e, and make you thir&s;t for a drop: Le&s;&s;en your abu&s;e of creatures, or God will de&s;troy the creatures.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Ho&s;. 8.</NOTE> <HI>Hee will call for the corn, wine, and oyle, in the day thereof. Ho&s;.</HI> 2.8. Le&s;&s;en your Bla&s;phemies, prophanation of the Sabbath: Let it never be &s;aid of us, as of that wicked <HI>Ahaz,</HI> that <HI>in the time of his affliction he yet tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed more again&s;t the Lord,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 28.22.</NOTE> 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> 22.22. He is marked in that Chapter, and with this brand, <HI>This is that wicked Ahaz;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plectimur a Deo, nec flec|timur tamen, corripimur fed non cor|rigimur. Sal|vian.</NOTE> as if God would note him our for the vile&s;t wretch in the world, who would grow wor&s;e by corre|ctions, who would &s;inne under all Gods la&s;hings.</P>
<P>It is good when God humbles us, to humble our &s;elves:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Erudiri cupio flagellis non erui. Bern. in Cant. 33.</NOTE> when God le&s;&s;ens our Comforts, that wee &s;hould le&s;&s;en our pride.</P>
<P>I will &s;ay thus much to you: God will make the increa&s;e of your trouble to be &s;erviceable to the increa&s;e of your Deliverances; if you make the increa&s;e of your troubles to &s;erve for the le&s;&s;ening of your &s;ins.</P>
<PB N="195" REF="110">
<P N="3">3. <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> God doth increa&s;e our troubles, when he comes to remove them, that we might increa&s;e our duties.</P>
<P>The louder God &s;peakes to us, the lou|der &s;hould we &s;peake to God. Ordina|ry duties will not &s;erve for extraordinary times. When God doubles his &s;trokes, we &s;hould double our &s;trength to wre&s;tle with God; when he multiplies troubles, wee &s;hould multiply prayers. The greater out &s;traites, the greater, &s;hould be our inlargements. The greater our Difficulties, the more earne&s;t and fervent our Prayers. Chri&s;tians, ordi|nary Prayers will not &s;erve for extraor|dinary pre&s;&s;ures. Our pre&s;ent trou|bles are Gods Spurs and Goads in our &s;ides to quicken our pace in our way to Heaven. God drives us from our homes to drive us from our &s;innes: God fires us out of our hou&s;es, that hee might fire us out of our Formalities. Hee threa|tens to lay our outward condition low, that hee might rai&s;e our Spirits high, Difficulties &s;hould much quicken us to duties: God &s;aith &s;o, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5. <HI>ult. In the time of their affliction they will &s;eek me ear|ly. i.e.</HI> Diligently.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Ho&s;. ult.</NOTE> Then will they wre|&s;tle with God in prayer. You reade, when
<PB N="196" REF="111"><HI>Iacobs</HI> troubles were increa&s;ed,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 32.24.</NOTE> he went to Prayer: he fir&s;t wre&s;tled with God, be|fore he went to encounter with his Bro|ther; not doubting, but if he could over|come God, he &s;hould overcome his bro|ther. When <HI>Hezekiahs</HI> troubles were in|crea&s;ed, then were his prayers al&s;o. The like of <HI>David,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 19.14</NOTE> <HI>He&s;ter, &amp;c.</HI> and &s;hould be &s;o with us. The troubles below &s;hould &s;end us to &s;eek for comfort above. Diffi|culties are to grace as Bellowes to the fire, to intend it and make it burne more vehemently. It is &s;aid of Chri&s;t him|&s;elfe, That being in an Agony he prayed more
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Ardentius o|rabat exten&s;i|us, inten&s;ius orabat. Luke 22.44.</NOTE> fervently: not that he did not pray fervently at all times; not that there could be any coldnes in that brea&s;t, where heaven burnt &s;o hotly: But he ex|pre&s;t him&s;elfe with more fervency: or the expre&s;&s;ions of Chri&s;t were according to the pre&s;ent condition he was then in. And &s;o it teacheth us when we are in A|gonies, (as now we are) even in an Ago|ny of blood, not wre&s;tling with the wrath of God indeed, but with the wrath of men, the <HI>powers of darkne&s;&s;e</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Qua fronte te audiria deo po&s;tulas, cum te ip&s;e non audias? Cypr. de orat. dom.</NOTE>:) Then &s;hould we pray with all fervency; yea,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Vult Deus rogari vult cogi, vult quadam im|portunitate vinci, bona haec violentia e&s;t qua Deus non offendi|tur, &s;ed pla|catur. Greg. in P&s;al. 6. Poeni.</NOTE> and wre&s;tle with God by faith and promi&s;es, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 27.5. by his own might,
<PB N="197" REF="111">and joyne teares with prayers, humilia|tion with &s;upplication. Therefore doth God increa&s;e our troubles, that we might increa&s;e our duties; both the number, and the weight of them, the length and the &s;trength of them. Mighty nece&s;&s;ities call in for mighty wre&s;tlings: ingage that God who is &s;tronger then the &s;tronge&s;t, wi&s;er then the wi&s;e&s;t: intere&s;t that Chri&s;t, who can both over-plot and over|power all his adver&s;aries; who is fuller of mercy, then they can be of wrath a|gain&s;t us&mdash;</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 4. God doth increa&s;e our trou|bles, when hee comes to remove them, that he might increa&s;e our deliverances. So much as comes into a trouble to in|crea&s;e that, &s;o much &s;hall come into a deliverance to heighten that. The &s;ame proportion God ob&s;erveth in difficulties, the &s;ame he al&s;o ob&s;erves in deliverances. God will make the ri&s;es of his people proportionable to their ca&s;tings down: where he layes the foundation low, there he intends a proportionable &s;tructure of mercy, to rai&s;e the building high. <HI>They who &s;ow in teares, &s;hall reape in joy;</HI> &amp; their harve&s;t &s;hall be as glorious as their &s;eed time hath been uncomfortable.</P>
<PB N="198" REF="112">
<P>You &s;ee the difficulties of the Chil|dren of I&s;rael, (which were &s;o much in|larged in Egypt, and at the Red-&s;ea) did all come into the inlargement of their deliverance. If the &s;trait had not been &s;o great, the inlargement had not beene &s;o glorious: if the trouble had not been &s;o &s;ad, the deliverance had not been &s;o joy|full. Reade the &s;tory, and you &s;hall finde that tho&s;e things which were additions to their troubles, were al&s;o made additi|ons to their deliverance. By this meanes they had a fuller and compleater delive|rance, as I have &s;hewed before. &mdash;</P>
<P>When &s;o many potent nations joyned together again&s;t <HI>Ieho&s;aphat,</HI> it did much increa&s;e the difficulty: when &s;o many po|tent Kings united all their &s;trength and power together. But yet looke, and you &s;hall finde this al&s;o increa&s;ed their deli|verance. By that meanes they were deli|vered of all their enemies at once, they &s;trook them off at one blow, as you reade 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> 20.1, 2, 3.22, 23, 24, &amp;c. If God had ruin'd them in the ri&s;e, broken in pieces their coun&s;els, &amp;c. neither had their de&s;truction beene &s;o grievous, nor his peoples deliverance &s;o glorious. But now &s;uffering them to bundle them&s;elves
<PB N="199" REF="112">together, and God delivering; as hee &s;hewes his mercy towards his own, &s;o he gets glory out of the other. Reade al&s;o <HI>Io&s;h.</HI> 9.1, 2, 3. and <HI>Io&s;h.</HI> 10.4, 5, 6, 7, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;.</HI> 5. God doth increa&s;e our trou|bles, when he comes to remove them, that he might increa&s;e our thankfulne&s;&s;e: therefore doth God bring us into trou|bles,
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Quo mi&s;eri|or in Angu|&s;tiis, eo gra|tior in libera|tionibus. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">anto jucun|dior confola|tio, quanto amarior ten|tatio. Mu&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> that being delivered, our hearts might be more inlarged with prai&s;es.</P>
<P><HI>Mo&s;es</HI> troubles were heightned at the Red Sea, that Gods prai&s;es might be al|&s;o rai&s;ed, when he came to the &s;hoare. And &s;o they were. Nothing doth more &s;well a mercy and deliverance, then our nece&s;&s;ity of it. The greater the nece&s;&s;ity the greater the mercy. And proportiona|bly as our thoughts are rai&s;ed with the e|&s;teeme of the mercy; &s;o are our hearts rai&s;ed in the returnes of prai&s;es. Men &s;en|&s;ible of their wants to pray for mercy, wil be &s;en&s;ible of their injoyments, in prai&s;es to God for them.</P>
<P>It is a &s;ad thing, when God mu&s;t bee forced to make us mi&s;erable, that hee might make us thankfull. If we could be more thankefull under deliverances, God would not make us &s;o mi&s;erable un|der pre&s;&s;ures. If our hearts could be but
<PB N="200" REF="113">more weighty in prai&s;es, Gods hand would not be &s;o heavie in pre&s;&s;ures. This is a &s;ad thing, when God is inforced to in|crea&s;e our &s;tripes, double our blowes, adde to our troubles when we are under them; that he might adde to our prai&s;es when wee are got out of them.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians! You have had experience of many mercies, of a late mercy; the de|liverance from that treacherous plot, and bloody de&s;igne upon this City. God bla|&s;ted it.&mdash; Are you thankful? What are daies of prai&s;es, without hearts of thank|fulne&s;&s;e? Do not your hearts dye under|the injoyment of this mercy?&mdash;</P>
<P>Well: take heed, le&s;t our unthankful|ne&s;&s;e for this, occa&s;ion God to bring us into greater &s;traits, that wee might bee wrought up to greater thankfulne&s;&s;e: why &s;hould not pre&s;ervation from trou|ble be as great a mercy as deliverance out of trouble? Had any of you been delive|red,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vita mercee</NOTE> though you had lo&s;t your e&s;tates, you would have thought your life a &s;ufficient gaine. And hath God pre&s;erved you and all yours, not one haire of your head touched, and are you unthankfull?&mdash;</P>
<P>Beware, le&s;t your unthankfulne&s;&s;e for this, doe not cau&s;e God to make the next
<PB N="201" REF="113">greater. God increa&s;es our troubles, to increa&s;e our thankfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> 1. If &s;o, then let us not judge of Gods purpo&s;es by his pre&s;ent proceed|ings of providence with us. God may in|crea&s;e the troubles of his people, when yet he intends to remove the troubles of his people: as God may &s;eeme to heale, when he means to de&s;troy; to &s;peak peace and good in his works, when he intends evill and wrath in his word: &s;o God may &s;eeme to kill, when he intends to cure; to de&s;troy, when he means to &s;ave; to wound, when he intends to heale.</P>
<P>You know what God &s;aid to his peo|ple, when they were in great troubles, un|der the cruell and unmercifull hands of their enemies: their troubles increa&s;ed. Yet &s;aith he, <HI>Ierem.</HI> 29.11. <HI>I know the thoughts I think to thee: they are thoughts of peace, and not of evill, to give thee at the la&s;t an expected end;</HI> an end an&s;werable to thy expectation? What a &s;trange thing was this? His wayes were warre, yet his thoughts were peace: his proceedings were evill, yet his purpo&s;es were good.</P>
<P>I have &s;hewed you at large, that Gods outward proceedings of providence to|wards his people, are oftentimes contra|ry
<PB N="202" REF="114">to the Inward purpo&s;es of his Heart to them.</P>
<P>Let us not then rea&s;on, much le&s;&s;e con|clude according to Gods outward appea|rance to his people, Suffer not your &s;elves to be <HI>rea&s;on'd</HI> out of your Faith and confi|dence, by any outward proceding toward you. When you &s;ee Evill in works, &s;ee good in the Word; when Death in the outward proceeding of God toward you, &s;ee Life in the Inward purpo&s;es of his heart to you.</P>
<P>If you put a &s;traight &s;tick into the wa|ter, <HI>&s;en&s;e</HI> renders it crooked, but <HI>rea&s;on</HI> tells you, is is &s;traight. As Rea&s;on pre|vailes again&s;t Sen&s;e: So let Faith prevail again&s;t Sen&s;e and Rea&s;on: and let Faith conclude God for you, when yet Sen&s;e and Rea&s;on tells you, hee is again&s;t you. This is the life of Faith.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> 2. Doth God Increa&s;e our Trou|bles, when yet he intends to Remove our Troubles? Then this &s;hould incourage us to <HI>Lift up our heads under the greate&s;t pre&s;&s;ures.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Si graves, breves.</NOTE> &mdash; When they are the <HI>Shar|pe&s;t,</HI> then they are the &s;horte&s;t.</P>
<P>In all the Stories of the Church, when <HI>Deliverance</HI> was <HI>neere&s;t,</HI> then was Per&s;e|cution the <HI>hotte&s;t.</HI> The Devill is &s;aid <HI>to
<PB N="203" REF="114">come down with great wrath,</HI> becau&s;e his <HI>time is but &s;hort.</HI> The &s;horter his Time, The greater his wrath.</P>
<P>Here then take a ri&s;e for Faith, from the lowe&s;t Condition you are in. When the Morning is darke&s;t, Then comes the Day: when Trouble is Greate&s;t, Then is Deliverance the Neere&s;t.</P>
<P>You know who hath turned the &s;ad|de&s;t and &s;ore&s;t Perplexities, that ever the world &s;hall &s;ee, into a Doctrine of Com|fort and Con&s;olation to his Church and People: And upon this ground; Be|cau&s;e <HI>Then</HI> is their Redemption <HI>neere&s;t</HI> when their troubles are highe&s;t.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 21.25, 26, &amp;c.</NOTE> Luke 21.25. <HI>There &s;hall be &s;ignes in the Sun, the Moon, and upon earth di&s;tre&s;&s;e of Nations, with perplexity; the Sea and waters roar|ing; mens hearts failing them for feare: the Powers of heaven &s;hall be &s;haken. And, when the&s;e things begin to come to pa&s;&s;e. Then lift up your heads: For your Redemp|tion Draweth Nigh.</HI> See how neer the day of Redemption is, to the day of de&s;tru|ction; Chri&s;t takes heere a <HI>Ri&s;e of Com|fort,</HI> from the <HI>lowe&s;t Condition</HI> that can be.</P>
<P>My Brethren; You &s;ee it is Gods way to increa&s;e our troubles, when he comes to remove them. Let us not be <HI>Too much
<PB N="204" REF="115">troubled at our Troubles.</HI> I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e wee have <HI>&s;ad and gloomy Dayes;</HI> and yet we fear they are not at the <HI>Darke&s;t.</HI> The floods of ungodline&s;&s;e are ri&s;en high; and we feare, they are not yet at the highe&s;t: But remember this &s;till. <HI>God doth Increa&s;e our Troubles,</HI> when he comes to <HI>Remove our Troubles.</HI> The greate&s;t Darkne&s;&s;e is before the Morning watch.</P>
<P>It is the &s;peech of one upon my Text,
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Quod autem Dominus &s;uos magis terruit, priu&s;quam li|beraret; mo|nemur; Cum adver&s;itas &s;umma fuerit, tum proxi|mam ade&s;&s;e &s;olutem.</NOTE> <HI>That the</HI> Lord <HI>did more terrifie his Di&s;ciples, before he would deliver them,</HI> wee are admoni&s;hed, <HI>That when Adver&s;ity is greate&s;t, then deliverance is neere&s;t.</HI>
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Sic con&s;ue|vit dominus vehementio|res labores mittere, velu|ti indices vi|cinae libera|tionis. Beza.</NOTE> Ano|ther, <HI>God is u&s;ed to &s;end greater Troubles, as the</HI> Harbengers <HI>of approaching delive|rance.</HI>
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Tunc ma|gis acuit do|lores, quando &s;alus jam &s;tat. in fo|ribus: &amp; gra|viora certa|mina &amp; peri|cula &s;unt cer|ti&s;&s;ima nuntia liberationis, quo citius &s;ini|enda &s;unt ma|la, eo magis ingrave&s;|cunt, &amp;c.</NOTE> Another. <HI>Great troubles doe e|ver u&s;her in great Deliverances.&mdash; It is our hope, that as</HI> God <HI>hath increa&s;ed our Troubles: &s;o he will make all our Troubles &s;ub&s;ervient to our Deliverances.</HI></P>
