The Christians dayly solace in experimentall observations; or, cordials for crosses in thse sad and calamitous times of affliction. By R.H.

2 Sam. 16.5, 6, 7, 8, 9. to the 14.

And when King David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the Family of the Houſe of Saul, whoſe name was Shimei the Son of Gera: he came forth and curſed ſtill as he came, &c.

WEE have here the true portraiture of one of the moſt ſelf-denyings Saints, that either time or experience can demonſtrate, that King and Princely Prophet David, one who was eminent in four things.

1 He was eminent in the choyce which God made of him (before his Brethren, or any of the Iſralites) to be King in the room of Saul. 1 Sam. 16.12.

2 He was preferred by the Daughters of Iſrael (before the King himſelfe) in their triumphall ſong Saul hath ſlain his thouſands, but David his ten thouſands, 1 Sam. 18.7.

3 But he was moſt eminent in the ſavour of God; never was there ſuch an Epethite given to any before him, that he was a man according to Gods own heart.

4 And laſtly, though not leaſt of all; he was ſuper-eminent in his ſufferings, and ſorrowes, which befell him as ſoon as he was called from his Fathers Sheepfold, to be the great Shepherd and King of Iſrael.

Many of the Saints have been remarkable for ſome ſufferings, and ſome for others; but ſcarce ever ſhall we finde any one but King David, which had a taſt of all? Nay, he drank a deep draught of every afflictions bitter Cup. Take but a ſcantling of his life, from his anoynting to his death; and there is none but muſt needes confeſſe, he was an unparalel'd ſufferer.

So ſoon as he had promiſing hopes that he ſhould be a King, they were as quickly in part in the bud, and ſo withered, that he ſaid in his haſt all men were lyars. Pſal. 116.11. Yea, even the Prophet Samuel, which brought him the tideings from God, and anoynted him, and that he ſhould one day periſh by the hand of him he ſhould ſucceed. 1 Sam. 27.1.

How was he wearyed by the cruell Tyrant Saul, and hunted up and down from Mountain to Valley, from the Valley to the Wilderneſſe, from the Wilderneſſe to the Caves, and at laſt no place was ſafe for him, he was fain to depart the Land.

And as if his own ſorrowes were not enough, but he muſt ſee the ſorrow which befell his Fathers houſe, for 'tis like they could not abide ſafely in Bethlehem; for they went to the Cave of Adullam to him; no doubt the ſight of them did but adde to his miſery, he would never have deſired ſuch a favour of the King of Moah elſe, that his Father and his Mother, might live with him, till he ſaw what God would doe with him. 1 Sam. 22.1, 3.

What a ſorrow was it to him (no doubt) to hear of the ſlaughter of 85. of the Lords Prieſts, occaſioned by his comming to Nob: and all the Citty put to the edge of the ſword. 1 Sum. 22.17, 18.

Again into what diſtreſs, was he and his company driven to, when he was forſt to become an eloquent begger, and that to ſuch a Churl as Nabal, that in ſtead of an Almes, or a good anſwer, he term'd him no better then a Runnagate. 1 Sam. 25.10.

How many times was he in jeopardy of his life: what hard ſhifts was he driven too? he fained himſelfe mad before Achiſh King of Gath. 1 Sam. 21.13. being in great feare there.

But never was he more neer it, then when his own people and companions ſpake of ſtoning him; his griefe was ſo great for the burning of his Citty Ziklag, and the carrying away his Wives and Friends, that he wept ſo much, he could weep no more, and yet in ſtead of comforting him, they cauſe him to be deeply diſtreſſed, when they ſpake of ſtoning him. 1 Sam. 30.6.

Now theſe were his ſufferings before he was crowned King, all which were but as a Praeludium to his after ſorrowes; his firſt may be termed (as it were) forraigne, the latter domeſtical. The firſt, more on the body, the latter, more on the Spirit, and both againe had a ſufficient ſhare.

What ſaddeſt diſaſters befell himſelfe and family? into what a notion of ſorrows had he plung'd himſelfe into, by his committing adultery, and hiding it with murder; what a heavy doome did he bring upon his houſe, what perplexity upon his Spirit? and though God had pardoned him upon his true repentance: yet the Sword did never depart from his houſe.

What a cutting Coraſive was it to him, when his beloved wife Michal ſhall ſcornfully jeere him, and that in the ſervice of God; what griping griefes did even tare his tender heart in ſunder, to hear that his Daughter Tamar ſhall be abuſed, and that by her own Brother. 2 Sam. 13.14. and that afterward this inceſtious Son ſhall be ſlain by his Brother Abſalom, and at that time too, when he was in his Cups, that Abſalom ſhall requite his Fathers pardon and indulgence, with the worſt ingratitude; the greateſt rebellion was ever heard off, which we may read at large in 2 Sam. 15.16, 17, 18. That another of his darlings, Adonijah will be ſo bould to ſtep into his Fathers Throne, and ſay, hee'l be King, before his Father hath ſurrendred it up to nature. And doubtleſſe all thoſe ſorrowes were not to be compared to the ſadneſſe of his ſoule for ſin, which we may abundantly read in many of his mournfull Pſalmes, there he caſts up the accounts of his ſorrowes, when, and where, and how they were inflicted, his being ſlighted, and forſaken by his friends, abuſed and ſcorned by his enemies, was not the leaſt of his miſeries, yet for as much as ſin became ſo heavy a burden to him, he bore all the better; for where ſin is felt heavy, there ſorrowes will ſeem light, he was conſcious he had deſerv'd that, and worſe; and this made him in a ſweet ſubmiſſion to kiſſe the rod which this Shimei whipt him withall: ſuffer him, God hath bidden him.