<P>Deliverance is the Birth of Mercy. As never was there birth without Pangs: So Deliverance without Oppo&s;ition and Trouble. Satan oppo&s;eth, wicked men oppo&s;e: But as Throws and Pangs are &s;ub&s;ervient to the Birth: &s;o will God make our Pre&s;ent Troubles to Delive|rance. The &s;harpe&s;t pangs and throws of
<PB N="205" REF="115">the Church, have ever been the immedi|ate fore-runners of &s;ome Childe of Pro|mi&s;e.</P>
<P>As it was in the Waters of <HI>Bethe&s;da.</HI> The waters were troubled, before they healed. The trouble of the water was &s;ub|&s;ervient to the Cure in them: &s;o that Op|po&s;ition and trouble, which doth ari&s;e in the time and expectations of our healing; will God turne to our further healing; what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith of his Bonds, I may &s;ay of all the troubles that ari&s;e; <HI>the things that have happened to me,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1.12.</NOTE> <HI>have fallen out to the furtherance of the Go&s;pel,</HI> his Pri&s;on was the Go&s;pels liberty, his bonds the Go&s;pels inlargement, his aba&s;e|ments, the Go&s;pels advancement. So here, all our troubles are &s;ub&s;ervient to the ful|ler deliverance: were you either well read in the Book of Providence, or in the book of Scriptures, either in the word or works of God, you would finde that the increa&s;e of your troubles would be a ri&s;e of hope, in &s;tead of a ground of feare, of comfort, in &s;tead of di&s;couragement.</P>
<P>It is Gods u&s;uall way in the deliverance of his Church and People,
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Auget cer|tamina quan|do liberabit. Chry&s;. Fae&s;tinente laetitia, acui|tur dolor. Baez.</NOTE> to heigh|ten their difficulties and troubles before he doth deliver them. It hath been &s;o, as
<PB N="206" REF="116">I have &s;hewed you in many examples, And when indeed did God doe any nota|ble things for his Church in the world, But there hath been great tumults and commotions. Look upon the Stories of Scripture.&mdash;</P>
<P>And doe you think it will not be &s;o? Is not the Devill as bad, wicked men as malicious as ever they were? and certain|ly, what power and policy can doe to in|terrupt God in his wayes of mercy to his Church, &s;hall be done,
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Gaudeo quod Cri&s;tus Dominus e&s;t, alioqui de&s;pe|ra&s;&s;em. Micon. in jepi&s;t. ad Calvin.</NOTE> in&s;omuch that we may &s;ay with him, If Chri&s;t did not reigne, we &s;hould quickly come to ruine. There are &s;ome great Promi&s;es, which God hath made, and will performe now at the end of all things. But none of the&s;e &s;hall be accompli&s;hed without great dif|ficulties; He hath &s;aid that Antichri&s;t &s;hall downe,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Rev. 11.13.</NOTE> But wee mu&s;t look for earthquakes before, Such noting he hath in the Kingdoms of the earth, in States and Nations, as nothing but an earth|quake will loo&s;en him, and throw him down.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 16.17, 18. E&s;ay. 11. E&s;ay. 62.</NOTE> See the commotions foretold. <HI>Re|vel.</HI> 17.18.</P>
<P>He hath promi&s;ed to make his Church glorious in the world, And the&s;e Promi|&s;es, He that is faithfull and true will per|forme;
<PB N="207" REF="116">But when God doth this, you mu&s;t look for Commotions,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joel. 3.16.</NOTE> looke for &s;hakings. You read, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.1.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 12.1.</NOTE> <HI>And at that time &s;hall Michael &s;tand up, the great Prince that &s;tandeth for the children of thy people,</HI> and there &s;hall be a time of trou|ble, &s;uch as never was &s;ince there was a nation, <HI>And at that time thy people &s;hall be Delivered,</HI>&mdash;
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Tunc maxi|me populus dei affligitur, cum propin|qua e&s;t &s;alus. Baez.</NOTE> It is a time of Delive|rance, but a time of &s;haking: And there|fore this is that we mu&s;t expect, that God &s;hould increa&s;e our troubles, when he comes to remove our troubles.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Yea, but you will &s;ay, were our troubles at the height, then we could with more comfort bear them; but we feare, though high, they are not yet at the height, how &s;hould we therefore be &s;ati&s;|fied in that?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> 1. When you are at the height of your graces, of your faith, hope, pati|ence, when you can believe no further, &amp; hope no further; It is &s;aid in re&s;pect of the great trouble. <HI>Luke</HI> 8.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke. 18.8.</NOTE> <HI>when he cometh he &s;hall not finde faith in the earth,</HI> the&s;e were at the height indeed, if they had been wound any higher, they had crack't, the Mu&s;ician will winde his &s;trings to the height, but not overwinde them, &s;o God,
<PB N="208" REF="117">he will exerci&s;e, but not de&s;troy our graces.</P>
<P N="2">2. When our enemies are at the height of their &s;ins, and at the height of their rage and cruelty. <HI>Exod.</HI> 15.9, 10. when wicked men are at the top of their pride, they are neere&s;t ruine, when the ini|quity of a man is full, when &s;in is fini&s;hed, it brings forth death, when the Epha is full, when the harve&s;t is ripe, then will God put in his &s;ickle, &amp;c. <HI>Deut.</HI> 32.35.</P>
<P N="3">3. VVhen we are brought to the lowe&s;t.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>In Pa&s;sive, Humiliation.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Active, Humiliation.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST> when mens eyes are bigge with teares, their hearts with &s;orrow, then is Gods mercy big with deliverance; God doth u&s;e to bring in a full tide of Comfort, when we are at the lowe&s;t ebbe of trou|ble, when the &s;treame is dry, when the channell of &s;econd Cau&s;es doth not run, then will God ari&s;e, and have mercy on Sion, there is hope in thine end. <HI>Jere.</HI> 31.16, 17. when wee would have thought there was an end of hope, when the &s;tock of hopes was &s;pent, &amp;c. yet then a time of hope, <HI>E&s;ay.</HI> 33.7, 8, 9. In the mean time, it is rather our worke to doe our pre&s;ent duties, then to bu&s;y our &s;elves, and indeed
<PB N="209" REF="117">increa&s;e our pre&s;ent troubles, by &s;eeking to take the elevation of them, our troubles are high, but how high God will ray&s;e them before he doth deliver us, it is not in man to tell; It is our comfort, he will either le&s;&s;en the burthen, or &s;trengthen the back, either le&s;&s;en our troubles, or in|crea&s;e our &s;trength to beare, he will not &s;uffer us to be rempted above mea&s;ure, and he knows our mea&s;ure, what wee are able to beare. For the pre&s;ent, let it be our work to le&s;&s;en our &s;ins, as God increa|&s;eth our troubles, to heighten our duties, as God doth heighten our difficulties, to be healed by our troubles, healed of our pride, unthankfulne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. And you &s;hall then quickly &s;ee, that God will turne all your troubles into healing. So much for that doctrine.</P>
<P>There is yet &s;omething more ob&s;erve|able.</P>
<P><Q>[When they &s;aw him, they were troubled.]</Q></P>
<P><NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Timorem timori addit non pericu|lum periculo.</NOTE> Chri&s;t addeth feare to feare, but not danger to danger, They were in no le&s;&s;e danger before, though now in more fear;
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Quanquam opinione, &amp; errore deterio|res fuerint, tamen non reip&s;a. Cartw.</NOTE> There was now more feare, but before more danger, their dangers were
<PB N="210" REF="118">le&s;&s;ened, though their feares were increa|&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>D.</HI> Mens feares may be increa&s;ed, when yet deliverance is neere&s;t.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Opinio mali affligit, ubi nihil e&s;t mali. Mu&s;c. in loc.</NOTE></P>
<P>Again, <HI>D.</HI> God may be in a way of de|liverance, when yet he &s;eems to be in a way of de&s;truction.</P>
<P>But we have done with the fir&s;t, the ef|fect of their apprehen&s;ion of Chri&s;t, <HI>ad intra,</HI> they were troubled.</P>
<P>Wee will &s;peak a word to the &s;econd, the effect, <HI>ad extra,</HI>
<NOTE N="s" PLACE="marg">Tantus ter|ror illos in|va&s;it ut velut impotentes facti. Excla|mant. Bru|gen&s;.</NOTE> they cryed out for fear, heere was <HI>terrour,</HI> and <HI>clamor.</HI></P>
<P><Q>(They cryed out for feare.)</Q></P>
<P>For feare of what? why, 'twas for fear of Chri&s;t,
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tus in &s;pectrum transformant &amp; tunc ti|ment. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> they thought him to be a Gho&s;t, and therefore cry out for feare.</P>
<P>But admit it had been a Gho&s;t, yet why &s;hould they feare, why &s;hould they cry, had it not been ea&s;ier to have driven him away by prayers, then by feares, by beleeving, then by crying.
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Praecibus potius diabo|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">um pellemus, quam terrori|bus in dulgea|mus. I&s;ay. 29.16.</NOTE> It is more ea&s;y to drive away Sathan by prayers, then by fears, It is &s;aid in the 26. <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> 16. they powred forth a prayer, when their cha&s;ti&s;ement was on them,
<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> In cantatio, mu&s;sitatio Submi&s;&s;a oratio Bux|torf.</NOTE> the word doth &s;ignifie a charme, as well as a Pray|er:
<PB N="211" REF="118">prayer is the be&s;t charme to conjure down the devill.</P>
<P>It is our weakne&s;&s;e to be afraid of Sa|tan, and our wickedne&s;&s;e too. Satan could not doe thee &s;o much hurt, if hee killed thee in the place, (though indeed he can|not touch a hayre without permi&s;&s;ion) as he doth if he prevaile with thee to be a|fraid of him.</P>
<P>Many are afraid of Satan when they are praying, who yet are never afraid of him when they are &s;inning: Indeed when they &s;inne they &s;erve the devill, and there|fore think he will not hurt them. But when they pray, they &s;erve God, and then they feare him, becau&s;e now they know they doe di&s;plea&s;e him. Nay, too many weak and timerous &s;pirits of Gods peo|ple, who are too much afraid of him, if they be alone in their Chambers, Clo&s;ets; and if it bee darke, they dare not &s;tay, though they be in duty; if they doe, yet they &s;tay with feare and trembling. And indeed thou had&s;t better to feare and tremble in duty, than to &s;uffer thy feare to cau&s;e thee to leave off a duty. The be&s;t way to conquer the devill is to &s;tand to it. He is the greate&s;t coward, becau&s;e the greate&s;t &s;inner, re&s;i&s;tance conquers
<PB N="212" REF="119">him, he dares not &s;tand out one charge; thou
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Rom. 7.37. <GAP DESC="foreign"> Super &s;upera|mus. Wee over&mdash;over|come.</NOTE> over-over-comes, if thou doe but hold up weapons again&s;t him.</P>
<P>Art thou in duty, doth Satan trouble thee? art thou afraid? yet hold on pray|er. Satan is more afraid of thy prayers, than thou can&s;t be of his feares: Thou tormen&s;t him more by prayers, than he can doe thee by fears: And therfore hold up thy heart, thou run&s;t into danger, if once thou goe&s;t out of duty; better thou had&s;t to dye in the place in believing and praying, than to pre&s;erve thy &s;elf (if this thou could doe) by flying and withdraw|ing. Certainly hee comes into Satans power, who &s;eeks to e&s;cape it by flying, and not by beleeving, by fearing, and not by praying.</P>
<P>Let us then take heed of this&mdash; We are too apt to it, with the Apo&s;tles here, to act our feare, when we are called forth to act our faith.</P>
<P>There is yet &s;omething more from this &s;econd effect of their feare.</P>
<P><Q>(They cryed out for feare.)</Q></P>
<P>Pa&s;&s;ion you &s;ee will have a vent,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Terror argu|mentum dif|fidentiae cla|mor de&s;pera|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ionis. Aret.</NOTE> <HI>They cryed out:</HI> &mdash; It had been well if they had cryed up, but they cryed out: Feare doth the one, but it mu&s;t be faith
<PB N="213" REF="119">which mu&s;t doe the other. &mdash; But what a &s;hame was this. It was a &s;in they &s;hould be afraid, but what a &s;hame they &s;hould cry out for feare; &mdash; They who were the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t were in Gods way, went out upon Chri&s;ts war|rant, doe they feare? nay, doe they cry out for feare? what may the Mariners &s;ay? <HI>Shall such a man as I fly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mchem. 6.11.</NOTE> &s;aith <HI>Ne|hemiah?</HI> what one under &s;uch protecti|ons? one under &s;o many promi&s;es? one who had &s;uch a cau&s;e, &amp; &s;uch incourage|ments from above, &s;hall I flye? This he thought both Gods di&s;honour, his &s;hame, religions &s;candall. So &s;hall &s;uch men as the&s;e fear, nay cry out too? Such as were the friends and Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t? &s;uch as were &s;ent on Chri&s;ts Errand? &s;uch who were under &s;uch protections? doe they feare?&mdash; What, I &s;ay, might the poore Mariners &s;ay?
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Ecce quales: &s;unt qui Chri|&s;tum coluut? Sibona di&s;|cerent boni e&s;&s;ent. Salv.</NOTE> What a di&s;honour was this to Chri&s;t? what a &s;candall to Religion, what a &s;hame to them&s;elves? You have an excellent expre&s;&s;ion in the 8. <HI>Ezra</HI> 22. Read it. See how tender Gods people are of Gods honour, they will rather venture them&s;elves, then haz|zard Gods glory; he would rather goe in danger, than give occa&s;ion to wicked
<PB N="214" REF="120">men to think di&s;honourably of God.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> Certainly Chri&s;tians &s;hould be careful, they &s;hould take heed of brin|ging an ill report upon the wayes of God, they &s;hould take heed of bringing a &s;can|dall upon religion. It is a great &s;inne with the bad &s;pyes to bring an ill report on the good land; to cau&s;e the wayes of God to bee evill &s;poken of. Beware of fearing: <HI>Wherefore &s;hould I feare in the dayes of evill?</HI> &s;aith <HI>David,</HI> the righte|ous &s;hould be as bold as a Lion: A good cau&s;e and a good courage &s;hould goe to|gether. But though you &s;hould fe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">re, yet fight again&s;t your fears, pray again&s;t the~.</P>
<P>Beware of crying out&mdash; He that crys up wil never cry out; he who&s;e heart hath found a vent to God, hee will never com|plaine to man: hee who is once open to God, is &s;hut up to man, the more God hears of thee, le&s;&s;e man &s;hall hear; men cry downwards &s;o much; becau&s;e they cry no more upwards: if your hearts could once find a pa&s;&s;age to God in your troubles, you would finde &s;o much com|fort in it, as you would never complaine to man.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians! you are all publike per|&s;ons, there is an univer&s;ality in every
<PB N="215" REF="120">one of you, one of you &s;tands for many, a few for all: and that not onely for all Profe&s;&s;ors, but profe&s;&s;ion too. You had need therefore to be wary, to walk exact|ly, &s;uffer not the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, the ways of God to be ill &s;poken of for your &s;ake, 3. <HI>Phil.</HI> 18.