David being a man after Gods own heart, knew the order of Gods proceedings ſo well, that he muſt ſmart ſoundly for his ſins of adultery and murder, that God would be juſt in making good what he had threatned, and not a ſillable of it fall to the ground, and therefore he meekneth his ſpirit to a quiet and humble ſubmiſſion, to bear the anger of the Lord, becauſe he had finned againſt him, and therefore he profeſſeth, Pſal. 39.9. that he was dumb, and opened not his mouth, becauſe the Lord had done it.

In the 2 Sam. 12.10. Nathan from the Lord, fearfully threatens a heavy judgement upon David for his ſins, Thus ſaith the Lord, becauſe thou haſt deſpiſed me, and done thus and thus, the ſword ſhall never depart from thy houſe: but I will raiſe up evill againſt thee, out of thine own houſe, and I will take thy Wives, and give them to thy neighbour, and he ſhall lye with them: for thou didſt it ſecretly, but I will do this thing before all Iſrael and this Sun.

Now God goes roundly to work with David himſelfe: now every word muſt be fulfilled, David had dealt treacherouſly with Ʋriah: David ſhall be dealt withall in as treacherous a manner by his ſubject, his boſome friend: yea, by his beloved Son. He abuſed his neighbours wife; he ſhall have the ſame meaſure redoubled into his own boſome. He had cauſed the enemies of God to blaſpheame his name: he ſhall have his own name ſo ſpit upon, that he ſhall become a ſcorn and a by-word to his enemies, a ſtranger to his friends, and a ſong to the very drunkards.

In theſe nine verſes, we may obſerve theſe four particulars.

1 David's coming to Bahurim.

2 Shimei's meeting, and abuſing David: aggravated by four remarkable circumſtancies.

1 By his railing at David, ſaying, come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Beliall: charging him with all the blood of the houſe of Saul. verſ. 7.

2 His curſing him all along as he went. v. 5. & 13.

3 By his throwing ſtones, and caſting duſt at him.

4 He pretends a ſufficient warrant for what he did, and would make him believe God had now found him out, and would reckon with him, verſ. 8. The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the houſe of Saul, in whoſe ſtead thou haſt reigned, and the Lord hath delivered thy Kingdome into the hand of Abſalom thy Son, and behold thou art taken to thy miſchiefe, becauſe thou art a bloody man.

3 Here is Abiſhai's perſwading David to avenge himſelfe, verſ. 9. Why ſhould this dead Dog curſe my Lord the King: let me goe I pray thee and take off his head.

4 We have David's humility, under Shimei's inhumanity, expreſt in five circumſtances.

1 His indignation at the thoughts of revenge, verſ. 10. what have I to do with you, ye Sons of Zeruiah, as if he ſhould have ſaid, I will have nothing to do with thoſe that cannot bear an injury.

2 His looking off the ſtone, to God that threw it, verſ. 10, 11. The Lord hath bidden him.

3 His patient ſubmitting under the hand of God, verſ. 10. So let him curſe, becauſe the Lord hath ſaid, curſe David: who ſhall then ſay, wherefore haſt thou done ſo.

4 His juſtifying of God, in his way of proceeding, verſ. 11. Behold my Son which came forth of my bowels, ſeeketh my life: how much more may this Benjamite do it, as if he ſhould have ſaid, if it be good enough for me, that my ſin hath procured my Son to become a Rebell, and Traytor to me his Father, and lay my life in the d • ſt: it is no wonder if a ſtranger take this advantage, and trample upon me too, ſeeing me ſo low.

5 His comforting himſelfe with hopes of being benefited by this affliction, verſ. 12. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his curſing this day.

1 David came to Bahurim in his flight from Abſalom, we may ſeriouſly obſerve, to what afflictions and ſtreights the Saints of God may be brought, they may be brought to flee for their lives: this was Davids caſe, and this is the lot and portion of all the faithfull, to endure affliction in one kinde or other. Abraham the Father of the faithfull, had his peculiar afflictions, his great fears, and his unparalel'd tryals, Gen. 20.11. & 22. Iſaac had his continual griefe of minde, in the marriage of one of his Sons; and of his being deprived of the other for 20. yeares together. Gen. 26.35.36.27. See what afflictions Jacob had, perſecuted by his own Brother, and driven from his Fathers houſe into a ſtrange Land: there he ſuffered many an injury and indignity from his Unkle, with ſorrowes he ſuſtained from, and in his children; Surely if we would ſeriouſly read the whole ſtory of his life, we ſhall finde his troubles come tumbling one on the others back: Like the waves of the Sea; commonly the ending of one, was but the beginning of another.

Moſes, whom God ſo dearly loved, and entertain'd into the necreſt familiarity, talking with him face to face: was notwithſtanding exerciſed with grievous afflictions; not to ſpeak of his hardſhips and ſtreights which he ſuſtained before, he could underſtand it: being in danger of death every hour, for 3. months ſpace. To omit many things, what an affliction had he in carrying ſuch an untoward people 40. yeares together in the wilderneſſe? and what wordly comfort had he to cheer him in ſuffering all theſe afflictions, but the remembrance of the Land of promiſe: the fruition whereof he long expected. But at laſt he is cut off from this hope, and heareth Gods definitive ſentence paſſe upon him, that he muſt aſcend Mount Nebo, and dye there, Deut. 32.50.

And thus Job, though he were the juſteſt man that lived upon the Earth, (by the Lords own teſtimony) yet did he endure manifold, and grievous afflictions, as we may read in the Hiſtory of his life; the ſpoyling of his goods, the ſlaughter of his ſervants, the untimely death of ten children, all at once; the outward torment of botches and boyles; and the inward terrors of an afflicted minde, the ſcornes of the wicked, the ſtrange behaviour of his Wife, the unkinde uſage and hard cenſures of his friends, that in theſe reſpects he was thought to be the fitteſt man to be propounded by the holy Ghoſt as a pattern of patience. James 5.11.

And thus did all the Apoſtles ſuffer afflictions, yea, and cruel deaths, (except St. John) Here with a Catalogue St. Paul makes of his ſufferings, 2 Cor. 11.44. unto which outward vexation of body, and inward cares and diſtractions of minde, we may add his ſpiritual afflictions, as the fight between the fleſh and ſpirit, and the buffitings of Satan, which were incomparably greater then all the reſt: for whereas out of the ſtrength of his faith and patience he rejoyced, yea even boaſted himſelfe in his other afflictions; by theſe he is much humbled, and caſt down in the fight of his corruptions, and forced to crye out, in perplexity of ſpirit, oh wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death.

Now the cauſes which doth move the Lord to lay upon his children thoſe great afflictions, is becauſe of ſin; Sin then is the meritorious cauſe why the Lord puniſheth a place, or Perſon: Judgments never come down from God, till provocations firſt go up from man, and this the Church plainly affi • meth, Lam. 3.39. man ſuffereth for his ſin; and this the Lord tels Iſrael, Jer. 30.14, 15. I have ſtricken thee with the wound of an enemy, and with a ſharp chaſtiſement, for the multitude of thine iniquities, becauſe thy Sons were increaſed, why cryeſt thou for thine affliction, thy ſorrow is incurable, for the multitude of thine iniquities, I have done thoſe things unto thee.

Object. But doth God alwayes correct for ſin? are there not other ends which move the Lord to lay croſſes, upon his own children?

Anſ. Its very true; God doth by afflictions, as well make tryall of his graces in us, as chaſtize us for our ſins, and that beſides our tranſgreſſions there are in Gods ſecret counſels, other cauſes of our croſſes and calamities, but ſeeing the Lord hath in his word denounced theſe miſeries and afflictions againſt us, as puniſhments and chaſtiſements, for our iniquities, and doth not reveale unto us when he tryeth us, and when he correcteth us: Therefore leaving Gods ſecrets unto himſelfe, we are not to look unto his hidden counſels, but to his revealed will, and according thereunto we are alwayes to make this uſe of our afflictions, that when we are judged we are chaſtned of the Lord, and juſtly corrected and puniſhed for our ſins, and thus the Saints in all ages have done, ſtill have they inſiſted on their ſins, which have primarily been the cauſe of their ſorrowes; So David complained, Pſal. 38.3. there is no ſoundneſſe in my fleſh, becauſe of thine anger: neither is there reſt in my bones, by reaſon of my ſins.

And thus the Prophet Iſaiah, chap. 64.5. cryeth out in his prayer for the people; behold thou art angry, for we have ſinned.

Yea Job himſelfe, who was chiefly afflicted for the try all of his graces, though he deſires to defend his innocency againſt his three friends, to maintain the integrity of his heart from their falſe aſpertions; yet having to deal with God, he acknowledgeth, and ſayes, I have finned, what ſhall I do unto thee, oh thou preſerver of men, and why doeſt thou not parden, and take away mine iniquity. Job. 7.20. Again, 'tis good to make a holy uſe of every affliction; Is there an inſufficiency, and impotency in creatures that they cannot help us: or infidelity and treachery whereby they will not afford unto us that help which we expect from them? we may very well conclude, we reſted too much on thoſe earthen propts, and when contempt and ſcorn waite upon our heeles, pride and loftineſſe was our Gentleman Uſher before, and ſo of the reſt. God is one that will do nothing, wherein his word ſhall not juſtifie his deed: what befalls us from him muſt needes be juſt, though we conceive not our deſert, becauſe he ſmothers our offences, his juſtice is in no way detected; and ſurely if we would ſeriouſly take notice of it, we may oft times read our fin in our puniſhment: for God uſually retaliates, and dealeth with men according to the manner and way of their wickedneſſe: the ſin and ſuffering, oft meet in ſome remarkable circumſtance.