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tum legunt &amp; im|pii &s;unt, Chri|&s;tum audiunt &amp; inebriantur Chri&s;tum &s;e|quuntur &amp; rapiunt. Salv. de Gub. i. 4, 5. 1 Sam. 12.24. Matth. 18.7.</NOTE> Give not you oc|ca&s;ion to wicked men to bla&s;pheme Re|ligion, to ca&s;t dirt in the pure face of Pro|fe&s;&s;ion. It was <HI>Davids</HI> &s;inne, let it not be yours.&mdash; It lyes upon us to ju&s;tifie the wayes of God by our unblameable walking; <HI>Woe bee to them by whom offences come; woe be to them who give ju&s;t occa&s;i|on of Scandall to wicked men, that put a &s;tumbling block in the wayes of others, to hin|der them from entring the way of life.</HI></P>
<P>But yet you that are without, &s;uffer not the infirmities and &s;ins of tho&s;e that walke in the way of profe&s;&s;ion to bee a rock of offence, a &s;tone of &s;tumbling to you, to keep you from entring the way of life. The wayes are good, though all that walk in the wayes &s;hould be nought, you are to walke by precepts, not by the practi&s;es of others, by rule not example: their failings are not to be &s;tars to &s;ayle by; but rocks to &s;hun: That which they &s;hould doe is thy Law, that which they
<PB N="216" REF="121">doe (if they faile) is not thy patterne. It grieves me to &s;ee the unan&s;werable wal|king of profe&s;&s;iors to profe&s;&s;ion; and it is an addition to our &s;orrow, to &s;ee how Satan makes u&s;e of our failings, and &s;ins to be as &s;tumbling blocks to hinder others from entring the way of life. But men who&s;e hearts are &s;et again&s;t the ways of God, &s;hall bee furni&s;hed with matter enough to bring them into further di&s;|like.</P>
<P>If you be willing to be offended, you &s;hal have offences enough to your further blinding and hardning: if the Word do not teach you, works &s;hall blind you, if the word doe not &s;often you, works will harden you: if you &s;tumble at the Word, and at profe&s;&s;ion, you are &s;ure to fall at workes.</P>
<P>Men fir&s;t take offence at the duties the Word commands, and then they &s;treng|then that offence by the failings of tho&s;e who walke in tho&s;e wayes: This the A|po&s;tle &s;hewes in the 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.8. Chri&s;t was a &s;tone of &s;tumbling; but you &s;ee to whom, even to tho&s;e who &s;tumbled at the Word fir&s;t; fir&s;t the &s;tumble at the word, then at Chri&s;t. Beware le&s;t this be your condition, if it be; all the fay|lings
<PB N="217" REF="121">of Profe&s;&s;ors &s;hall &s;erve for no other end to you, then for your further hard|ning, and &s;trengthenning your di&s;like a|gain&s;t Profe&s;sion it &s;elf, to your utter un|doing.&mdash;</P>
<P>But we &s;hall &s;hut up this.&mdash;And will now come to the next Ver&s;e.</P>
<TRAILER>The end of the fifth Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="6" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="218" REF="122">
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL><HI>Matth.</HI> 14.27.</BIBL>
<Q><P><HI>But straightway</HI> Je&s;us <HI>&s;pake unto them, &s;ay|ing: be of good cheere, It is I, be not afraid.</HI></P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_HItherto, you have had a black, a &s;tormy and tempe&s;tuous night; and now the morning begins to appeare. Hitherto you have had nothing but troubles, fears, outcries; but now comfort begins to dawne. The beginnings of Gods people may be very &s;ad and trouble&s;ome, but the end is ever comfortable and joyfull. Hence <HI>David, Mark the upright man, ob|&s;erve the ju&s;t, for the end of that man is peace, P&s;al.</HI> 37. The end, he &s;aith, not the beginnings. The beginnings may be &s;tor|my: but the end is calmy.</P>
<P><HI>Noahs</HI> Ark was a long time to&s;&s;ed with waves; but at la&s;t it came to Mount <HI>Ara|rat,</HI> a place of re&s;t. So the Church of God may be To&s;t upon the &s;tormy &s;ea of
<PB N="219" REF="122">this world for a time: but at la&s;t God wil allay all &s;tormes, quiet all troubles, and bring his poore to&s;&s;ed &s;hip of the <HI>Church</HI> unto &s;afe harbour.&mdash;There is a re&s;t for the people of God, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4.9, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P>You have an Embleme of all this in this &s;tory of the &s;hip on the &s;ea; which <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> makes to re&s;emble the &s;tate of the Church from Chri&s;ts A&s;cen&s;ion, till his comming againe. As I have &s;hewed you before.</P>
<P>You have &s;een their Commi&s;&s;ion and &s;etting forth to &s;ea: you have &s;eene their danger, and the feares they were in. You have heard of Chri&s;ts addre&s;&s;es to relieve them: and (upon a mi&s;take) the increa&s;e of their feares, though not of danger.</P>
<P>And thus farre hath Chri&s;t exerci&s;ed their graces, di&s;covered their corrupti|ons: now begins the ri&s;e of their comfort and deliverance.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t can neither deferre their deli|verance, nor conceale him&s;elfe any lon|ger. And therefore it followes, <HI>[But &s;traitway Je&s;us &s;pake unto them, &s;aying; Be of good comfort, it is I, be not afraid.]</HI></P>
<P><NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Quomodo &s;olemus trepi|dos compella|ra, qui nos ex voce agno&s;ce|re po&s;&s;unt, ego &s;um, Jan&s;en.</NOTE> As the mother &s;ometimes &s;peakes to her childe in the darke of the night,
<PB N="220" REF="123">when it is afraid; Peace child, do not cry, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> it is I, thy mother. be not afraid. So doth Chri&s;t here &s;peak to his Di&s;ciples, when they were in their childi&s;h feare of a gho&s;t;
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Alloeutus &s;tatim cos, &amp; voce illis non ignota fignificat quis &s;it. Chem.</NOTE> Peace, be of good comfort, It is I, your Saviour; be not afraid. They de&s;erved reproofe, but he pitties their weakne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>In this Text, Chri&s;t doth apply him|&s;elfe to the cure of three &s;everall di&s;tem|pers, under which they laboured.</P>
<P N="1">1 They were in feare of a Gho&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2 They were in feare of their danger; of being &s;wallowed up of the waves.</P>
<P N="3">3 They were even out of hopes of pre|&s;ervation and deliverance.</P>
<P>See here how Chri&s;t doth apply him|&s;elf to the cure of the&s;e three di&s;tempers.</P>
<P N="1">1 To &s;ettle them aright in their mi&s;|apprehen&s;ion, that he was a gho&s;t, he tels them,&mdash;<HI>It is I.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2 To quiet their hearts in the feare of the danger of the waves: He &s;aith, <HI>It is I, be not afraid.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3 To comfort and &s;trengthen their hearts, in a&s;&s;urance of deliverance; he &s;aith,
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Idem e&s;t con|&s;olamiui &amp; fiduciam ha|bere.</NOTE> <HI>&mdash;Be of good cheere,</HI> or beleeve, be of good confidence, <HI>It is I.</HI></P>
<P>This in a more generall way is ob&s;erva|ble
<PB N="221" REF="123">in the Text. In particular; ca&s;t your eye upon the&s;e foure things.</P>
<P N="1">1 Look upon the way, which Chri&s;t takes to &s;ettle, comfort, &amp; incourage his Di&s;ciples, in their fears, dangers, &amp; mi&s;|apprehen&s;ions. <HI>[He &s;pake unto them.]</HI></P>
<P N="2">2 Looke upon the incouragement it &s;elfe, which is double.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 <HI>Be of good cheere.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2 <HI>Be not afraid.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="3">3 Looke upon the ground of this in|couragement, <HI>[It is I:] Be of good comfort, It is I, be not afraid.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4 Ob&s;erve the time when: and that is in the fir&s;t words: &s;traightway.&mdash;<HI>But &s;traightway Je&s;us &s;pake unto them,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>We will begin with the fir&s;t: The way Chri&s;t takes to &s;ettle, comfort, and incourages them. <HI>[Ie&s;us &s;pake to them.]</HI></P>
<P>But to what Them? doth he meane to all in the &s;hip? or only to his Di&s;ciples? If to all, that might have been as bad as a gho&s;t to &s;ome, to tell them it was <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI> Guilty con&s;ciences, wicked men are rea|dy to &s;ay with their father, <HI>Art thou come to torment us before the time?</HI> At the be&s;t, it could be little comfort to tho&s;e who had not an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, who had not Chri&s;t their friend. Well might
<PB N="222" REF="124">they thinke as <HI>Ahab</HI> &s;ometimes &s;aid to <HI>Eliah,&mdash;Ha&s;t thou found me, oh my enemy.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1 It was &s;poken to the hearing of all.</P>
<P N="2">2 But to the comfort chiefly of his owne.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> The &s;ame word of God may be &s;poken to the hearing of all; but to the comfort of a few. Chri&s;t &s;pake to the hearing of all in the &s;hip, but yet to the comfort of his Di&s;ciples.</P>
<P>And yet we cannot but think, the re&s;t of the Pa&s;&s;engers and Mariners might re|ceive &s;ome comfort by it: &s;o far as they under&s;tood who it was that &s;pake. The newes of a Saviour to a man in mi&s;ery is &s;ome comfort; though as yet the man is not able to cleere his intere&s;t in him. And it might be the more to them now, be|cau&s;e they were in the &s;ame &s;hip with the Di&s;ciples, and therefore like to be &s;ha|ters with them in their deliverance.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> It is good to be in the &s;hip with the people of God, though it be on a &s;tormy and trouble&s;ome &s;ea.</P>
<P>The Mariners found this to be true. They were in the &s;hip with them, and therefore did partake of the common &s;alvation. It is good to be in good com|pany in a good cau&s;e, though you meet
<PB N="223" REF="124">with many difficulties in it. If any &s;alva|tion come, you &s;hall be &s;ure to heare of it there.</P>
<P>It is better to be on a &s;tormy &s;ea with the people of God, then to be without them upon the &s;hore: you &s;ee that here; They had not only their bodies, but their &s;oules &s;aved too, as you may conjecture charitably by the &s;equell of the &s;tory, Ver&s;e 33.</P>
<P>Againe, in that the whole &s;hip was &s;a|ved for a few Di&s;ciples in it, we learne,</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That God may have mercy up|on many for the &s;ake of a few.</P>
<P>God would have &s;pared <HI>Sodome</HI> for <HI>ten righteous per&s;ons; Ieru&s;alem for one, Ier.</HI> 5.1.&mdash;
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Credit mihi. Pii homines &s;unt civita|tum &s;acre ful|cra, &amp; colum|na, quibus &s;e motis &amp; &s;ub|rutis, nihil ni&s;i perditio. Aug.</NOTE> Beleeve me, (&s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI>) holy men are the pillars of a Common wealth, which being taken away, we can look for nothing but ruine. <HI>Eliah</HI> was called
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Quia praeci|bus &s;uis popu|lum non ali|ter ac curru ab inimicis liberavit. Aug.</NOTE> <HI>The Chariots of I&s;rael, and the hor&s;emen thereof.</HI>
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Luther dum in vivis e&s;&s;et, multas preci|bus &s;uis cala|mitates a pa|tria &s;ua ad|vert<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">bat, &amp; &s;emovit.</NOTE> <HI>Luther</HI> is &s;aid to be the pillar of <HI>Germany,</HI> who by his prayers did keepe back and helpe off many mi&s;e|ries upon them. It is &s;aid, <HI>Numb.</HI> 14.9. <HI>Feare not the people of the land, for they are bread for you: their defence is departed from them.</HI> The Lord is with us; feare them not; <HI>[their defence is departed from
<PB N="224" REF="125">them]</HI> It is in the Margin, <HI>[Their Sha|dow.]</HI> The Rabbins &s;ay, That this was <HI>Job;</HI> and as long as he lived, he was a &s;hadow and defence to <HI>Canaan,</HI> that they could not enter: but now being dead, they might goe in, and enter, they were all bread for them, for their defence is de|parted from them.</P>
<P>Wicked men look upon Gods People as the Troublers of a Kingdome, of a Ci|ty, of a Pari&s;h: when yet God &s;aith, they are the Defence the Shelter of them.</P>
<P>The whole Ship was &s;aved for a few Di&s;ciples in it; nay, a whole Ship for one <HI>Paul. Acts</HI> 27. God hath oftentimes Mercy upon many, for the &s;ake of a few, But wee proceed.</P>
<P><Q>[JESUS <HI>&s;pake unto them.</HI>]</Q></P>
<P>This is the way that Chri&s;t took here, to incourage and comfort the hearts of his people. <HI>[He &s;pake unto them.]</HI> They were in a &s;ad condition, before Chri&s;t &s;pake: but now their &s;ouls revive.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> A word from Chri&s;t is able to rai&s;e up and encourage the drooping &s;pi|rits of Gods people in trouble. I &s;ay, Though the hearts of Gods People lie
<PB N="225" REF="125">low in trouble and &s;orrow: yet one word of Chri&s;t is able to rai&s;e them, and revive them.</P>
<P>You &s;ee here, The Di&s;ciples were in a &s;ad condition before; even at their wits end, for feare,
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Quantaris vocis Chri&s;ti &amp; verbi divi|ni. Mu&s;c. Plus uni cum verbum ani|mos. corobo|rat, quam exi|mium miracu|lum. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> but one VVord from Chri&s;t &s;ettles, them.</P>
<P>Are we in troubles of Con&s;cience; la|bouring under the apprehen&s;ions of Gods wrath for &s;in! It's but One Word &s;peak|ing, and thy &s;oul &s;hall be comforted. It's but one word from Chri&s;t, &mdash; <HI>Thy &s;ins be forgiven thee.]</HI> And Con&s;cience is at peace: all troubles are gone.</P>
<P>Are we in De&s;ertions? Doth Chri&s;t withdraw him&s;elf from us? It is but one word from Chri&s;t, &mdash; <HI>It is I,</HI> and the &s;oul is again
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Tranquil|lus Deus tran|quillat omnia, &amp; eum quie|tum a&s;picere quie&s;cere e&s;t. Bern.</NOTE> revived. As it was with <HI>Mary</HI> in the lo&s;&s;e of his Bodily pre&s;ence, <HI>She wept,</HI> and would not be comforted: Nay, though Angels did labour to com|fort her, yet they could not. It is not all the Angels of heaven, that are able to con|fort a drooping &s;oul, Chri&s;t but &s;peakes a word to her, &mdash; <HI>Mary.</HI> And her heart leaps. &mdash; <HI>Rabboni.</HI> My Lord: So is it with a &s;oul that hath lo&s;t the &s;pirituall pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t. It is not all the com|forts in heaven and earth, can comfort the
<PB N="226" REF="126">&s;oul in the ab&s;ence of Chri&s;t; what is Gold in the ab&s;ence of God! What is the creature in the ab&s;ence of the Creator! All the world is but like a Fea&s;t without an Appetite, a Paradice without a Tree of Life. Nothing can fill up Chri&s;ts room in the &s;oul; The Pre&s;ence of no com|fort can make up the ab&s;ence of Chri&s;t; yet one word from Chri&s;t, one &s;mile from heaven, And the &s;oul is revived. <HI>Speak but the word, and thy &s;ervant &s;hall be whole,</HI> &s;aith the man in the Go&s;pel: So, Speak but the word, and this dead heart &s;hall be rai&s;ed: this dejected heart &s;hall be com|forted, this broken heart &s;hall be bound up, this &s;ad heart &s;hall be cheered, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Are we in outward troubles and Cala|mities? why, it is the Word of Chri&s;t, that doth &s;tay us, that doth cheare us, that doth &s;upport us, that doth comfort us. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 94.19. <HI>In the multitude of my per|plexed thoughts within me, Thy comforts de|light my &s;oul.</HI> Certainly the comforts from his Word. Yea &s;aith he:&mdash; <HI>I had peri&s;hed in mine affliction, but that thy Word did &s;upport mee. P&s;al.</HI> 119.50.92.</P>
<P>The Word is full of Coun&s;ell, full of Comfort, full of Support, full of Help to a &s;oul, in all his Troubles. Therefore
<PB N="227" REF="126">hath God left us a Word, that, it might be as <HI>a School</HI> to <HI>in&s;truct</HI> us; a <HI>Star,</HI> or <HI>Sun,</HI> to <HI>guide</HI> us; a <HI>Rock</HI> to &s;upport us; a <HI>Cor|diall</HI> to <HI>comfort</HI> us; a <HI>Tower</HI> to <HI>&s;ecure</HI> us; and <HI>Armory</HI> to <HI>defend</HI> us in the evill day. The <HI>Word</HI> is as full of <HI>comfort,</HI> as the <HI>times</HI> are full of <HI>terror;</HI> the dayes are full of <HI>trouble:</HI> but the <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> is full of <HI>comfort.</HI> And it never &s;peakes more <HI>comfort</HI> to the Saints, then when the <HI>times</HI> &s;peak mo&s;t <HI>trouble.</HI></P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Let this then direct us, whither to flie for comfort now, in the&s;e times of Trouble: Even to the Word of Chri&s;t. Enquire what VVord of comfort, Chri&s;t &s;peaks now to his Church, in this day of Trouble; and <HI>li&s;ten to it, live upon it.</HI></P>
<P>It is our fault, that the Noy&s;e of our Troubles and feares doe hinder us from hearing what Chri&s;t &s;aith in his VVord to comfort us.</P>
<P>It is &s;aid of the children of I&s;rael, <HI>Ex|od.</HI> 6.9. that when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> came to &s;peak Deliverance and Comfort to them, and told them, that God &s;ent him to that purpo&s;e, to deliver them: yet &s;aith the Text, <HI>The children of I&s;rael hearkened not to Mo&s;es for Angui&s;h of Spirit, and for cru|ell Bondage:</HI> So it is with us, Our Feares,
<PB N="228" REF="127">and our Troubles, and Vnbeleevings, car|nall rea&s;onings cry &s;o loud in our eares, that wee cannot hear the Comfort that God doth now &s;peak to us, out of his Word.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> But you will &s;ay, Did Chri&s;t &s;peak to us, as hee did to his Di&s;ciples heere, then we might be comforted in our troubles.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Chri&s;t doth &s;peak to us, as he did to them: VVhat did he &s;ay to them, but he &s;aith to us al&s;o now, All we read was but this, &mdash; <HI>Be of good cheere; It is I? Be not afraid.</HI> He did not &s;ay, He would &s;ave them, Hee would helpe them, nor that hee would pre&s;erve their &s;hip, cea&s;e the &s;torme, deliver them out of Trouble and Danger; onely hee &s;aith, <HI>Bee of good cheere (It is I)</HI> I, that am your Saviour, your Lord, your Ma&s;ter. I, that &s;ent you out. <HI>All the re&s;t was the work of their Faith.</HI> Their Faith made out the re&s;t: even their Confidence in him. Now I &s;ay. This, and more then this doth Chri&s;t &s;ay to us now in our Trouble.</P>
<P>How many words of Chri&s;t have wee, for this <HI>[Bee of good cheer?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh 14.1. Luk. 12.32. I&s;ay. 41.13. I&s;ay. 43.5.</NOTE> <HI>Let not your hearts be troubled.] Fear not little flock. [Fear not thou worme Jacob,]</HI> I. I, that
<PB N="229" REF="127">am your God, your Saviour, your Deli|verer, in times of Trouble; your <HI>Rock, Re|fuge, Shield.</HI> It is I, who&s;e cau&s;e you un|dertake; who&s;e glory is concern'd. And therefore we may rea&s;on out the re&s;t, as well as they: and where is now our Faith! That man is deafe, that heares not Chri&s;t &s;ay thus much now. And doth Chri&s;t &s;ay this? where then is our Faith, to re&s;t upon him, oh that this word might beget faith, and this Faith might again &s;trengthen it &s;elf in this Word!</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> But you will &s;ay, Had wee a perticular Word of Chri&s;t, that God would now deliver England: wee could then finde a Bottom of Comfort, though our conditions lay farre lower then they are. But wee want that. Therefore are we oppre&s;&s;ed with feares.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> You have as much Word for the deliverance of the Church now, as the Di&s;ciples had for the Pre&s;ervation of the Ship. Yet they beleeved the one, re&s;ting only upon the Nature of a Saviour, with|out a word: and why &s;hould we doubt of the other, though we had no word.</P>
<P>There may be a Re&s;ting upon Gods Name for a mercy, Though you have never a Promi&s;e for it. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 50.10. <HI>Hee
<PB N="230" REF="128">that walketh in darkne&s;&s;e, and &s;ees no light:</HI> no light of any Promi&s;e, to tell him how things &s;hall be: <HI>Yet let him tru&s;t upon the Name of the</HI> LORD, <HI>and &s;tay him&s;elf upon his</HI> GOD. There is <HI>Tru&s;t</HI> without <HI>Pro|mi&s;e.</HI> He that Re&s;ts upon the <HI>Name of the Lord;</HI> that is, his Mercy, Goodne&s;&s;e, Truth, Love, Re&s;ts upon that which is <HI>the &s;pring</HI> of all the Promi&s;es: <HI>the ground,</HI> and <HI>foundation,</HI> whereon the Promi&s;e &s;tands, and that into which all the Promi|&s;es are <HI>re&s;olved, viz. The Name of God. P&s;al.</HI> 62.8. The Prophet exhorts to tru&s;t in God. And upon what Ground? He alleageth no Particular Promi&s;e; but tells you of Gods <HI>Generall Nature, Ver.</HI> 11. God hath &s;poken, that <HI>Power</HI> belongs un|to God. And <HI>Ver.</HI> 12.&mdash; And unto thee belongeth <HI>Mercy.</HI> And thereupon hee tru&s;teth. God was <HI>Powerfull,</HI> and able to Deliver. And God was <HI>Mercifull,</HI> and ready to help, and thereupon he tru&s;ted.</P>
<P>And have not we <HI>as much</HI> for a <HI>Ground</HI> of our Faith, as This? You read, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 33.18.19.&mdash;<HI>The Eye of the Lord is on them that feare him. and upon them that Hope in his Mercy: to Deliver their &s;oul from death.</HI> Here is <HI>Hope;</HI> and that not exerci&s;ed up|on any Promi&s;e in Particular, but upon
<PB N="231" REF="128"><HI>Gods Nature</HI> in the Generall. <HI>(Hope in his Mercy.)</HI> And yet &s;aith the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>The eye of the Lord is upon &s;uch; to Deliver them from death.</HI> P&s;al. 147.11. &mdash; <HI>The Lord delighteth in them, that feare him; in them that Hope in his Mercy.</HI> Mark you: There is the &s;ame again, though a Promi&s;e be wanting; yet God delights in tho&s;e, <HI>that hope in his Mercy,</HI> in the Generall.</P>
<P>So; Though we had not a Promi&s;e, yet we have a Word to di&s;cover God to us: we have the Name of God; his Nature; his Properties, to re&s;t upon for Delive|rance. And this is as good a Foundation, as the Di&s;ciples had now for their Faith upon the Sea.</P>
<P>What Promi&s;es had the woman of <HI>Canaan?</HI> What particular Word had &s;he for her? Indeed &s;he &s;eemed to have one again&s;t her; <HI>I am not &s;ent, but unto the lo&s;t &s;heep of the Hou&s;e of I&s;rael,</HI> Verr&s;e 26. Nay,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 15.22.23, 24.</NOTE> <HI>It is not meet to take the childrens bread, and ca&s;t it unto doggs.</HI> Ver&s;e 26.
<NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg"><P>Triplex ten+tatio, 1. Ta|citurnitatis.</P>
<P N="2">2. Particula|ritatis.</P>
<P N="3">3. Indignita|tis.</P></NOTE> here was a great tryall, here was not onely &s;ilence, Ver&s;e 2.3. no word, but here was a word again&s;t her, yet her faith re&s;t|ed upon his Nature, he had Power, and he had mercy, &amp; therfore &s;he re&s;ted on him.</P>
<P N="2">2. But wee have yet more incourage|ment.
<PB N="232" REF="129">Indeed, if wee had nothing but <HI>Gods nature,</HI> his Goodne&s;&s;e, Mercy, com|pa&s;&s;ion to his people, to draw out our faith and Dependance upon him now, yet this would goe far with us. God is mer|cifull and gracious, wee are his people, Fir&s;t, we are his by choice, he hath cho&s;en us out of the world, nay we are his, 2. By purcha&s;e, he hath
<NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Chri&s;tus nos redemit, pro|prie emerca|catus e&s;t, &s;eu emendo exe|mit pa&s;&s;or.</NOTE> bought us. So <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.5. Nay, wee are his, 3. By donation. God the Father hath be&s;towed us on Chri&s;t, he hath given us to him. <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.6.7. And wee are his 4. by Covenant, we have given our &s;elves to him. And be|ing his in bonds, nay his in &s;uch neere bonds, choice relations, As wee have in|couragement to depend upon him;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tus non tam manu potenti, quam praetio dato nos redemit.</NOTE> So al|&s;o in our dependance, to expect delive|rance and Mercy from him. &mdash;</P>
<P N="1">1. Be&s;ides all this, we have a Book of Promi&s;es, wherein in the Generall, God hath made many gracious ingagements to us.</P>
<P N="2">2. Nay, and we have a book of expe|riences that may be annexed to the Book of Promi&s;es, both of Gods dealings:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>To other of his people.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>To our &s;elves.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST> which might Speak &s;ome incouragement,
<PB N="233" REF="129">and afford &s;ome bottome for faith to re&s;t upon.</P>
<P N="3">3. And we have incouragement from the Cau&s;e which is undertaken, which as it &s;peakes incouragement to us to under|take it; So it doth no le&s;&s;e to us in our un|dertaking of it.</P>
<P N="4">4. Yea, and wee have incouragement from the Con&s;ideration of our enemies. I &s;ay no more, but that it will be an unpar|ralell'd ca&s;e, an untracted piece of Pro|vidence, if God doe not deliver us.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> But you will &s;ay all the&s;e may &s;eem but to afford us probable conje|ctures: They may be, and may not be. How &s;hall we know whether God will doe to us, as to others? &s;uccour his owne Cau&s;e, and not give us up to our enemies? except we had a particular word for it.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> For the an&s;wer of this, therefore let us look, and we &s;hall &s;ee that we have &s;omething that comes neer to a particu|lat word, that God will deliver us. Let our Enemies but &s;hew as much for their confidence, as we may doe for ours; and wee will give up the Bucklers.</P>
<P>Wee will fir&s;t lay downe two grand Rules, which Divines lay down, in the in|terpretation of Scripture.</P>
<PB N="234" REF="130">
<P N="1">1. <HI>Rule.</HI> What God hath done to o|thers of his people in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, is equiva|lent to a Promi&s;e to us, in the &s;ame con|dition.</P>
<P>Now God hath &s;upported, Delivered others of his people in former times.</P>
<P>And this is Equivalent to a Promi&s;e to us, that God will &s;upport and deli|ver us.</P>
<P>Hee hath helped his Church in their &s;traits, in <HI>Egypt,</HI> in <HI>Babylon,</HI> in <HI>E&s;thers</HI> time. And that, which God did to others of his People in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, is equivalent to a Promi&s;e to us; as our Divines &s;ay in their interpretation of Scriptures.</P>
<P>And this &s;eems to have a foundation in Scripture too. <HI>Jobs</HI> Deliverance out of Trouble is made the Ground of our wait|ing upon God for Deliverance out of Trouble al&s;o. You &s;hall &s;ee it. <HI>Jam.</HI> 5.7. to 11. In the &s;eventh Ver&s;e, the Apo&s;tle exhorts them unto patience, under all their afflictions, and Cro&s;&s;es, upon this Ground, becau&s;e God will deliver them, if they wait on him. Why, But how &s;hall we know that? Why &s;aith the Apo|&s;tle: He hath delivered others of his peo|ple, in the &s;ame Ca&s;es: And &s;o will he you. <HI>You have heard</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>of the pa|tience
<PB N="235" REF="130">of Job, and what end God made with him. (i. e.)</HI> How God delivered him out Trouble: <HI>And therefore be you patient,</HI> and wait for the &s;ame Deliverance.</P>
<P>And hereupon the P&s;almi&s;t rea&s;ons. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 22.4, 5. <HI>Our Father j tru&s;ted in thee, and thou delivered&s;t them: they cryed unto thee, and were not confounded.</HI> And what is the meaning of that; but that the Church doth take up an Argument from Gods dealing with his Church in former times, To tru&s;t God for the like Mercy for them&s;elves, being in the like con|dition.</P>
<P>Rom. 15.4. <HI>What ever things are writ|ten,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>they are written for our learning; that wee, through Patience, and comfort in the Scripture, might have hope.</HI> Marke there (what things are writ|ten) not only Promi&s;es, but Hi&s;tories of Gods dealings to his Church, were there|fore written, that we might have hope. <HI>(i. e.)</HI> That we might depend on God, in the like condition.</P>
<P>He relieved <HI>Iacob, David, Ieho&s;haphat, Iob,</HI> the Churches of God, &amp;c. That all the&s;e might be in &s;tead of <HI>promi&s;es</HI> to us, to inable us to depend on God, in the like di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P>
<PB N="236" REF="131">
<P>So <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 9.10.&mdash;<HI>They that know thy name will trust in thee.</HI> And why? He doth not &s;ay, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t made them ptomi&s;es; though this be true. But he &s;aith, <HI>Becau&s;e thou Lord</HI>
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Adverbum non derelin|quis. Graec. <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;perabant, <HI>i.e.</HI> pollicebantur fibide te quod non &s;is ip&s;os de&s;erturus, quoniam ali|os non dere|liqui&s;ti. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> <HI>ha&s;t not for&s;a|ken them that &s;eek thee.</HI> Where he urgeth the experience of Gods dealings with others, to be in &s;tead of a promi&s;e to them, to tru&s;t in God. Otherwi&s;e the argument were not of force. He never yet for&s;ooke any that &s;ought him: <HI>(m)</HI> And therefore we may tru&s;t in him, he will not for&s;ake us.</P>
<P>And this is the fir&s;t rule: what ever God hath done to others of his people in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, is equivalent to a promi&s;e to us, in the &s;ame condition.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Rule.</HI> What God promi&s;eth to any of his people, he promi&s;eth to all his people in an equall e&s;tate. What God promi&s;eth to his Church in other ages, he promi&s;eth to his Church in all ages, in equall e&s;tate. This is another rule that Divines lay downe. And this &s;eemes to have a foundation in the word of God al|&s;o. I will give you two places.</P>
<P>God, you know, had made a promi&s;e to <HI>Solomon</HI> at the building of the Tem|ple; that if the enemy be&s;ieged their Ci|ties,
<PB N="237" REF="131">if he brought a famine, pe&s;tilence, or &s;word upon the land: <HI>if his people did humble them&s;elves, and pray, and &s;eeke his face, he would heare from heaven and for|give their &s;innes, and heale their land.</HI> As you &s;ee at large, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 7.14. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 8.37. to 40.</P>
<P>Here was a promi&s;e made to <HI>Solomon.</HI> Now if you look into 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 20.8, 10. You &s;hall &s;ee how <HI>Ieho&s;aphat</HI> makes u&s;e of this promi&s;e, and &s;ues it out.&mdash;</P>
<P>Art not thou our God, who ha&s;t &s;aid: <HI>If the &s;word, judgement, or pestilence come upon thy people, and thy people cry unto thee in their affliction, then thou wilt heare from heaven, and helpe, and deliver them.</HI> Why &s;aith he, Behold now the enemies which are come again&s;t us, &amp; judge them, Lord our God: for we have no might again&s;t this great company; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are up to thee.</P>
<P>Where you &s;ee the rule confirmed; that what ever God promi&s;eth to any of his people in any age of the world; he promi&s;eth to all his people in all ages in an equall &s;tate, <HI>i. e.</HI> in the like condition. Vpon this ground <HI>Ieho&s;haphat</HI> made u&s;e of this promi&s;e which was made to <HI>Solo|mon;</HI> being in the like di&s;tre&s;&s;e he goes to
<PB N="238" REF="132">&s;ue out the promi&s;e, and lookes for the performance of it.</P>
<P>I will give you another place, <HI>Io&s;hua</HI> 5.6. <HI>I will be with thee, I will not faile thee nor for&s;ake thee.</HI> This you know was a particular promi&s;e made to <HI>Io&s;hua.</HI> Yet the Apo&s;tle, (who be&s;t knew the minde of the giver,) he brings this promi&s;e into the common &s;tock, that &s;eemed to be im|propriated; and &s;hewes that this is part of the Saints riches, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 13.5. <HI>Let your conver&s;ation be without covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> for he hath &s;aid, <HI>He will never leave thee nor for&s;ake thee.</HI> Yea, you may &s;ay: he hath &s;aid &s;o to <HI>Io&s;huah:</HI> but where to me? And indeed this could not be an&s;wered, un|le&s;&s;e you grant this rule to be true; that whatever God hath promi&s;ed to his Church, or any of his people, in other ages of the world; he hath promi&s;ed to his Church, and all his people to the end of the world, provided they be in like &s;tate, in equall condition, whence we &s;ay, That generall promi&s;es may bee parti|cularly applyed: and particular, gene|rally. That is, what ever promi&s;e you find to one godly man, as godly: or to his Church, as to his Church. It is ap|plyable to all. God carrying him&s;elfe to
<PB N="239" REF="132">all alike, all of you being under the &s;ame covenant, and to deale with the &s;ame God, who is impartiall in the di&s;pen&s;a|tions of his love and mercy.</P>
<P>And now then bring downe this Rule, and &s;ee if it be not &s;omething to us. He hath promi&s;ed to &s;ave the oppre&s;&s;ed peo|ple, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 12.5. He hath promi&s;ed to de|liver his people out of trouble. The Scripture is full. He promi&s;ed, that no Weapon formed again&s;t the Church &s;hould pro&s;per: a promi&s;e to the Church of the Gentiles: He &s;aid, <HI>He would make Ieru&s;alem a burthen&s;ome &s;tone, that who ever lifteth at it &s;hall be cru&s;hed to pieces, though all the Nations of the earth &s;hould be gathe|red together again&s;t it, Zach.</HI> 12.3. Reade <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 43. v. 3, 4. I <HI>will give men for thee.</HI>&mdash; And <HI>Micah</HI> 4.11, 12.&mdash;</P>
<P>What &s;hall we &s;ay of the&s;e places? are they u&s;efull to us? Or of no u&s;e. Of no u&s;e we cannot &s;ay, for the Apo&s;tle tels us, that <HI>All Scripture is written for our in|&s;truction; that we through patience and con|&s;olation thereof might have hope.</HI> And if u&s;efull, then they are to incourage us, to tru&s;t upon the &s;ame God, that God will be the &s;ame to us, that he hath beene to others. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78.7. The children of I&s;ra|el
<PB N="240" REF="133">were commanded to tell the won|ders, which God had done to his people in Egypt, at the Red-&s;ea, in the Wilder|ne&s;&s;e; to their children, and they to their children, &amp;c. And for what rea&s;on?&mdash; <HI>That they might &s;et their hope in God,</HI> V. 7. Why what is that to them? Why, they were to learne to tru&s;t in God and hope in God for the like, if they were brought to the &s;ame &s;traights. And certainly God would not have us hope, if he had not a purpo&s;e to do the like.</P>
<P>Two things there be that God will ne|ver di&s;appoint.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Prayer.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Faith.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Fir&s;t Prayer. For &s;o he &s;aith,&mdash;<HI>When &s;aid I to the &s;eed of Jacob at any time: &s;eek my face in vaine?</HI> I&s;ay 45.19. And there|fore, when he hath no purpo&s;e to give, he will not have his people to beg. You &s;ee he gives <HI>Jeremy</HI> a di&s;charge, <HI>Pray not thou for this people, neither lift cry or prayer for them, for</HI> I <HI>will not heare thee., Jer.</HI> 7.16. And <HI>Samuel</HI> for <HI>Saul,</HI> Pray no more, mourne no more for <HI>Saul. P&s;al.</HI> 66. <HI>ult. Ble&s;&s;ed be God, that hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from m.</HI> If God turne not away prayer, he will never turn
<PB N="239" REF="133">away his mercy from us.</P>
<P>Secondly, Faith or Hope, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 69.6. <HI>They &s;hall not be a&s;hamed that hope in thee:</HI> which they mu&s;t if they faile of the thing hoped for, <HI>Prov.</HI> 10.28. <HI>The hope of the righteous &s;hall be gladne&s;&s;e.</HI> So the Apo|&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 5.5. <HI>Hope maketh not a&s;hamed.</HI></P>
<P>So much for the &s;econd Rule. So that you &s;ee we have &s;omething comes neere a particular word for our deliverance. Give me leave to adde two more in&s;tan|ces to the&s;e Rules.</P>
<P N="3">3 Incouragement. We have a particu|lar word for the de&s;truction of Anti|chri&s;t: and I am &s;ure that &s;peakes no terror to us now. This doth no way wea|ken our faith for <HI>Englands</HI> deliverance at this time. He who believes and prayes for the de&s;truction of Antichri&s;t, &s;hall not any way hurt or hinder <HI>Englands</HI> de|liverance now.</P>
<P>Well, we have a particular word that Antichri&s;t &s;hall downe, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.8. <HI>Rev.</HI> 18.2. <HI>Babylon the great, is fallen, is fallen.</HI> Indeed he is not yet down, but he is dead|&s;trook in the threatning, and he hath be|gun to fall: he is weakned in the pillars whereupon he &s;tood, <HI>Germany, Spaine,</HI> which is a great earne&s;t to us, his end is
<PB N="240" REF="134">comming. And now, he that re&s;ts upon a word for the de&s;truction of Antichri&s;t, &s;hall not finde it any hinderance to his faith, in the believing the deliverance of <HI>England.</HI>&mdash;</P>
<P N="4">4 Incouragement. We have a parti|cular word, that God will, before the end of all things make his Churches glo|rious, <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 5.4. throughout: read 11, 12, 13, 14. <HI>Oh thou afflicted and to&s;&s;ed with tempe&s;ts, and not comforted! I will lay thy &s;tones with faire colours, and thy foundati|ons of Saphir.&mdash;And all thy children &s;hall be taught of the Lord, and great &s;hall be the peace of thy children. I&s;ay</HI> 62.1, 2. &amp;c. <HI>For Sions &s;ake</HI> I <HI>will not hold my peace, and for Jeru&s;alems &s;ake</HI> I <HI>will not re&s;t, untill the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e thereof goe forth as bright|ne&s;&s;e, and the &s;alvation thereof as a Lampe that burneth; and the Gentiles &s;hall &s;ee thy righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and all Kings thy glory. And thou &s;halt be called by a new name,&mdash;Thou &s;halt al&s;o be a crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord</HI>&mdash;Of which places I may &s;ay as the Eunuch to <HI>Philip,&mdash;Speaketh the Prophet this of him&s;elfe, or of &s;ome other?</HI> So &s;peaketh the Prophet, the&s;e glorious things of the Church pa&s;t, or the Church to come. Of the Church pa&s;t it cannot
<PB N="241" REF="134">be; for hitherto it hath been (like <HI>Noahs</HI> Ark on the waters, like the &s;hip on a &s;tormy &s;ea) conflicting with in&s;uppor|table troubles and difficulties.</P>
<P>Though &s;he hath had her re&s;pites and breathings, yet &s;he hath &s;till beene held down and humbled, to&s;&s;ed, and afflicted, under bondage and per&s;ecution. And therefore it cannot bee meant of the Church pa&s;t, and if not mu&s;t be meant of the Church to come.</P>
<P>And is it to come, that God will make his Church thus glorious, <HI>That her ene|mies &s;hall fall before her.</HI>&mdash;Will God do this yet before the end.&mdash;</P>
<P>And is the end of all things at hand? Are we now fallen into the la&s;t &s;ands? why this is &s;omething to &s;peak incou|ragement to us. And this is from a word.</P>
<P>And thus you &s;ee, Chri&s;t &s;peaks incou|ragement to us, as well as he did to his Di&s;ciples here. He &s;peakes incourage|ment by his word, by his workes, by his promi&s;es, his proceedings: Every way he &s;peaks incouragement: and if you die, die with this confidence; That God hath laid the foundation of the Churches de|liverance, though the oppo&s;itions &s;well never &s;o high. God takes it well at our
<PB N="242" REF="135">hands, when we do entertaine and main|taine good thoughts of him towards his people.&mdash;He delights in them, that hope in his mercy.&mdash;Though you have never a promi&s;e, yet to hope upon Gods na|ture, his love to his Church. And there is ground enough of hope from that, even his love to his Church.</P>
<P>If you looke but upon what hee hath done to compa&s;&s;e a Church, nay, what hath &s;uffered, how he hath &s;hed his blood for her; All this would afford us &s;ome|thing for our hope. Will he do &s;o much to purcha&s;e her, and will he now lo&s;e her.</P>
<P>It is mo&s;t &s;utable to the Go&s;pell, and mo&s;t &s;utable to our relations to God, yea, and expectations from God; nay, and mo&s;t &s;utable to a Chri&s;tian &s;pirit, rather to <HI>dye over-hoping</HI> then <HI>over-fea|ring.</HI></P>