Now as afflictions are puniſhments for ſins paſt, ſo are they preventions againſt ſin in time to come.

Phiſit • ans when they purge their Patients, aime moſt at the cauſe of the diſeaſe: for when that is taken away, the effects will follow, thus doth God with his own deareſt children, he purges them ſo ſore, and brings them ſo low, that they are almoſt pined with want, before a ſpring of better blood can be procured. If we have ventured on noyſome meates, and hurtfull poyſons, If we will feed on groſſe ſins, and drink in the very pudle of iniquity, what ſhall our Father do with us? but give us ſuch Phiſick, as will thorowly work.

If David will lie, and commit adultery, and fall to murder Innocents: what can God do leſſe for David, unleſſe he would have him loſt: but laſh him ſoundly? make the rod cling to his skin, yea to his conſcience: make his very bones to ake, and ſhake too; and when he will be walking ſo neer Hells mouth; 'tis juſt for God to take him by the heeles and make him believe he will throw him in; vvhat if he be croſt of his vvill, and crie, its better he ſhould crie here then in Hell? and receive his payment here, then his judgment there; and truly, many times the whip prevents the halter; and thus if we will venture after David in thoſe dangerous pathes, we ſhall be ſure to paſſe under the red as he did, if we be Gods children as he was.

Oh how ſhould David's practiſe and caſe affright us? alas, how did he gather mud, when he did but ſtand ſtill a while? and how would his corruptions again have grown to ſome head, had not Abſalom been raiſed up, to breath him, & to diſperſe them: If David were ſo foggie, after ſo many breathings: a man of ſo good a diet: how reſty ſhould we be if never walkt? how grounded on our lees with Moab, if never turned forth from Veſſell to Veſſell? It ſtands the Lord therefore upon, if he will provide for his harveſt, and our good: to take ſome paines with us, leaſt otherwiſe he faile of his vintage, while we want dreſſing.

Now God is gratiouſly pleaſed to give us a reaſon for what he doth: I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy droſſe, and take away all thy time. Iſai. 1.25. and again, by this therefore ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his ſin, Iſai, 27.9. So likewiſe Dan. 11.35. Zach. 13.9.1 Pet. 1.6, 7. Job 33.16, 17. Hoſ. 2.6, 7.

And this was it that made St. Auguſtine to comfort himſelfe in the middeſt of his tribulation: for ſaith he, it is but my purge, to free me from the droſſe of ſin.

We ſeldome know ſtrong diſeaſes cured with gentle meanes, for 'tis a rule in Phiſick, the medicine muſt exceed the maladie; and therefore we can take nothing that commonly workes ſo kindly as afflictions; when we are in proſperity, how apt are we to fall into a dropſie? pride makes us to magnifie our ſelves, and to have a great opinion of our own worth, and being joyned with the applauſe of others, we are ſo puſt up, we hardly ſee our ſelves; but when our purge workes to purpoſe, we grow as little in our own conceite, as in the opinion of others; what are all earthly endowments, ſevered from grace: alas, they are but the deceiving ſhaddow of a lying complexion: there is nothing that will laſt: nothing but will change? and when we come to look in the glaſs of the Law: thoſe outward helps will flee and faile us: and we ſhall be left in our own foulneſſe and deformity: Hear what Job ſays, when throughly humbled, I abhor my ſelfe, and repent in duſt and aſhes. Job. 42.6.

Again, afflictions purge out the love of the World, now this Worldly love is ſuch a dangerous diſeaſe, that if we are not cured of it, it would bring us at laſt to a deſperate conſumption in all grace and goodneſſe; and to everlaſting death both of body and ſoul; for faith in God, and confidence in earthly things, will not ſtand together, we cannot ſerve God and mammon: we cannot love the Lord, and love the World; and this the Apoſtle St. John ſaith, 2 Epiſtle, chap. 2.15. If any man love the World, the love of the Father is not in him.

And therefore God in mercy weanes us from thoſe breaſts we have ſo long laine at, he is faine to put bitterneſſe on it, that we may loath it; and yet ſuch as it is, we exceedingly affect it: ah what would we do if it were ſweet? If we defire to dwell in earthen, tottering, ruinous habitations: how loath would we be to leave them if they were ſtrong? Stately, and permanent? If we take content in our pilgrimage, and make no haſt unto our Heavenly Country, when as our way is ſo foule, and full of thornes: our journey ſo painfull, and dangerous: and our entertainment among thoſe worldly Cannibals ſo bad and barbarous: what a Paradice would we eſteem it, and what little account would we make of our everlaſting Manſions, if we had a pleaſant paſſage, an eaſie journey, and kind uſage in this ſtrange Country; ah how full is this World of troubles, wars, contentions, ſecret Traytors, open enemies, and falſe friends, and yet we greeve when we think of leaving it? how would we even ſurfeit of ſorrow, if injoying perfect peace, ſweet concord, and faithfull friendſhip, we ſhould be forced to foregoe it; moſt graciouſly therefore doth our good God deale with us, when ſeeing us ſo beſotted with this pernicious love, he cauſe the World to deal roughly with us, and even to thruſt us away from her; and when we hardly will let goe our hold: God will make our riches to take unto them as it were the wings of an Eagle, and flee away: our credit ſhall be crakt, and our honour laid in the duſt: yea our neereſt and deareſt friends ſhall deceive us as a brook: and many times God is fain to make all helps and hopes to faile us, and we to be left deſtitute and deſolate, ſtark naked, and beſtript of all: then this will make us (if any thing) to deny all other things, by faith to catch hold on God: hovering and covering our ſelves under his wing only.

Now as God doth this in much love and mercy, to beat us for, and from our fins, and to weane us from the World: ſo doth he it in meaſure and moderation; and this he profeſſeth. Jer. 46.28. Feare not oh Jacob my Servant, for I am with thee, I will make a full end of all Nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee: but correct thee in meaſure, yet will I not leave thee wholly unpuniſhed.

1 For the meaſure of our afflictions and there moderation, we may plainly ſee, both in reſpect of their quantity, which is but ſmall, and in their time which is but ſhort, for either they are light, or they are long: and if they be great in quantity, they are but momentany in their continuance, or if they be tedious in time, they are eaſie in weight: It is but a little Cup in compariſon, of what the Lord Jeſus drank for us, ſo that our afflictions and griefes are but ſhaddowes and reſemblances, rather then ſubſtanciall evils; Hear what the Apoſtle Paul ſaith: 2 Cor. 6.9. As dying, and behold we live; as chaſtned, and yet not killed; as ſorrowing, and yet alwayes rejoyceing. Whence one obſerveth, that our ſorrow hath a quaſi, as though: but ſo hath not our rejoyceing, our afflictions are ſeeming, but our joyes are certain.

2 And as they are light, ſo they are not long laſting; this God hath promiſed his Church. Iſai. 57.16. I will not contend for ever, nor be alwayes wroth, for the ſpirits would faile before me, and the ſoules which I have made. Alas, were they as long as our whole Life, yet what is that to Eternity? David compares the length of his life but to a ſpan; and the Lord, the time of affliction only to a moment. Iſai. 54.8. Nay to a ſmall moment, for a ſmall moment have I forſaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee, in a little wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment, but with everlaſting kindneſſe will I have mercy on thee, ſaith the Lord thy Redeemer.

Indeed it may ſeem long to us when we are in trouble, ſad houres we ſay are long houres, but we miſtake the day. God hath promiſed to deliver us, but we antedate the promiſes, as we poſt-date duties; but ſaith Habakkuk 2.3. though it tarry, waite for it, becauſe it will ſurely come; It is as well Gods deſire to come in with mercy, as we to expect it; Iſai. 30.18. The Lord waites that he may be gracious, we waite when God will, and God waites when he may, when mercy may be moſt welcome, and deliverance moſt glorious.

3 Again, God doth not afflict us above our ſtrength, and this the Apoſtle verifies, 1 Cor. 10.13. he will not ſuffer us to be tempted above that we are able: but will give the iſſue with the temptation, that we may be able to bear it.

In the greateſt preſſures of the Saints, as God tempers the rod, and ſweetens it with his preſence, ſo perpetually doth he make it eaſie to them by his aſſiſtance, he metes out afflictions to the ſtrength of our poor ſoules, and ſupplies ſtrength to the meaſure of our affliction; the beſt earthly Phiſitians may be deceived in the diſeaſe and conſtitution of his Patient; he may miſtake in the quality or ſtrength of his Phiſick, and ſo miſſe of his intended cure; but the Phyſitians of our ſouls, doth ſo exactly know our temper and diſeaſe, doth ſo intirely affect our health, and ſo accurately mingle the maligne and poyſonfull ingredients in our Phiſick with corrections and allayes, that the confection ſhall be good, and altogether ſhall and muſt work for the beſt.

And therefore we need not to feare, either to be oppreſſed with an over heavy weight of troubles and afflictions: or that we ſhall be tempted above our power, in regard of our frailty and infirmity, ſeeing he who maketh the wounds, hath alſo power to cure them, and he that mixeth our Cup, can alſo give us ſtrength to drink it, according to the ſaying of Eliphaz unto Job. chap. 5.18, 19. He maketh the wound and bindeth it up, he ſmiteth, and his hands make whole. The Lord Jeſus hath bound himſelfe by his moſt gracious promiſe, Math. 12.20. That he will not break the bruiſed reed, nor quench the ſmoaking flax, till he bring forth judgment unto victory.

Indeed we have no ſtrength in our own ſelves to incounter the leaſt affliction; much leſſe to indure the fiery tryall; or be able to wreſtle with Principalities and Powers; but we are ſupported with the mighty power of God in our greateſt weakneſſe: and held ſo faſt by the hand of Chriſt: that the ſtrongeſt afflictions inforced with all the violence of man or Divell, are not able to pull us from him.