<P>We can never over-hope Gods thoughts of love and mercy to his Church &amp; peo|ple, nor his purpo&s;es and promi&s;es to them. And therefore let it be &s;aid of us, as twas of them, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.13.&mdash;<HI>All the&s;e died in faith, not having received the pro|mi&s;es: but having &s;een them afarre off, were per&s;waded of them, and imbraced them.</HI> Let us doe our worke in our generation, and
<PB N="243" REF="135">leave our hopes, and the remainder of the work (if any remaine) them that fol|low.</P>
<P>And thus much for the fir&s;t thing. <HI>viz.</HI> The way that Chri&s;t took to comfort and Incourage his Di&s;ciples, again&s;t fears and dangers. &mdash; <HI>[He &s;pake to them.]</HI> A word from Chri&s;t is able to rai&s;e up up the drooping &s;pirits of his people in trouble.</P>
<TRAILER>The end of the &s;ixth Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="6" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="244" REF="136">
<P>_WEE now come to the Second. <HI>Scil.</HI> The incouragement it it &s;elf; which is double.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Be of good cheere.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Be not afraid.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The Incouragement you &s;ee is doubled, becau&s;e their feares were doubled.</P>
<P N="1">1. They were in danger of drow|ning.</P>
<P N="2">2. They were in feare of a gho&s;t.</P>
<P>Again&s;t this double Fear Chri&s;t gives a double incouragement.</P>
<P>Again&s;t the fir&s;t: Their danger in re|&s;pect of the Tempe&s;t, he bids them, <HI>Bee of good cheare, be of good courage; believe.</HI> Again&s;t the &s;econd, their feare of the Gho&s;t, he bids them&mdash;<HI>Be not afraid, it is I:</HI> one that comes not to de&s;troy you, but to &s;ave you; <HI>It is I, be not afraid.</HI></P>
<P>In the generall: from the double In|couragement ob&s;erve: That</P>
<PB N="245" REF="136">
<P><HI>D.</HI> Chri&s;ts help, and reliefs are not onely &s;utable, but they are proportion|able to the nece&s;&s;ities of his people.</P>
<P>Their feares and troubles were doub|led, and &s;o were his incouragements al&s;o: Single incouragement is too little for double feare: as the one is doubled, &s;o is the other.</P>
<P>In the 68. <HI>P&s;alme</HI> ver&s;e 20. he is &s;aid to be
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Deus &s;alva|tionum, non fru&s;tra plura|liter loquitur, non uno tan|tum modo De|us, Saluiis e&s;t Deus &s;ed &amp; inu meris modis. Mu&s;c. Mille mali &s;pecies, mille &s;alutis erunt. Read the 80. P&s;al. 3. <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> <HI>The God of &s;alvations;</HI> many troubles; and many &s;alvations: as our troubles cannot over-&s;well his power, &amp; be too great for him to help: neither can they be too many in number for him to help.</P>
<P>As the evills of his people are many, &s;o the Salvations of his people are ma|ny. if wee have a thou&s;and troubles, hee hath a thou&s;and &s;alvations. As hee hath more ble&s;&s;ings than one, &s;o hath he more &s;alvations than one. He &s;aves our &s;oules from &s;inne; and there is mercy more than enough for the greate&s;t of &s;innes,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 1.14.</NOTE> and &s;inners. Hee &s;aves our bodies from Troubles; and there can bee no Trou|bles above the &s;afeties of God. He is not a Saviour onely, but an All-&s;ufficient, an Almighty Saviour. Not onely a Redee|mer, but a perfect Redeemer; yea a plen|teous
<PB N="246" REF="137">Redeemer.&mdash; With him is plen|teous <HI>Redemption,</HI> P&s;alm. 130.7. Full troubles, full redemption; Overflowing evills, over flowing redemption. The ne|ce&s;&s;ities of the Creatures can never be a|bove the &s;alvations of God. Nor men, nor devills can make us more mi&s;erable, than God is mercifull: nor lay us &s;o low, but everla&s;ting armes can rai&s;e us up.</P>
<P>Are men full of malice? God is ful|ler of mercy. Are they mighty to de|&s;troy? God is more mighty to &s;ave. Do they multiply our troubles? God can multiply our &s;upports, our comforts, our deliverances. You can never bee in &s;uch a di&s;tre&s;&s;e; but God is able to proportion your deliverance to your di&s;tre&s;&s;e. With him is power, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 62.</P>
<P>Gods reliefes are not onely &s;utable, but they are proportionable to the nece&s;&s;ities of his people. And the grounds hereof are.</P>
<P><HI>R.</HI> 1. Fir&s;t, Becau&s;e they are the Re|liefes of God, the Helps of God: That which God doth he doth throughly, hee doth to purpo&s;e. Men may doe things overtly, &s;lightly, but &s;o doth not God: what he doth, he doth throughly. Gods Helps are through-helps, full-helps. Men
<PB N="247" REF="137">may be too weak to relieve us; their helps may be too &s;hort: But &s;o are not the helps of God.</P>
<P N="2">2. The helps of Gods people doe a|ri&s;e from Gods Mercy; Bowells of Mer|cy. Now you know, what a man doth out of Love, he doth Throughly, he doth Fully. All that God doth to his people, is out of Love. Power and Love can doe all. Tho&s;e two Attributes, which God doth chiefly exerci&s;e in the relieving of his people, doe &s;peak the Reliefs of God Proportionable to their Nece&s;&s;ities. What cannot Infinite Power, and Infi|nite love doe? Mercy alone would afford &s;utable helpe: But it mu&s;t be Power with Mercy, that mu&s;t afford Proportionable help. Gods Mercy &s;uits helpe to our Nece&s;&s;ities; and his Power proportions it. His Mercy is an Almighty-Mercy. Wee cannot &s;eparate them in God, though they are &s;eparated in Men. There|fore all his helps are proportionable, be|cau&s;e they come from infinite Power, and are the I&s;&s;ues of Infinite Love.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> Then, when ever you are in trou|ble, look towards God alone for helpe in your di&s;tre&s;&s;es, <HI>lift up your eyes to the hills.</HI></P>
<P>It's our &s;in, and our folly too, to for|&s;ake
<PB N="248" REF="138">the Fountain, and run to the &s;tream: to for&s;ake God, and goe to the creature. <HI>A</HI> &s;inne which God never fail'd to puni&s;h: And the puni&s;hment hath been &s;utable to the &s;in. In &s;tead of &s;uccour, they have gotten &s;hame; in &s;tead of comfort, no|thing but confu&s;ion. You may read it. <HI>Ier.</HI> 2. <HI>ult. Why gadde&s;t thou about &s;o much to change</HI> thy way, <HI>thou &s;halt be a&s;hamed of Egypt, as thou wa&s;t a&s;hamed of A&s;&s;yria, yea thou &s;halt goe forth from him, with thine hands upon thy head, for the Lord hath reje|cted thy confidences, and thou &s;halt not pro|&s;per in them.</HI></P>
<P>God loves to Bla&s;t men, in their Car|nall Confidences, we have had the &s;ad experience of it. Di&s;appointment and &s;hame, are the De&s;erved ends of creature|tru&s;ts: It &s;hould now be our wi&s;edome (out of conviction of the emptine&s;&s;e of all Creature-Reliefs, and experience of the vanity of them) to goe alone to him, who can alone relieve us: And to &s;ay with them, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 14.3. who never found &s;uccour till then &mdash; <HI>A&s;hur &s;hall not</HI> &s;ave us: <HI>wee will not ride upon hor&s;es: neither will we &s;ay any more to the work</HI> of our hands: <HI>Yee are our gods: for in thee the fatherle&s;se &s;indeth mercy.</HI> Or with the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 108.12.
<PB N="249" REF="138">&mdash;<HI>Give us help from trouble, for vaine is the helpe of man.</HI> Men may undertake to helpe us: But they,</P>
<P N="1">1. Either want wi&s;edome to contrive and bring about what they purpo&s;e, what you de&s;ire.</P>
<P N="2">2. Or they want faithfulne&s;&s;e to per|form what they undertake. Men are de|ceitfull.</P>
<P N="3">3. Or they want Power, and &s;o are not able to accompli&s;h what they de&s;ired, or you expected.</P>
<P>But now, if God undertake to helpe, he will goe through with it.</P>
<P>Hee wants no Wi&s;edome: hee's the
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Novit domi|nus &amp; in promptu ha|bet varias, vi|as, &amp; ration es quibus &s;uos ex periculis edu|cat. etiam cum humano judi|cio nulla &s;pes aut ratio ap|paret. Moles. in 68. P&s;. 20.</NOTE> Alwi&s;e God.</P>
<P>Nor doth he want Faithfulne&s;&s;e: he is true of his Promi&s;e.</P>
<P>Nor wants hee Power, to make good what he purpo&s;es to his people. If our re|liefs did lie in man, many things might come, to intercept and hinder, what you expected, and they de&s;ired.</P>
<P>Help cannot come &s;o &s;oon as wee ex|pected. Or there may be mountains of difficulties, that lie between us and them. Or their trouble may be too bigge for us to help. But it is not &s;o with God. No di&s;tance of place; for he is in all places.
<PB N="250" REF="139">Hence the P&s;almi&s;t &s;aith, &mdash; <HI>Thou art a pre&s;ent helpe in trouble;</HI> becau&s;e he is ever pre&s;ent. No <HI>Iordan</HI> can hinder him. There was a Sea betwixt Chri&s;t and his Di&s;ci|ples here; yet this could not hinder, or keep him from &s;aving them. It mu&s;t have hindred the reliefs of men: They could but have &s;tood upon the &s;hore, and wept over them, pittied them, pray'd for them: but it could not hinder Chri&s;t. Though there be a Sea betwixt Chri&s;t &amp; his peo|ple, yet he can either dry up, or divide the Sea; as he did the Red-&s;ea and <HI>Iordan:</HI> Or he can walk upon the Sea: a Sea cannot hinder him; as I have &s;hewed. Nor can Mountains neither: for hee can (though there be Mountains of Oppo&s;itions) mighty Mountains, lay them into plains. <HI>Zach.</HI> 4.7.</P>
<P>Though you be begirt and &s;urrounded with enemies, yet can God give you &s;uc|cours over the heads of your enemies.</P>
<P><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Sim&s;on on the Church.</NOTE>
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Sim&s;on on the Church.</NOTE> It was the bla&s;phemous &s;peech of <HI>Martiques,</HI> a governour in <HI>France,</HI> (&s;ome|thing of the &s;pirit of our Cavaliers) when he had &s;trongly be&s;ieged a Prote&s;tant Town in France, and had thought all was &s;ure, there could not be expected any re|lief from below, He &s;coffingly bade them,
<PB N="251" REF="139">Now &s;ing, <HI>Help Lord;</HI> for it is time. And &s;o God did, &s;aith the Story. Though they were &s;hut up from the reliefs of men, yet God &s;ent &s;uccours from above: he helped them, and at the &s;ame time ruined them.</P>
<P>Well then, let it be our wi&s;edome, in all our &s;traits and nece&s;&s;ities. 1. To turn our &s;elves alone to God for help. 2. To Re&s;t in Gods help alone. V&s;e the helps of creatures, but re&s;t in the helps of God. So did <HI>David.</HI> P&s;al. 108.12. Hee had provided help, as if there had not been a God in heaven: and yet &s;o re&s;ted on God, as though he had not a man in the field. Vaine are Powers, preparations of Ar|mies. &mdash; <HI>Vain is the help of man,</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>Through God &s;hall wee doe valiantly: for he &s;hall tread downe our enemies for us.</HI> Ver&s;. 13.&mdash; The like you read of <HI>Jeho|&s;haphat,</HI> though his army was big enough, yet &s;aith he, <HI>Wee knew not what to doe, but our eyes are upon thee.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 20.12. Chri&s;tians! let us learn the &s;ame le&s;&s;on, God hath weakned our arme of fle&s;h, that wee might &s;trengthen the arme of faith. He hath bla&s;ted us in our expectations from men, that our eyes and hopes might be altogether fa&s;tned on him&s;elf. And I hope, this hath been the fruit of it, in
<PB N="252" REF="140">Gods people. The more we have been we akned in creatures, the more wee have &s;trengthened our &s;elves in God. I am &s;ure, we have &s;een more of God in our weak|ne&s;&s;e, then ever we did in our &s;trength.</P>
<P>What a wonder was it, that when our Armies were lo&s;t; <HI>Bri&s;toll</HI> taken; none in the field to oppo&s;e them; they were in the top of their &s;trength; and might in all probability, have come even to the Gates of this City.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 23.14. Et Jehovae &s;unt mortis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">gre&s;&s;us. P&s;al. 68.21. Hoc e&s;t, in ip|&s;a morte cum nulla &s;pes re|lique e&s;t, at|que adeo a|ctum videtur de &s;alute pio|rum, ad e&s;t Deus &amp; ex ip&s;is qua&s;i faucibus mor|tis &s;uos eripit. Moler. in loc.</NOTE> That then God &s;hould find them work in another place, and make that place (weak enough in it &s;elf, and farre from relief) as a Rock, a|gain&s;t which they &s;hould &s;pend and &s;plit them&s;elves, and bring down their pride, and their glory? This was Gods doing, and it was wonderfull in our eyes. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 118. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 23.14.</P>
<P>Oh! how &s;hould the&s;e things incou|rage us, to Re&s;t more fully, more &s;teadily, more &s;olely on the helps, and reliefs of our good God! who hath remem|bred us in our low e&s;tates; and will at la&s;t proportion all our helpes to our de&s;ires, to our expectations, to our Straits.</P>
<P>And this you &s;hall be able to doe, If you will learne to know God more: If
<PB N="253" REF="140">you will acquaint your &s;elves with his wi&s;edome, power, mercy faithfulne&s;&s;e, truth. Ignorance of the power of God, of the mercy &amp; truth of God, is the ground of all our un&s;teadine&s;&s;e in depending on him, <HI>P&s;alme</HI> 9.10. <HI>They that know thy Name, will tru&s;t in thee</HI>&mdash;</P>
<P>If you will eye God more, men le&s;&s;e, conver&s;e more with Heaven, le&s;&s;e with earth. If you will have to do more with his word, le&s;&s;e with workes; if you will &s;hut the eye of &s;en&s;e, and open the eye of faith? You &s;hall be more able to depend on him.</P>
<P>Thus we come from the generall view to the incouragement it &s;elfe in particu|lar, which you &s;ee is doubled.</P>
<P><Q>[Be of good cheere; be not afraid.]</Q></P>
<P>Be of good cheere,] Thats the fir&s;t.</P>
<P>It &s;eemes their &s;pirits were much &s;unk, their hearts ca&s;t downe. And there was great ground, if any thing below might be a ground to ca&s;t downe mens &s;pirits.</P>
<P>They were fir&s;t in the mid&s;t of the &s;ea. 2 To&s;&s;ed with waves. 3 The winds con|trary. 4 In the darke of the night, and 5 Chri&s;t was ab&s;ent.</P>
<P>God may exerci&s;e his people with &s;uch oppre&s;&s;ing difficulties,
<MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> that their &s;pirits
<PB N="254" REF="141">may faile, and their hearts may even be ready to &s;ink under them.</P>
<P>It was &s;o here with the Di&s;ciples. It was &s;o with <HI>David.&mdash;I &s;hall one day peri&s;h by the hand of Saul.</HI>&mdash;</P>
<P>And this ari&s;eth, not &s;o much from the greatne&s;&s;e of our &s;traits, as from the low|ne&s;&s;e of our &s;pirits under them. We are too big in our &s;ucce&s;&s;es, and too little in our lo&s;&s;es: we are too high when things go well, and too low when things go ill. Men that are proud in &s;ucce&s;&s;es, are &s;ure to be as ba&s;e in lo&s;&s;es. We are apt to ex|treames. Hard it is to be nothing in our &s;elves when things goe well; and all in God, when things go ill: but this le&s;&s;en we mu&s;t learne; otherwi&s;e we &s;hall be as un&s;table as the times them&s;elves; &amp; live and dye according to &s;ucce&s;&s;es of things. Labour for &s;teadine&s;&s;e of &s;pirit, get to be &s;etled in un&s;etled times; get to be fixed on God, be as a Rock in the Sea; Though the waves move, the &s;ea ri&s;es and fals, yet the rock abides, that &s;tands firme where it was. So let us&mdash;</P>
<P>It is &s;aid of a beleeving man: He &s;hall not be afraid of evill tydings, his heart is fixed tru&s;ting in the Lord, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 112.7. But we &s;hail pa&s;&s;e this. There is &s;ome|thing
<PB REF="141">more offers it &s;elf from the words.</P>
<P><HI>Be of good cheere.]</HI> The word is <GAP DESC="foreign"> which &s;ignifies three things.</P>
<P N="1">1 <HI>Courage.</HI>
<NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">2 Forti ani|mo e&s;tote.</NOTE> Be of good courage.</P>
<P N="2">2 <HI>Comfort,</HI>
<NOTE N="&s;" PLACE="marg">2 Con&s;ola|mini.</NOTE> Be of good comfort.</P>
<P N="3">3 <HI>Confidence,</HI>
<NOTE N="t" PLACE="marg">3 Fiduciam habete. Juxta vulga|rem ver&s;ic. <GAP DESC="foreign">, &amp;c.</NOTE> Be of good confidence,
<NOTE N="u" PLACE="marg">Firmam a|nimi fiduciam requirit. Mu&s;c</NOTE> Beleeve.</P>
<P>Have faith in God. The &s;ame word, that &s;ignifies comfort, &s;ignifies confidence. To &s;hew us, that all comfort in God in times of trouble, doth ari&s;e from confi|dence in God in the time of trouble. No more confidence then you have, no more comfort you have. We have &s;o little comfort in our trouble, becau&s;e we have &s;o little confidence. We want comfort, the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e we have mi&s;placed our confidence. God hath bla&s;ted our carnall confidences, that he might be our only &s;tay now in times of trouble. While we have others to go to, we will not go to God: whiles we have Bulwarkes of our owne, we will not take Towre in God: Whiles we have any thing el&s;e to re&s;t on, wee will never anchor on the Rock. Would you have comfort from the Name, from the Attributes of God? Would you have comfort from the Pro|mi&s;es, from the Covenant of God? Let
<PB N="256" REF="142">God have confidence from you, and you &s;hall have comfort from him. A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, &s;o much confidence as you lay upon God, &s;o much comfort you &s;hall have from God.</P>
<P>But yet there is &s;omething more ob&s;er|vable from the word. <HI>[Be of good cheere, be of good courage, be of good confidence.]</HI> You &s;ee before Chri&s;t wold allay the tempe&s;t without, he applies him&s;elf fir&s;t to quiet the tempe&s;t within. There was as great a tempe&s;t in the &s;hip, in the hearts of the Di&s;ciples, as there was in the &s;ea, <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 57.20. Their hearts were like the &s;ea, ca&s;t|ing up nothing but mire and dirt; doubt|ings, feares, and unbeliefe. Here was the greate&s;t tempe&s;t.
<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg">Non pri|mum res ad|ver&s;as tollit, ut po&s;tea &s;uos quietos red|dit, &s;ed con|tra. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> Chri&s;t applies him|&s;elfe to lay this; to quiet their &s;pirits be|fore he did quiet the &s;ea. And this for three rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1 Becau&s;e that this was the root of their troubles, even their lowne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit; their diffidence and di&s;tru&s;t in God. All the troubles without had not troubled them, if they had not had an unbelieving, di&s;tru&s;ting heart within. Hence <HI>Mu&s;cu|lus</HI> upon this place.
<NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Timor non habet cau&s;am ex rebus ad|verfis &s;ed ex diffidentia, &amp; animi imbeci|litate. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> Feare doth not ari&s;e &s;o much from troubles without, as
<PB N="257" REF="142">di&s;tru&s;ts and weakne&s;&s;e within.</P>
<P N="2">2 Becau&s;e the greate&s;t trouble was that within. The other did but in danger the body, this the &s;oule. The minde was mo&s;t oppre&s;&s;ed:
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">Mentes af|flictorum &s;o|lumodo fidu|cia pacifican|tur. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> and therefore Chri&s;t ap|plyes him&s;elfe, that the minde might be fir&s;t relieved. <HI>Bono animo e&s;tote,</HI> Be of good comfort. Chri&s;t applyes him&s;elfe fir&s;t to &s;uccour that part, that doth chief|ly labour under any trouble: and that is the minde. If once the minde be &s;et right, the heart cheered, &amp; &s;trengthned: troubles will ea&s;ily be borne.</P>
<P N="3">3 Becau&s;e, till their hearts were rai&s;ed up to believe they were not fitted to re|ceive mercy. God loves to put his people into a po&s;ture for mercy, before he be|&s;tow mercy on them.</P>
<P>They were not in fit po&s;ture for God to work, till he had rai&s;ed up their hearts to beleeve and expect.</P>
<P>Its an ob&s;ervation, that
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Nunc vero, et&s;i opportur num erat fe|rendi auxilii tempus, quan|do Chri&s;tus apparuit, ta|men in illo|ru~ exercitati|onem, &s;alutem di&s;tert quae in manu habuit. Calvin.</NOTE> <HI>Calvin</HI> hath upon this Ver&s;e.&mdash;Although it was now a fit time for Chri&s;t to helpe: yet the tempe&s;t is not laid, becau&s;e his Di&s;ciples were not yet awaken'd to pray and beleeve in his mercy. Therfore (faith hee) wee mu&s;t know, it is not without
<PB N="258" REF="143">cau&s;e, that God doth often times deferre that helpe which he is ready to be&s;tow. God loves to have his people in a po&s;ture of mercy, before he doe be&s;tow it. Hee would lay the tempe&s;t within, the &s;torme in their &s;oules: he would lay their fear|full unbelieving thoughts, and put them on, to believe, to hope, to expect, to pray for mercy, before they had it. The mer|cies God be&s;towes upon his people, he is willing &s;hould come, in a believing, pray|ing way: therefore doth God &s;hut his hand &s;ometimes, and with-hold his help, that we might believe: And here is work for faith. And therefore doth hee make ob&s;tructions in the brea&s;t of the promi&s;e, that we &s;hould &s;uck, that we &s;hould pray.</P>
<P>Hee be&s;towes mercy on wicked men without asking, hee feedes and cloathes them; cau&s;eth the Sunne to &s;hine on the bad as well as good; but the&s;e are the mercies of a generall providence: not di&s;tingui&s;hing mercies: of generall boun|ty, not of &s;peciall love. But the mercies he be&s;towes on his owne, God is willing they &s;hould come in as fruits of prayer, and as performance of promi&s;es: And then are they mercies indeed. The way of comming in is a greater mercy then the mercy it &s;elfe.</P>
<PB N="259" REF="143">
<P>My brethren, we are in a &s;ad condition: We expect mercy, we looke for delive|rance. But doe you pray? Doe you be|leeve? Doe you wait? Remember this. God will put his people in a po&s;ture fit to receive, before he will be&s;tow mercy: in a frame fit for deliverance, before he will deliver them.</P>
<P>Mercy is never fit for you, till you be fit for mercy. Let the work of God goe better on within, in your &s;pirits, &amp; Gods work will go better on without, abroad in the land. Interruptions, ob&s;tructions, delayes abroad, are from hence, becau&s;e that there are all the&s;e within. Let us not only expect, but prepare, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.12. &mdash;<HI>Looking for, and ha&s;tning the comming of the day of the Lord.</HI> Many will look for a thing which they will not ha&s;ten. Why, what is ha&s;tning? The day is determi|ned; How can we ha&s;ten it? The mean|ing is not, That we &s;hould ha&s;ten the day, but that we &s;hould ha&s;ten or prepare our &s;elves for the day. Therefore let us not only wait for mercy, but ha&s;ten to it, pre|pare for it. Now that we may thus ha|&s;ten the day, foure things are requi&s;ite. 1. That we humble. 2. That we beleeve. 3. That we be mighty in prayer. 4. That
<PB N="260" REF="144">we be &s;incere in our reformings.</P>
<P>And &s;o much for the fir&s;t part of the incouragement: we now come to the &s;econd.</P>
<P><Q>[Be not afraid.]</Q></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> God would not have the hearts of his people &s;ink under any affliction or trouble.</P>
<P>They were in a great trouble: yet he incourages them; Be not afraid. Hence wee heare it ordinarily, <HI>Feare not thou worme Jacob,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;ay 41.14. I&s;ay 7.4.8.12 I&s;ay 43.1.5. Rev. 2.10. Luke 2.32.</NOTE> <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 41.14. <HI>Feare none of tho&s;e things which thou &s;halt &s;uffer, Rev.</HI> 2.10. <HI>Feare not little flock, Luke</HI> 12.32. Thus GOD would &s;teele the hearts of his people again&s;t ba&s;e feares, though their troubles be great, yet he would not have their hearts to &s;ink under them. And that fir&s;t, Becau&s;e this is offen&s;ive to God. It's a great wrong we doe to God, to &s;uffer our hearts to be ca&s;t downe in times of trouble. You have a God who is able to relieve you, be you never &s;o low; Nay, a God that is willing to helpe you: for he is a God of mercy; and all this mercy is for you; all this power is for you; you have a God who hath purpo&s;ed to helpe you, he had purpo&s;es of good from all eternity to you. You have a God who
<PB N="261" REF="144">hath promi&s;ed to helpe you: how many promi&s;es hath God made to you.&mdash;</P>
<P>Nay; And you have had Experience of his Goodne&s;&s;e, both towards others, and towards your &s;elves; It hath been a Tryed Goodne&s;&s;e, an Experienced good|ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>And therefore how doe wee wrong God, when we &s;uffer our hearts to &s;inke, in the dayes of Evill? Chri&s;tians &s;hould be tender of Gods glory: you have need to take heed of bringing an ill Report upon God, as if he &s;hould not have regard to to help his own People. This gives oc|ca&s;ion of hard thoughts to the men of the World.</P>
<P>You have a tender expre&s;&s;ion in <HI>Ezra.</HI> 8.22. &mdash; <HI>I was a&s;hamed to require of the King a band of Souldiers and hor&s;emen to helpe me again&s;t the enmy; Becau&s;e wee had &s;poken to the King, &s;aying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good, that &s;eek him: But his power and his wrath is again&s;t all them that for&s;ake him.</HI></P>
<P>Mark you here. Hee was in a Great &s;trait; There was great danger; He fea|red the enemy, yet he was a&s;ham'd to ask any helpe: Why? Becau&s;e hee had &s;aid to the King,&mdash; Certainly God will
<PB N="262" REF="145">pre&s;erve his owne. And the King thought &s;o. And therefore, le&s;t hee &s;hould any way Di&s;honour God, and give the King occa&s;ion to &s;u&s;pect that God would not Pre&s;erve them: he would rather venture all upon God in danger, then give the King &s;uch occa&s;ion of &s;u&s;pition. Chri|&s;tians &s;hould bee tender of Gods ho|nour,&mdash;</P>
<P N="2">2. It's un&s;utable to Chri&s;tians. Chri|&s;tians &s;hould be couragious.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is un&s;utable to your calling, you are Chri&s;tians; who &s;hould be more vali|ant then they that are mo&s;t holy,
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Quis tam fortis quam qui Sanctus. Ber. ad, mil. Temp. c. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> The righteous &s;hould be as bold as a Lyon; greatne&s;&s;e of Spirit, befits tho&s;e who are Chri&s;tians: your Cau&s;e is good, your in|couragements good, your &s;uccours good, your comforts good, your rewards are good; and why &s;hould not your courage, your hearts come up to all the&s;e. You read in the 51 <HI>I&s;ay.</HI> 12, 13. God &s;aid to his people, <HI>Who art thou, that thou &s;houldest be afraid of man? &mdash;fear not Worme Iacob.</HI></P>
<P>Indeed one would think he &s;hould have &s;aid, who art thou, that thou &s;houlde&s;t not be afraid of a man? what is a worme un|der mens feet? thou art but a worme, Yet God &s;aith, Who art thou? &mdash; as if
<PB N="263" REF="145">he had &s;aid, Con&s;ider but thy &s;elf, and what relations thou &s;tands in to the great God, under what mighty protections thou art, under what Promi&s;es, &mdash; And thou wilt think it a thing very unworthy, very unbe&s;eeming thy &s;elf to feare.</P>
<P><HI>Wherefore &s;hould I fear</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) in the dayes of evill?</HI> Wherefore &s;hould I? I that &s;tand in &s;uch relations, I that have &s;uch dependances, &s;uch encouragements, &s;uch &s;uccours, &s;uch promi&s;es, &s;uch ex|pectations, wherefore &s;hould I feare? this were unworthy me. As <HI>Themi&s;tocles</HI> &s;aid to a Souldier, when he pa&s;&s;ed by the &s;poile of his enemies, Thou may&s;t ga|ther up the &s;poyle, for thou
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>Plut.</HI></NOTE> art not <HI>Themi&s;tocles.</HI> E&s;teeming it unworthy for him to doe tho&s;e things which others did. Chri&s;tians! God hath &s;tamped a great deal of honour upon you in making you Chri&s;tians, the Souldiers of Chri&s;t, and you are to be as farre above others of the world in courage, as they are below you in condition. See <HI>David. P&s;al.</HI> 27.1, 2, 3. Feares are their portion, not yours. <HI>I&s;ay.</HI> 8.12. <HI>Fear not their fears.</HI>&mdash;</P>
<P N="2">2. They are un&s;utable to your Cau&s;e; They are un&s;utable to a Chri&s;tian, who is the Souldier of Chri&s;t, and to Re|ligion,
<PB N="264" REF="146">which is the Cau&s;e of Chri&s;t. Pit|ty a good Cau&s;e &s;hould have low &s;pirits, the Cau&s;e is &s;ufficient bottome to beare up the Spirit, and put courage into the heart of a coward; None can defend it, but it will defend them, As your danger lies in de&s;erting of it, &s;o your &s;ecurity lies in defending of it.</P>
<P>The Grecian women commanded their &s;ons, Either to bring back their Shields, or dye upon them. <HI>Epaminondas</HI> was &s;o devoted to his Buckler, that he took up a re&s;olution, either to defend it, or to dye for it; and being wounded to death, hee cryes out,
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Num &s;alvus e&s;t clypius?</NOTE> Is my Buckler &s;afe? e&s;tee|ming all well, if that were &s;afe. It was their honor and &s;afety too, to defend that which &s;hould defend them.</P>
<P>Religion is our great defence, it makes the great God the defence of any people, as you &s;ee, <HI>Deut.</HI> 33.29. <HI>Happy art thou O I&s;rael, who is like unto thee, O people! &s;a|ved by the Lord. the Shield of thy help, and who is the &s;word of thy Excellency,</HI> &mdash; That man runs into the greate&s;t hazzard, that for any hazzard, &s;hall de&s;ert the Cau&s;e of God; It is a fearfull thing to procure God a ju&s;t enemy, by making man an unju&s;t friend, He that maintains
<PB N="265" REF="146">the be&s;t Cau&s;e, &s;hall bee maintained by be&s;t God, Though thou &s;uffer with it, yet thou conquere&s;t by it,
<NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Duo in cruce affixi intelli|guntur, Chri|&s;tus vi&s;ibiliter &s;ponte &s;ua, ad tempus; diabo|lus invilibili|ter, invitus in perpetuum. Origen.</NOTE> Chri&s;t conque|red, when he &s;eemed to be overcome; &s;o a Chri&s;tian. It was that which <HI>Cyprian</HI> &s;aid unto <HI>Cornelius,</HI>
<NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Scias hoinem Chri&s;to dedi|tum mori po&s;|&s;e, vinci non po&s;&s;e. Cypr.</NOTE> thou may die, but thou &s;halt never be overcome,
<NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Quam glo|rio&s;i revertun|tur victores de praelio, quam beati moriun|tur martyres in praelio. Ber. Serm. ad mil. temp. c. 1.</NOTE> It is the &s;ame Chri&s;t &s;aith to his Di&s;ciples. <HI>Luk.</HI> 21.18. <HI>Though they kill you;</HI> you &s;ee, Ver&s;. 16. <HI>yet a hair of your head &s;hall not peri&s;h.</HI>&mdash;</P>
<P>Are wicked men couragious, or rather de&s;perate in a bad Cau&s;e? what a &s;hame then is it, that wee &s;hould
<NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Quid vel vi|vens vel mori|ens metuat, cui vivere Chri&s;tus e&s;t, &amp; mori lu|crum. Bern.</NOTE> be fearfull in a good? VVhat have they to hold up their hearts, and what have we not to hold up ours? ah! what a &s;in, to have a low Spirit, under mighty incouragements?</P>
<P><NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Ego mi&s;eri|mas curas, qui|bus te con&s;umi &s;cribis, vehe|menter odi, quod fic reg|nant in corde tuo, non e&s;t magnitudo cau&s;ae, &amp;c. Luth.</NOTE> <HI>Luther,</HI> when he &s;aw <HI>Melanchtons</HI> Spirits to &s;inke under the &s;ad a&s;pects of the Church of God in his dayes, he fals to down right chiding of him; I vehement|ly hate, &s;aith hee, tho&s;e mi&s;erable cares wherewith thou write&s;t thou art &s;pent, It is not from the greatne&s;&s;e of the danger, but the greatne&s;&s;e of our feares and di|&s;tru&s;t, if our Cau&s;e be fal&s;e, let us revoke it, if true, why doe wee make God in his rich Promi&s;es a Lyar; Strive again&s;t thy &s;elf, the greate&s;t enemy, why &s;hould wee
<PB N="266" REF="147">fear the conquered VVorld, that have the <HI>Conquerour</HI> on our &s;ide: Fearfulne&s;&s;e is unbefitting a Chri&s;tian, who is the Soul|dier of Chri&s;t, and Religion, which is the cau&s;e of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="3">3. It is un&s;utable to our relations; we &s;tand related to the great God of heaven and earth; and a &s;hame it is that &s;uch &s;hould feare: he is our God, our Father, our Shepheard, our Husband, our Head, wee his People, his Children, his Sheep, his Spou&s;e, his members, &mdash; Every one of the&s;e &s;peak incouragement to our fearful and unbeleeving hearts; what may not the Childe expect from his Father, the Spou&s;e from her Husband, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="4">4. Nay, It is un&s;utable to our expecta|tions from God, and to Gods ingage|ments to us; God hath pa&s;&s;ed over him|&s;elf to us in many precious and gracious Promi&s;es, as I have &s;hewed, and wee doe ju&s;tly expect God to be that to us that he hath Promi&s;ed, and what a &s;in and &s;hame that we &s;hould &s;o far betray all the&s;e &s;uc|cours, which God hath tendred, make void all the&s;e Promi&s;es he hath made, by giving way to di&s;tru&s;tfull fears.</P>
<P>To &s;umme up all: Chri&s;tians! you have incouragements enough (if your hearts
<PB N="267" REF="147">be not fallen below. Men to fortifie your Spirits again&s;t any evill, and to bear up your &s;pirits under the &s;ence and burthen of any.</P>
<P N="1">1. Every name of God. 2. Every At|tribute of God. 3. Every relation of God. 4. Every Word of God. 5. Every deal|ing of God with his Church and People, Speaks abundance of incouragement to You, again&s;t the&s;e &s;infull &s;inking Feares; And &s;o much for the Second; the&s;e Fears are un&s;utable.</P>
<P N="3">3. It di&s;covers Weakne&s;&s;e and Low|ne&s;&s;e of Spirit. <HI>Prov.</HI> 24.10. &mdash;<HI>If thou faint in the day of adver&s;ity, thy strength is &s;mall.</HI> It argues weakne&s;&s;e of grace, weak|ne&s;&s;e of faith, of hope, of patience; and declares much unbelief.</P>
<P N="4">4. It di&s;courageth and di&s;heartneth tho&s;e that are weak,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Nehem. 6.11.</NOTE> &mdash;<HI>Shall &s;uch a Man as I flie! Nehemiah</HI> was One &s;tood for Many; Hee knew his Actions either of fear, or courage would have an Influence upon Many: And therefore would rather dy, then fly: &s;uch a one, if he fear, is like the dead Body of <HI>Ama&s;a,</HI> that makes all &s;tand &s;till.&mdash;2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 20.12. <HI>It came to pa&s;&s;e, that as they came to the dead body, they &s;tood &s;till:</HI> and left off to pur&s;ue their enemies.