It is the bleſſed ſpirit of God, dwelling in us, doth aſſiſt us in all our ſufferings, and according to the greatneſſe of our croſſes, are the greatneſſe of our comforts; and this the Apoſtle Paul ſaith, 2 Cor. 1.5. That as the ſufferings of Chriſt abound, in us; ſo our conſolation aboundeth through Chriſt. It is this bleſſed Inmate which doth apply unto us the mercies of God, and merits of Chriſt: and ſo aſſuring us that we have our part, and intereſt in all the gracious promiſes of the Goſpell, our conſciences are ſo repleniſhed with ſuch peace which paſſeth all underſtanding, and with ſuch unſpeakable joy and gladneſſe, as none can conceive, but they who feel it; ah! this is that living Fountain, which ſpringeth up to eternall life: and like a cleer river, floweth with heavenly ſtreames of ſweeteſt conſolation, wherein being bathed, in the ſcortching heat of afflictions we are cooled and refreſhed, and filled with joy and delight; the thoughts of this made David to ſing: Pſal. 46.4. We have a river whoſe ſtreames makes glad the Cittie of our God, the holy place of the Tabernacles of the moſt High; this is that ſpirituall anoynting which preſerveth us from being conſumed in the fiery Furnace of our affliction, which ſo ſupples our ſores, and extracts the Fiery heat of the burning, that we receive no hurt thereby; Look upon the three Children in the Furnace, at Babilon, there was not ſo much as a haire of their heads ſinged, neither did their cloathes but ſmell of the fire. Dan. 3.27. We ſay its a comfort to have a companion in miſery, to have one that will ſimpathize, and condole us: what greater friend can we have then he, which by the Lord Jeſus his own mouth, is called, the Comforter. John 14.26. How then can we be diſmayed, when we have within us ſuch a Fountain of refreſhments? Oh let us check our fainting hearts, when they begin to droop, with the words of Eliphaz. Job 15.12. Doth the conſolations of God ſeem ſmall unto us? what if we want an earthly ſhaddow, we are ſure we have a Heavenly ſubſtance.

Oh let us ſtill meditate upon the gracious promiſes of God; and let them be our certain ſtay in our uncertain condition; Hear what the Prophet Iſaiah ſaith, chap. 40.29. Haſt thou not heard, or known, that the everlaſting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the Earth, fainteth not, neither is weary, there is no ſearching of his underſtanding, he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaſeth ſtrength, even the youths ſhall faint, and be weary, and the young men ſhall utterly fall: but they that waite upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles, they ſhall run and not be weary; and they ſhall walk and not faint. Again, Iſaiah. 41.10. Feare thou not (ſaith God) for I am with thee, be not afraid, for I am thy God, I will ſtrengthen and help thee, I will ſuſtain thee with the right hand of my righteouſneſſe. And this was it which made David ſo bold and confident, that if he ſhould paſſe through the valley of the ſhaddow of death, he would feare no evill, becauſe God was with him, his rod, and his ſtaffe, they did comfort him, Pſalm. 23.4.

4 God lays upon us no more then is necſſary. Phiſitians will not miniſter a ſtrong potion, where a lenitive is enough, nor put one dram too much in his preſcription: much leſs will the Lord; nay we our ſelves, if one medicine do not cure us, we ſeek another. Thus dealeth God; when afflictions are growne ordinary, and uſuall, they move the leſſe, becauſe they be familiar: therefore God is pleaſed to alter and change his medicines, that they might work the more kindely. He proportions out the meaſure of afflictions, according to the ſcanteſt meaſure of our neceſſity, for the magnifying of his owne glory, by our ſanctification in this life, and our ſalvation in the life to come.

Alas, the Lord doth not take any delight in our ſmart! or maketh any haſt to inflict his chaſtiſements: but with patience, and long-ſuffering, he expecteth our repentance, that he may have mercy upon us; and doth not take his rod of correction into his hand, till he be preſſed with the weight of our ſins. He doth not puniſh us willingly, as one that taketh delight in our ſmart and torment: but performeth it as an action, which is rather fit for us to ſuffer, than for him to do.

Let us conclude therefore, That if we have great or tedious afflictions lying upon us; either we have great faults, or great ſtomacks; we many times deale with God as children do with their parents; while they are under the rod, promiſe amendement: but no ſooner releaſed, but preſently we are as bad as ever. And therefore though God may eaſe us, to try us ſometimes; yet when he lengthens our afflictions he will take our word no more, but will make a through work; and till he ſee us throughly humbled and amended, and know that our converſion and repentance be conſtant, and without danger of fleeting, he will not burn the rod. But as the Gold-Smith lets his Gold melt in the Furnace, till it be throughly purified and purged from its droſſe: which when he perceives it according to his minde, will by no meanes ſuffer it to ſtay there any longer, becauſe it would but waſt and looſe of his weight. So doth the Lord ſuffer us to remaine in the Furnace of affliction, till we be purged from our droſſe of ſin, by renewing our faith and repentance: but no ſooner are we according to his purpoſe purified, but he pulleth us out, and will not ſuffer us to waſt and conſume our ſelves with ſorrow and heavineſſe; and therefore let us patiently indure the triall, ſeeing God who putteth us into the Furnace, knoweth the beſt time when to take us out.

And by this we may conclude, that our afflictions are limitted, both in regard of their weight and meaſure. God hath ſaid to our ſorrowes, as to the proud waves of the Sea, hither ſhall you come and no farther; all the Angels in Heaven ſhall not be able to abate them: nor all the men on earth, or devils in hell, to add one ſcruple to them. And whiles God unto his children meaſureth judgement according to their ſtrength: he rendreth judgement to the wicked, according to the meaſure of their ſinnes.

5 Another conſideration is, that our afflictions are not the puniſhments of a Righteous Judg, but the chaſtiſements of a Gracious Father. And this the Apoſtle perſwades, Heb. 12.6, 7, 8. My Son deſpiſe not thou the chaſtning of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth he chaſtneth, and ſcourgeth every Son whom he receiveth, &c. God indeed is diſpleaſed, not with the perſon, for his hatred to the ſin: but with the ſin, for the love of the perſon; he is not angry in juſtice, becauſe we have ſinned ſo much; as in mercy that we may ſin no more, and therefore we may ſometimes lie under anger, but never under wrath; it was the Lord Jeſus Chriſt that ſuffered the wrath of God, and ſatisfied divine juſtice; he bore the puniſhments which were due unto ſins; and diſcharged our debt, by offering up himſelfe unto his Father, as a ſufficient ſacrifice, and paying a price of infinite value and merit for our redemption.

6 God hath preordained thoſe to be like Chriſt in his ſufferings, who ſhall be like him in glory, we muſt be content to drink with Chriſt in his bitter Cup, before we ſhall be exalted to ſit with him in his Kingdome; and this the Apoſtle Peter affirmeth, 1 Pet. 2.21. for Chriſt alſo ſuffered for us, leaving us an example that we ſhould follow his ſteps; If we will feaſt with Chriſt in Heaven, we muſt be content to faſt with him on earth? If there we would keep an everlaſting Sabbath with him in his Kingdome: we muſt labour and travell whilſt thoſe working dayes laſt.

That was a ſweet ſpeech of Bernard: thou oh Lord Jeſus (ſaith he) art to me both an example, and reward of ſuffering, and both do ſtrongly provoke, and vehemently, inflame me: thou teacheſt my hands to fight by the example of thy fortitude: and after victory, thou Crowneſt my head with the preſence of thy Majeſty. Oh! if thou beeſt ſo good to thoſe that ſeeke, and run after thee: what wilt thou be to thoſe who finde and poſſeſſe thee.

If the Prince of our ſalvation was conſecrated by afflictions, why ſhould we expect a priviledge above him? It is not ſuitable and fit that an afflicted head, ſhould have a pampered body, and members? It becometh not the ſervant to live in idleneſſe, and pleaſure; when as the maſter wearieth himſelfe with paines and labours, how can we be called his diſciples, if we are not content to walke in his ſteps? for as the Apoſtle ſaith, Phil. 3.10, 11. If we will know him and the virtue of his reſurrection, we muſt firſt have fellowſhip with him in his afflictions, and be made conformable unto his death, if by any means we may attaine unto the reſurrection of the dead.

Ah! if we would often meditate of thoſe afflictions the Lord Jeſus Chriſt did ſuffer, and that to bring us to heaven? we would not pore upon our own ſo much as we doe? would we but thinke when we ſuffer poverty, and are pinched with worldly wants, what the Lord of heaven and earth ſuſtained? he was deſtitute of earthly comforts, and had not a houſe to lay his head. When we are injuriouſly traduced, and injuſtly ſlandered, and abuſed: let us call to minde the Lambe of God, who was without ſpot or blemiſh, moſt innocent, and full of all goodneſſe: even he was called a wine-Bibber, a friend to publicans and ſinners, an impoſter, and one that did all his miracles by the helpe of the devill. When we are ill requited by thoſe of whom we have better deſerved: forſaken by our friends in the time of our need, and betraied by thoſe who ſtand obliged unto us by many benefits: and to whom we have committed the very ſecrets of our ſoules? Oh let us thinke, our deare Lord was worſe uſed before us: for thoſe he came to ſave, ſought his deſtruction, his diſciples forſake him and flee away in his greateſt extremity, and one of them betraied him to death, vvhat if vve vvere haled to the judgement ſeat, and condemned to death: it cannot be ſo bad as his vvas, in vvhoſe mouth vvas found no guile.

Surely there cannot be a more effectuall motive to perſwade us to drinke of Chriſts bitter cup, then when we conſider, that he himſelf, hath not only begun to us, but hath drunke a far greater meaſure, and the very dreggs thereof, even to the bottome, and this the Apoſtle perſwadeth us with patience to run the race that is ſet before us, looking unto Jeſus the Author and finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12.1, 2, 3.