<PB N="268" REF="148">You know what a &s;inne it is, to di&s;cou|rage the hearts of your brethren: you may &s;ee it by the puni&s;hment of the bad Spies.&mdash;</P>
<P N="5">5 Feare it betrayes the &s;uccours which God offers; it is a &s;oule-infeebling-&s;in, a heart-di&s;abling-&s;in: as it is &s;aid of na|turall feares, <HI>Feare betrayeth the &s;uccours which rea&s;on offers;</HI> &s;o I may &s;ay of &s;piri|tuall feares, they betray the &s;uccours which God, which the promi&s;e offers. God, and all God, are too little to &s;ecure a fearfull unbelieving man. I will but give you two eminent places for it, which I had thought to have pa&s;&s;ed over, <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 30.15. You &s;hall &s;ee there the people were in &s;ome danger, and they let feare worke, when indeed faith, &s;hould have worked. And as it is the nature of feare, it turnes a man from God, and from the promi&s;e, &s;o it did them, and they betook them&s;elves to their owne foreca&s;ts and provi&s;ions: they would go downe to E|gypt for help, as you &s;ee in the fir&s;t Ver. They tru&s;ted in the &s;hadow of Egypt, Egypt was a well &s;pread tree, the boughs were great and large, and they promi&s;ed to them&s;elves much &s;ecurity under the &s;hadow of her boughes, they thought it
<PB N="269" REF="148">would have kept out the &s;torme. And though God now told them, that in qui|etne&s;&s;e, and confidence, &s;hould be their &s;trength, and that in returning and re&s;t they &s;hould be &s;aved: though God inga|ged him&s;elfe to be their &s;ecurity, and &s;et the &s;ecurity in him&s;elfe, again&s;t all they feared, yet notwith&s;tanding; all this was no &s;ecurity for them, their fears &s;till worked above their faith, and all that God &s;aid, or was, was too little to be their &s;ecurity. Nay, though he tels them in the &s;eventh Ver&s;e, your &s;trength is to &s;it &s;till, and it is worthy taking notice of; the word which God u&s;eth there for &s;trength,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> is u&s;ed in Scripture to &s;ignifie Egypt; Your Egypt &s;hall be to &s;it &s;till: As if God had &s;aid, What ever you ex|pect in Egypt you &s;hall finde in me: if you will quietly re&s;t your &s;pirits on me, what ever you looked for there, you &s;hall finde me to be unto you.&mdash;But yet all this was too little to an&s;wer their feares, to &s;atisfie their unbelieving hearts, their feares were above all the &s;ecurity God tendred, as you &s;ee in the &s;ixteenth ver&s;e; and you &s;ee how God meets with them.&mdash;</P>
<P>Take another place in <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 7. You may reade, of a confederacy between the King
<PB N="270" REF="149">of <HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI> and the King of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> to come up again&s;t <HI>Iudah</HI> and <HI>Ieru&s;alem.</HI> And in the &s;econd Ver&s;e you read, how <HI>the hearts of the men of Judah were moved, even as the trees of the wood are moved with the winde.</HI> Now in this their feare and danger God &s;ends a Prophet to them, to tell them he would bee their &s;ecurity if they would tru&s;t on him, the third and fourth Ver&s;es, <HI>Be quiet, fear not, neither be fainthearted,&mdash; I will helpe you,</HI>&mdash;Ver&s;e 7. But notwith|&s;tanding all this, their feare prevailed a|gain&s;t their faith, whereupon God &s;ends the Prophet againe in the tenth Ver&s;e, and bids the King <HI>Ask a &s;igne, either in the depths below, or height above,</HI>&mdash;That is, if he de&s;ired to have his faith confirmed by any vi&s;ible &s;igne, either in Heaven or Earth, God would conde&s;cend &s;o farre to the weakne&s;&s;e of his faith to afford it to him; but yet his feares prevailed again&s;t his faith, and again&s;t all the &s;ecurity God offered, and he puts all this off very cun|ningly, Ver&s;e 12. <HI>I will not ask a &s;igne, nei|ther will I tempt God.</HI> One would thinke he &s;pake well, he would not tempt God in asking a &s;igne, he would beleeve on his bare word: doth not Chri&s;t blame the Scribes and Phari&s;ees for asking a &s;igne?
<PB N="271" REF="149">but it is one thing to aske a &s;igne when God doth not offer it, and meerly out of temptation too; as the <HI>Scribes</HI> &amp; <HI>Phari&s;es</HI> did: another thing, to refu&s;e a &s;igne when God tenders it, and that for the confirming of their faith. That hee &s;pake wickedly: The 13. ver&s;e tels you, <HI>Is it a &s;mall thing to weary men, but yor will weary God al&s;o;</HI> Indeed the meaning is, he will not tempt God; That is, he will not tru&s;t God, hee would not tru&s;t on Gods promi&s;e, Gods &s;ecurity; he would run to the arm of fle&s;h, provide the be&s;t means for his own &s;afety; for he would not tru&s;t on Gods &s;ecurity, hee would rather tru&s;t to the provi&s;ion feare could make, then to the provi&s;ions faith could finde in God.
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">In periculis non bebemus otio&s;e pendere a divino auxi|lio, &s;ed omnia facere quae &s;unt in no&s;tra po|te&s;tate.&mdash; Quamvis cre|damus in De|um, faciamus tamen quae fa|cienda &s;unt ne praetermitten|tes ea Deum tentare videa|mur. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> Sometimes we tempt God in tru&s;ting upon God in the neg|lect of means, and &s;ometimes we tempt God in the tru&s;ting upon means in the neglect of God, &s;o did he: See 2 <HI>King.</HI> 16.5. to the 10. ver&s;e.</P>
<P>And &s;o you &s;ee feare is a heart infee|bling &s;in, it betrayes the &s;uccours which God tenders; God, and all God is too little to &s;ecure an unbelieving man.</P>
<P N="6">6. It doth gratifie the enemy, our feares are our weaknings, the enemies
<PB N="272" REF="150">&s;trengthnings, 1. Our weaknings I &s;ay, feare is an army in battalia again&s;t it &s;elfe; the heart doth arme the head, and the head u&s;eth all its enginery to batter the heart, the heart makes u&s;e of the head to heighten a danger, and that againe layes battery again&s;t the heart to le&s;&s;en that.</P>
<P>Hee needs no enemies without, who hath a fearefull heart within; how can he &s;tand out again&s;t enemies from with|out, that is not able to &s;tand again&s;t it &s;elfe. This is the nature of fear, (where courage le&s;&s;ens difficulties, and makes great things conquerable; &s;uch a &s;pirit looks through a le&s;&s;ening gla&s;s, and &s;ees great dangers to be &s;mall; the heart &s;till ri&s;eth above the difficulty.) This is the nature of feare it looks through a multi|plying gla&s;&s;e, and makes &s;mall dangers great, and unre&s;i&s;table. A&s;&s;ure your &s;elves, feare will make a man weake a|mid&s;t all the provi&s;ions of &s;trength, your forts are nothing, if you retaine your feares, you will be naked in the mid&s;t of armes, weak in the mid&s;t of &s;trength; fear is an armory of weapons again&s;t it &s;elfe. It is our weaknings: 2. And it is the enemies &s;trengthening; your feares
<PB N="273" REF="150">are their courage, and your courage their feares: It is &s;aid in <HI>Iudges</HI> 2. That <HI>I&s;raels &s;in was Eglons &s;trength:</HI> &s;o our &s;in of feare, is the courage and &s;trength of our adver&s;aries; you weaken your &s;elves and &s;trengthen them, you di&s;arme your &s;elves, and arme them, you unweapon your &s;elves, and put weapons into their hands to de&s;troy you: It is a dangerous &s;in, and therefore God would not &s;uffer &s;uch to goe to war, they were unfit for wars;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 20.8.</NOTE> there were two qualities that were to be ca&s;heered, <HI>malitia, molities,</HI> wickedne&s;&s;e of life, and fearfulne&s;&s;e of heart, the one makes our enemies wea|pons &s;ucce&s;&s;efull, and the other makes our owne u&s;ele&s;&s;e.&mdash;</P>
<P N="7">7. It is a &s;in that indangers our for|&s;aking of the Cau&s;e of God. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, 29 <HI>Prov.</HI> 25.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Prov.</HI> 29.25.</NOTE> <HI>The fear of man worketh a &s;nare;</HI> if once ba&s;e feare get the po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion of the heart, what &s;nares wil they not expo&s;e a man unto, I will name &s;ome to you:</P>
<P N="1">1. They will make a man &s;hie to ac|knowledge the Cau&s;e of God; You &s;ee <HI>Nicodemus,</HI> and many of the <HI>Iewes,</HI> of whom it is &s;aid, They believed, but dur&s;t not confe&s;&s;e him, for feare of the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees.</HI></P>
<PB N="274" REF="151">
<P N="2">2. Fear will make a man-decline and bawk the Cau&s;e of God; the Rulers were afaid to acknowledge Chri&s;t, be|cau&s;e of the <HI>Romans,</HI> if they had done &s;o, the <HI>Romans</HI> would have come and taken away their place and nation.</P>
<P N="3">3. Fear will blind the under&s;taning, &amp; hinder us from decerning good from evil, and evil from good: It is a Maxime, Sin in the affection will breed Error in the under&s;tanding, a corrupt heart will cau&s;e a corrupt head; feare in the heart will cau&s;e darkne&s;&s;e in the minde; It is a hard thing for a man under the power of any &s;infull pa&s;&s;ion, either by-a&s;&s;ed with corrupt affections, or blinded with corrupt pa&s;&s;ions, to judge of the truth and ju&s;tne&s;&s;e of any cau&s;e, though it be never &s;o evident; Men in feare are apt to judge tho&s;e things good, which yet are evil, and they them&s;elves would &s;o acknowledge, if they &s;tood upon even ground, if the feares and dangers had not got the hill of them.&mdash;</P>
<P>And I believe this is a great ground of mens judgings in the&s;e times; They think, if they &s;hould acknowledge things as they are, they &s;hould be at great co&s;ts for the pre&s;ent, and run great hazards
<PB N="275" REF="151">for future, and therefore they will rather &s;mother the Light and Evidences they have, then let in more, to their danger and co&s;t. Thus our enemies make us drive their mills with our owne breath, and doe their worke with our own hands&mdash; a fair policie&mdash; <HI>Pyrrhus</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay of <HI>Cyneas,</HI> That he had gained more Cities with his eloquence, then he him|&s;elf had done with his &s;word: It is wi&s;|dom to expect mo&s;t venom where there is mo&s;t Art; the Spider hath much Art&mdash; but &mdash; yet a great deale of poy&s;on.</P>
<P N="4">4. The fourth &s;nare that this feare brings on us, it doth not only blind our eyes, that we cannot &s;ee the Cau&s;e of God, and when we &s;ee it make us &s;hie to acknowledge it, nay, prevail with a man to bawk and decline it. But it will make us deny and for&s;ake the cau&s;e of God too; and here might be examples enough: many there are, who have for|&s;aken Chri&s;t, denyed his truth, truth profe&s;&s;ed, truth preached, truth in &s;ome mea&s;ure contended for, and all for feare of men. You know the &s;ad &s;tories of <HI>Peter, Spira,</HI> of <HI>Cranmer</HI>&mdash; It is an ea&s;ie matter to make him who is under the power of &s;infull feares, any thing to
<PB N="276" REF="152">pre&s;erve him&s;elfe from danger, and any thing to recover him&s;elfe out. &mdash;</P>
<P>There are foure &s;orts of men, who will never hold to any cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1. Ignorant per&s;ons, we mu&s;t know and prove before we can hold fa&s;t, the Apo&s;tle bids us, <HI>Prove all things, and then hold fa&s;t to that which is good;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.21.</NOTE> That which was never proved is ea&s;ily de&s;erted. &mdash;</P>
<P N="2">2. Un&s;ound hearted per&s;ons; It is an ea&s;ie matter to make him any thing, who inded is nothing: men that are car|ried in away onely by a bya&s;&s;e, and not by a principle, it is an ea&s;ie matter if you either unbya&s;s, or counter-bya&s;s them, to make them move as fa&s;t the other way,
<NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg">Qualitates Symbolicae fa|cilime tran&s;|mutuntur.</NOTE> we &s;ay Symbolicall Elements do quickly &s;lide one into another; A Hy|pocrite and an Apo&s;tate are &s;o neer, that it's ea&s;ie to make him an Apo&s;tate who was before an Hypocrite; hypocri&s;ie is that vertually, which Apo&s;tacy is actual|ly, there is Apo&s;tacy in <HI>cau&s;is</HI> in hypo|cri&s;ie, and there is hypocri&s;ie in <HI>effectis</HI> in Apo&s;ta&s;ie, and as times vary, looke for more di&s;coveries. &mdash;</P>
<P N="3">3.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.10.</NOTE> Wordly minded men: <HI>The love of Money will cau&s;e men to erre
<PB N="277" REF="152">from the Faith;</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, When men are lovers of them&s;elves more then lovers of God, when they are lovers of honour more then lovers of God,
<NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.3, 4.</NOTE> lovers of plea&s;ure, of pro|fit, more then
<NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg">Non amat te Domine, qui aliquid amat praeter qui non propter amat. <HI>Ang.</HI></NOTE> lovers of God, there need no great baits, it will be a matter of no great difficulty to draw them from God. Such men will, if occa&s;ion &s;erve, rai&s;e them&s;elves upon the ruines of o|thers, make them&s;elves great, by making others little; &s;uch men, they are for any &s;ervice that may advance their corrupt de&s;ires. It is &s;aid of <HI>Demas,</HI> that he for|&s;ook Chri&s;t, and imbraced this pre&s;ent world; he for&s;ook the faith of Chri&s;t, and for gaine he became an Idoll Prie&s;t, at <HI>The&s;&s;alonica,</HI> as <HI>Dorotheus</HI> reports of him: So ea&s;ie it is to take them from God, who&s;e hearts are once taken with the world. There is no cau&s;e can be &s;ure of tho&s;e, whom honour or money can buy out. Such men are onely this way till they can mend their wages, and then they are gone, it's ea&s;ie to intice him, who is led away by his own lu&s;ts.&mdash;</P>
<P N="4">4. Fearfull hearted per&s;ons: Fearfull men will be unfaithfull men; It's all one to tru&s;t a coward, and a traytor; he
<PB N="278" REF="153">that is one, will quickly be made the other; where there is ground to &s;u&s;pect any mans feare, there is no ground to tru&s;t his faith, his feare will make him unfaithfull,
<NOTE N="o" PLACE="marg">Terribilior cervorum ex|cercitus Leone duce, quam Leonum Ag|men ducente cervo. <HI>Plutar. Apoth.</HI></NOTE> and infeeble the hearts of them who follow him: &s;uch dan|gerous &s;nares, then you &s;ee, will ba&s;e feares bring upon men, and therefore far unworthy tho&s;e who are Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P><HI>U&s;e.</HI> Oh, let us learne to bani&s;h the&s;e &s;infull &s;inking feares, as unworthy men, much more unworthy Chri&s;tians: It is a wonder to read and peru&s;e that daring courage, that the very Heathens have had. I might here give you innumerable examples of their courage and valour, all which might be a &s;hame to us, what though our troubles be great, our God is great, what can over-&s;well, either his power, or his love, there is nothing can be too big for God; and why &s;hould any thing be too big for faith, upon whom it depends? for &s;hame, let faith work more, and &s;en&s;e le&s;&s;e, heare the rea&s;onings of faith as well as the rea|&s;onings of &s;en&s;e; when you &s;ee no help below, ca&s;t your eyes upwards as <HI>Ieho&s;aphat</HI> did, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 20.12. We know not what to doe, but our eyes are up to
<PB N="279" REF="153">thee, what though there be a famine on earth, there is no dearth in heaven, as the noble man thought; what though there be weakne&s;&s;e below, there is &s;trength above, &mdash; Well then, &s;hut your eyes to things below, and open your eyes to God above, Conver&s;e le&s;&s;e with Sence and Rea&s;on, and conver&s;e with faith and the promi&s;e. Look upward more, when a man hath been looking downward from the top of &s;ome high place, his eyes grow dim; the head growes weak. But when he lookes up|ward he recovers him&s;elf again. So it is with us, while we look onely down|ward our &s;pirits fail, we are at the end of our faith and hope, but lift your eyes up|ward, look upon God and the promi&s;e and your &s;pirits &s;hall be incouraged.</P>
<P>What though the waves ri&s;e? The &s;torm be great? Yet you have a Skil|full Pilot, a &s;afe Bottome, a &s;trong God, who is able to allay all &s;torms, to hu&s;h all windes; or to make all commotions &s;erve to bring you to Harbour, which is gods u&s;uall way &mdash;
<NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Ita Solet Deus cum &s;uis agere, ut prius eos inmortem mergat, atque omnem &s;pem liberationis, quantum hu|mano con&s;ilio pro&s;pici pote&s;t, adimat, &amp; praecidat, deind&egrave; vero glorio&s;&egrave; liberat, ut apareat non humana indu&s;tria aut prudentia, &s;ed Solius Dei potentia hanc &s;alutem partem e&s;&s;c. <HI>Moler. P&s;al.</HI> 68.20.</NOTE> Gods delights
<PB N="278" REF="154">
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<PB N="279" REF="154">
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<PB N="282" REF="155">CHRIST: I am JESUS, <HI>whom thou per&s;ecute&s;t.</HI>
<NOTE N="v" PLACE="marg">Haec formu|la loquendi (ego &s;um) du|plicem habet effectum u|num plenum con&s;olationis apud creden|tes alterum pl&egrave;num terro|ris apud in credulos, <HI>Chem.</HI></NOTE> The &s;ame words were &s;poken to the Iews, and they <HI>Fell</HI> down <HI>backward,</HI> as if they had been &s;trucken with a Thunderbolt, Iohn 18.5. The &s;ame words are &s;poken to the Goats, Matth. 25.44.</P>
<P>But though the&s;e words be Full of Terrour to the wicked and unbeleevers: yet are they full of Comfort to Gods people. The &s;ame words were &s;poken to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> when he went to deliver I&s;rael out of Egypt.
<NOTE N="w" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE> <HI>ehjeh</HI> hath &s;ent me to you, I Am hath &s;ent me, &mdash; <HI>Exod.</HI> 3.14.</P>
<P><NOTE N="x" PLACE="marg">Haebraei te|&s;tantur, hoc verbum tri|um temporum differencias in&s;e continere, preteriti pre|pre&s;entis &amp; futuri, fui, &s;um, ero, lege, <HI>Chem.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> A word of all <HI>Ten&s;es,</HI> Pa&s;t, Pre|&s;ent, and to Come, Rev. 1.4. <HI>Peace from him, that Is, and that Was, and that Is-to-Come.</HI> It is a word CHRIST fre|quently u&s;ed.&mdash; <HI>I am the bread of li&s;e, Iohn</HI> 6.35. And it could not choo&s;e but be a great deal of Comfort to them. <HI>It is I. I,</HI>
<NOTE N="y" PLACE="marg">ip&s;um e&s;&s;e reputant quem locutum fu|i&s;&s;e ad moy|&s;en noverant.</NOTE> that Divided the Red Sea: <HI>I</HI> that made the World: <HI>I,</HI> that took your nature: <HI>I,</HI> that came down from heaven for you: <HI>I,</HI> that am your Saviour. It is the Voice one, who is</P>
<PB N="283" REF="155">
<P N="1">1. Your Saviour; Able to &s;ave in the greate&s;t troubles and pre&s;&s;ures, no trouble can be above my power or my skill.</P>
<P N="2">2. Who not onely can: But Rejoy|ceth to bring Salvation to his people; It is my proper work, and my heart is in it; nay,</P>
<P N="3">3. Who came on purpo&s;e, to &s;ave and deliver you. And therefore this mu&s;t needs be Incouragemet to them. They knew his Power; they knew his Love, they knew his Nature: they knew him to be
<NOTE N="z" PLACE="marg">Tolle meum &amp; Tolle De|um.</NOTE> their Saviour, and that was Comfort, And that they went out upon his errand, by his Com|mi&s;&s;ion: and therefore there was com|fort enough, Though he &s;aid no more, <HI>It is I,</HI></P>
<P>CHRIST oppo&s;eth this again&s;t their fear of the Tempe&s;t, and again&s;t the thoughts they had of a Gho&s;t, <HI>It is I</HI>) you think me a Gho&s;t; <HI>i. e.</HI> One, who comes to de&s;troy you: But, <HI>It is I,</HI> That is enough to &s;ettle you.</P>
<P>There are Three Doctrines, this holds out to us.</P>
<PB N="284" REF="156">
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 1.
<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Vnum idem. que verbum Chri&s;ti, &amp; cre|dentibus e&s;t &s;alutiferum, &amp; incredulis ver|git ad damna|tionem, aliis odor vitae ali|is mortis. Chem.</NOTE> The &s;ame word of God may be a Terror to &s;ome, and a Comfort to Others, A Saviour of Life to &s;ome, and of Death to another, 2. Cor. 2.16. To the one we are a Savour of life to life, to the other the Savour of death un|to death.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 2. The appearance of Chri&s;t to the Soul, in any &s;ad Condition is a Re&s;urrection from the dead.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> 3. The pre&s;ence of CHRIST in any trouble, calamity, or di&s;tre&s;&s;e, is Comfort and incouragement to the Soul. We cannot in&s;i&s;t upon all the&s;e which we have named, we will therfore contract our &s;elves, and give you the&s;e two in one.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> The pre&s;ence and appearance of CHRIST to the Soul, in any &s;ad condition, is to the Soul as a Re&s;ur|rection from the dead.</P>
<P>We will &s;hew the truth of this in four &s;ad conditions, the Saints are exerci&s;ed with. And then give you &s;ome &s;hort application.</P>
<P N="1">1. In times of Humiliation for &s;in: When the Soul hath lien Bedrid in &s;or|row, been overwhelmed in the depths of Humilation for &s;in, and hath been
<PB N="285" REF="156">even broken and &s;hattered in peeces with fear and con&s;ternation of Spirit for &s;in: An appearance of Chri&s;t to the Soul now, is full of comfort. When CHRIST &s;hall come Riding upon the wings of a Promi&s;e into the Soul: When he &s;hall come, di&s;playing all his Glory; the Riches of his Grace; And &s;hall &s;ay to the Soul; as he did to <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 34.6.</NOTE> &mdash;<HI>The LORD, The LORD GOD Mercifull, and Gracious, pardoning iniqui|ty, tran&s;ge&s;sions and &s;ins,</HI> &amp;c. Exod. 34.6. Oh! It is beyond my power to expre&s;&s;e, or of us All to conceive, How much the Soul is now Enamored on him: How much the Soul is now Revived.</P>
<P>As before in this condition he appeared as a Gho&s;t to terrifie: &s;o now he appears as a Saviour to comfort them. And <HI>Lu|ther</HI> makes this appearance of Chri&s;t to an&s;wer to their former apprehen&s;ion of him. The truth of this that I have &s;aid, you may read in Job 33.10. To the 27. ver. Where the Soul is in a &s;ad condition for &s;in, in the 19.20.21.22. And upon the di&s;covery of Chri&s;t, how is the Soul rai&s;ed? 24.25.&mdash;</P>
<P N="2">2. In Times of Temptation. When
<PB N="286" REF="157">a poor &s;oul hath been long buffetted with Satan, and Held down with his bloody Carnall rea&s;onings. When the Soul hath been long on the &s;tormy trou|ble&s;ome &s;ea of temptations: And CHRIST &s;hall at la&s;t apear Con|quering the &s;trong-man, Rebuking the &s;torme, overcoming Satan: Oh! who can expre&s;&s;e how welcome &s;uch a &s;ight of CHRIST: Such an Appearance of CHRIST is to the Soul! This is a Re&s;urrection from the dead, you have it typyfied in <HI>Abraham</HI> who after the battell with the four Kings, <HI>Melchize|deck</HI> comes to meet him with Bread and wine, &s;trength and comfort, which &s;hewes us, that our <HI>Melchizedeck</HI> after all our &s;pirituall battels are over will meet us with the choyce&s;t of his com|forts. This is that he promi&s;eth, Rev. 2.17. <HI>To him that overcometh I will give the hidden Manna and the white Stone and a name in it which no man knoweth but he that hath it.</HI> As after Chri&s;ts temptati|ons were over, the Angels came to mi|ni&s;ter to him, &s;o will Chri&s;t after all our conflicts, meet us with refre&s;h|ments, and proportion our Comforts to our Conflicts.</P>
<PB N="287" REF="157">
<P>In times of de&s;ertion: when a man hath been upon the black &s;eas of de&s;ertion, and hath long laboured under the &s;ad &s;en&s;e of Gods withdrawments: and at la&s;t Chri&s;t comes in, walking upon the &s;ea, breaking the dark and thick cloud, and &s;hining in|to the &s;oule: who can now expre&s;&s;e the heats, warmths, revivings, that this appea|rance yeilds to the &s;oule! Oh, the cla&s;p|ings! the imbracings! the loves! that pa&s;&s;e betwixt the &s;oule and Chri&s;t. Will you &s;ee this &s;et downe, <HI>Cant.</HI> 3.4. Chri&s;t had withdrawne him&s;elfe for a &s;ea&s;on. And ah! then what &s;adne&s;&s;e! All the world was like a fea&s;t without an appe|tite: a Paradi&s;e without a Tree of Life. She makes inqui&s;ition; Heares not of him; Runs to Ordinances, and would be glad to have the lea&s;t &s;tarre of direction to carry her to him, in this &s;ad condition while &s;he is in the pur&s;uit of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>At la&s;t Chri&s;t appeares to her &s;oule. And read there, how her heart was revi|ved,&mdash;<HI>I have found him whom my &s;oule lo|veth; I held him, and would not let him go, untill I had brought him into my mothers hou&s;e.</HI>&mdash;The like you have of <HI>Iob,</HI> he had been a long time in a dark and de&s;erted condition, you may read his complaints:
<PB N="288" REF="158">every Chapter, Ver&s;e, &amp;c. is but the &s;ad pau&s;es and pathyes, the afflicted breath|ings of his &s;oule. At la&s;t God appeares, and who can tell his joy? who is able to expre&s;&s;e the ravi&s;hments of his heart? I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine eyes &s;ee thee.&mdash;And certainely his heart was filled with as much &s;oule-advancements as &s;elf-abhor|rence, <HI>Iob</HI> 45.5.</P>
<P N="4">4. In the time of outward trouble: when we are in &s;ome &s;ad, heavie, &amp; clo&s;e affliction, when we are upon beds of &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e, when in pri&s;on, when in dangers: Oh! then a vi&s;it of Chri&s;t in pri&s;on, a di&s;covery of Chri&s;t in danger, a manife|&s;tation of Chri&s;t upon the bed of &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e; it is worth a world to the &s;oule.</P>
<P>So it was to the Three Children in the fiery furnace, <HI>Dan.</HI> 3.24, 25. When the fourth appeared, the pre&s;ence of whom was like the Son of God. So it was here to the Di&s;ciples, when they were in this danger on the &s;ea, and Chri&s;t appeared to them: none can expre&s;&s;e how their hearts leaped for joy; what heights of re|joycings after tho&s;e depths of trouble.</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee the appearance of Chri&s;t in any &s;ad condition is &s;uch a comfort to the &s;oule.</P>
<PB N="289" REF="158">
<P>It is true al&s;o of the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t, though there be not the appearance of Chri&s;t. The pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t in grace, though not in comfort. His pre&s;ence doth &s;upport, &s;trengthen, quicken, incourage. 1. Becau&s;e he is a Saviour. 2. A powerfull Saviour. 3. A mercifull and loving Sa|viour.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> What incouragement &s;hould this be to Gods people? in the midde&s;t of the &s;adde&s;t calamities Chri&s;t is pre&s;ent with you, <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 41.10.&mdash;<HI>Feare not, I am with thee, be not di&s;maied, for I am thy God, I will &s;trengthen thee, yea, I will helpe thee; yea,</HI> I <HI>will uphold thee with the righthand of my righteou&s;ne&s;se.</HI> So againe, <HI>I&s;ay</HI> 43.2, 3, 4. <HI>when thou p&s;&s;e&s;t through the fire,</HI> I <HI>will be with thee that the fire &s;hall not de|voure thee; and when thou pa&s;&s;e&s;t through the water,</HI> I <HI>will be with thee, that the water &s;hall not drowne thee.</HI>&mdash;This was <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> in|couragement, <HI>Jeremiahs, Jo&s;ephs;</HI> of who~ it is &s;aid, <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> was ca&s;t into pri&s;on, but God was with him, <HI>Gene&s;is</HI> 39.21. Who would not be in <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> pri&s;on for <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> companion?</P>
<P>He that was with <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> in pri&s;on, with <HI>David</HI> in the wilderne&s;&s;e, with <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Silas</HI> in the &s;tockes, with <HI>Daniel</HI> in the
<PB N="290" REF="159">den, with the <HI>Three Children</HI> in the fire, <HI>Ionah</HI> in the &s;ea; he will be with us, by his grace, by his comforts, by his &s;upports, by his Spirit; Hee will be with thee to beare thee up, and deliver thee out of thy &s;adde&s;t conditions. Oh! Let us then beg the pre&s;ence of God. Oh beg! Never more cau&s;e to beg. Say with <HI>Ieremy,</HI>&mdash;Why art thou like to a way fairing man that turnes a&s;ide to tarry for a night. Say with the two Di&s;ciples going to <HI>Emmaus,</HI> Abide with us, abide with us, the day is gone, and the night is approaching, the night of trouble, the night of afflictions.</P>
<P>Our conditions are very &s;ad. We may cry with the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 79. <HI>Oh God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy holy Temple have they de&s;iled, they have laid Ieru&s;alem on heaps.</HI> And <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 74.9. Which &s;peaks our times to the full. And therefore now beg the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t in our Councels, in our Armies, in our Preparations, in our goings out. We have a promi&s;e <HI>Matth.</HI> 28. That Chri&s;t will be with us alway to the worlds end. Turne this promi&s;e into a prayer.</P>
<P>And as you de&s;ire Chri&s;t to Pre&s;ent him&s;elf to you: &s;o doe you pre&s;ent your &s;elves for Chri&s;t, as you de&s;ire he &s;hould
<PB N="291" REF="159">appear for you; &s;o doe you appeare for him.</P>
<P>Thus wee have briefly pa&s;&s;ed over three things.</P>
<P N="1">1. The way Chri&s;t takes to incou|rage them.</P>
<P N="2">2. The incouragement it &s;elf.</P>
<P N="3">3. The ground of it.</P>
<P>We come to the fourth and la&s;t thing.</P>
<P N="4">4. The Time, and that's expre&s;t in the fir&s;t word, <HI>[Straitway.]</HI></P>
<P><HI>[But Straitway.]</HI></P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> So full of Bowells is Chri&s;t to his Church, that he cannot long brook his people in trouble, when
<NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Dominus non dee&s;t cla|mantibus. Guid.</NOTE> they cry.</P>
<P><HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> exerci&s;ed his Brethren for a time: but he could not hold out long. His Bow|ells yearned. <HI>I am Io&s;eph.</HI>
<NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Non diu Si|net &s;uos Chri|&s;tus per erro|rem in ani|metu vexari &s;ed &s;tatim vo|ce &amp; verbo &s;uo &s;e&s;e illis revelat, &amp; anxios con&s;u|latur. Mu&s;c.</NOTE> So heere Chri&s;t,&mdash;Though he had exerci&s;ed, them yet now he can hold no longer, <HI>It is I.</HI> I that am your Saviour.</P>
<P>The Mother may hide her &s;elf for a time from the child: But when the child cries, &s;he can &s;tay no longer. God hath more Bowells to his People, then a Mo|ther to the Childe. <HI>Can a Mother forget her child,&mdash;Though &s;hee &s;hould, yet I will not forget thee.</HI> Indeed he &s;ometimes ap|pears long to them in trouble. &mdash; <HI>How
<PB N="292" REF="160">long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever! How long wilt thou hide thy face from mee!</HI> &s;aith <HI>David,</HI> &s;o the &s;ouls under the Altar, <HI>How long Lord, holy, and true?</HI> But yet though it &s;eeme long to us, it is not long. It is called but a day of trouble, an hour of Temptation, nay a moment, yea and a &s;mall moment,
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Nubeculae cito tran&s;itu|rae.</NOTE>
<NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Nubeculae cito tran&s;itu|rae.</NOTE> <HI>For a &s;mall moment have I forfaken thee.</HI> It &s;eems long, be|cau&s;e we are in trouble; Sad houres are long houres, or it &s;eems long to us, be|cau&s;e we mi&s;take the day, God hath pro|mi&s;ed, but we Antedate the Promi&s;es, as we po&s;t-date duties. We do as the man in the Go&s;pel, whe~ the promi&s;e is to be per|formed a 100 daies hence, we take our pen &amp; write downe fifty, this Spirit it &s;eems <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had, they thought God deferred, when he did not deferr; it was they which did ha&s;ten. And therefore &s;aith <HI>Haba|kuck, Though it tarry, wait for it;</HI> that is, though it tarry to us; for it followes, in re&s;pect of the certainty of Gods decree, it &s;hall come, and not tarry. <HI>Hab.</HI> 2.3.</P>
<P>Thus you &s;ee, though God exerci&s;es us, yet full of Bowells hee is, that hee will not &s;tay long. And this</P>
<P N="1">1. Becau&s;e he loves us.</P>
<PB N="293" REF="160">
<P N="2">2. He intends to Exerci&s;e, not to de|&s;troy us.</P>
<P N="3">3. He intends our Prai&s;es. Gods end is deliverance in all.</P>
<P>Indeed he may &s;eem to &s;tay, for many Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1">1. To exerci&s;e our Graces. Fir&s;t, Our Faith, in depending, beleeving. 2. Our Hope, in expectation of him. 3. Our Pa|tience, in waiting on him. 4. The Grace of Prayer.</P>
<P N="2">2. To di&s;cover Corruption: To di&s;|cover what is in our hearts.</P>
<P N="3">3. To fit us for Mercy.</P>
<P N="4">4. To ripen the Enemies fo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> de&s;tru|ction.</P>
<P>The Rod of the wicked &s;hall not alway lie on the back of the Righteous.</P>
<P>It is as well Gods de&s;ire to come in with Mercy, as yours to expect it. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 30.18. <HI>The Lord waits, that he may be gracious to you,</HI> &mdash; You wait when God will, and God waites when he may; when Mercy may be mo&s;t welcome, and deliverance mo&s;t glorious.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e.</HI> 1. This may rejoyce the Church in her &s;adde&s;t condition; When we are in Trouble, and the Enemies vaunt them|&s;elves, &s;ay with the Church. <HI>Micah.</HI> 7.7,
<PB N="294" REF="161">8, 9. <HI>Rejoyc not over me, o my enemy, when</HI> I <HI>fall,</HI> I <HI>&s;hall ari&s;e; when</HI> I <HI>&s;it in darkne&s;&s;e, the Lord &s;hall be a Light unto me: he will bring me forth to the light, and</HI> I <HI>&s;hall behold his Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Let this incourage us to wait on God: wait in Defers; wait in Delays; wait in want of Meanes; weakne&s;&s;e of meanes; oppo&s;ition of meanes. <HI>Lam.</HI> 3.26. &mdash; <HI>It is good that a man &s;hould both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord.</HI>&mdash;</P>
<Q><L><NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Mu&s;c. ad fi|nem hujus hi&s;toriae.</NOTE> Promi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">m Pacem tua nunc Eccle&s;ia Chri&s;te,</L>
<L>In&s;ano mundi turbine pre&s;&s;a petit.</L>
<L>Evigila tandem, fluctus compe&s;ce furentes,</L>
<L>Fac tibi non pereant, quos pater ip&s;e dedit.</L></Q>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