Oh! let us be content to drinke of his cup of affliction ſo long, till the bitterneſſe of this world paſſing away, that happy time ſhall come, that we ſhall drinke new wine with him in his eternall kingdome. The conſideration of theſe things will inable us, not only to beare all our croſſes with patience and comfort, but alſo with the Apoſtle Paul, Col. 1.24. To rejoyce in our ſufferings, in that we doe fullfill the reſt of the afflictions of Chriſt in our fleſh for his bodies ſake, which is the Church. And the Apoſtle Peter exhorteth us, 1 Pet. 4.13. To rejoyce in as much as we are partakers of Chriſts ſufferings, that when his glory ſhall appeare, we may be glad with exceeding joy. For if we ſuffer with him, we ſhall raigne with him, 2 Tim. 2.12.

7 Here we ſee then, that the patient ſuffering of afflictions, is a Title to an excellent inheritance; for if God chaſten every Son whom he receiveth, then if we are not chaſtiſed we are baſtards, and not Sons; Of this let us be confident; that although God often ſend pardons without corrections, yet he never ſends corrections without a pardon, unleſſe it be our ſault. And therefore let us take every, or any affliction, as an earneſt penny of our pardon: And upon condition there may be peace with God, let any thing be welcome that he can ſend as its inſtrument. Ah! let us ſuffer God to chuſe his owne circumſtancies of adopting us; and be content to be under diſcipline, when the reward of that is, to become the ſons of God. Now ſince this is the deſigne of Gods love to us; let it be an occaſion of our love unto him; and let us remember, that the truth of love is hardly known, but by ſomewhat that puts us to paine. Now ſuppoſe we were in as great paine and ſadneſſe, as ever did load our ſpirits; would we not beare it cheerfully and nobly, if we were ſure that within a certaine ſpace, ſome ſtrange excellent providence would releive us, inrich and recompence us ſo, as to overflow all our hopes, deſires, and capacities? Oh! then let us remember that we are Chriſtians, deſigned to the inheritance of Jeſus, our lot and portion eternity, how great is that joy, how infinite is that change, how unſpeakable is that glory, how excellent is the recompence of all the ſufferings in the world, if they were all laden upon our ſpirits? So that let our condition be what it will: If we conſider our owne preſent condition, and compare it to our future poſſibility: we cannot feel the preſent ſmart of a croſſe accedent to any great degree?

8 Afflictions as they purge ſin, ſo doe they purify grace, in the time of proſperity we gather ſo much ruſt that we need ſcouring? We can hardly tell what is true, and what is counterfeit, till it hath beene in the furnace? And firſt for our faith, now is the triall whether our faith be firme or fained? in the time of proſperity, when we have all things according to our hearts defire, as health, wealth, credit, friends, &c. We place our confidence on them: But when God takes theſe from under us, then ſhall we be able to diſcerne the truth of faith, from the truſt in theſe. Now or never are we conſtrained by faith to flee to God, and depend upon his providence, Deut. 8.2. Therefore he humbled thee, and made thee hungry, that thou mayſt learne, that man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

When we are in proſperity, there is little exerciſe for faith; but when we are in adverſity and affliction; vexed with ſickneſſe, pinched with poverty, forſaken of friends, blemiſhed and defamed by our enemies, and ſubject to innumerable dangers: then our faith, having enemies to reſiſt, and adverſaries to ſtrive and wreſtle with; doth ſtir up its own vigour, gather its ſtrength and powers together, and finding it ſelfe too weake to make reſistance, doth earneſtly ſeeke to have its ſtrength renewed and increaſed. That was the maine end, why God brought forth Abraham to the combate of that ſharp temptation, for the offering up of his Son; He had believ'd Gods promiſes before, that Sarah ſhould bring him a Son; though very unlikely; But now to believe that God would make good his promiſe, though Iſaac muſt dy; This was faith indeed. This was it which God thought worthy to be regiſtred to all generations: And to be imputed to him for righteouſneſſe.

And thus likewiſe God brought forth Job, as a Champion to encounter with Satan hand to hand, (as we ſay) and to return the lye upon his owne head; that he did not ſerve God for nought? That if God take away all he gave him, yea, and his life to boot: Satan, and the whole world ſhall know Job will truſt in God.

And this the Apoſtle Paul makes as a tryall of faith: we had the ſentence of death in our ſelves, that we ſhould not truſt in our ſelves, but in God which raiſeth the dead, 2 Cor. 1.9.

This is the faith that is likely to hold out: That when we ſee nothing, but rather all contrary to what we do expect; when there is a curtaine drawn between us and all creature helps: When faiths eies are turned up to Gods all-ſufficiency? Then God is moſt cleerely ſeene. When we are rich, and enjoy a full table, and want nothing; Then we think our faith is very ſtrong: But when poverty ſets upon us like an armed man, then we ſhall ſee whether faith or diffidence will get the upper hand. Solomon could ſay, that if we faint in the day of adverſity, our ſtrength is ſmall; And ſurely, if we doe not truſt God upon his bare word, without a pawne, we truſt him not at all; If we doe not believe him for the the ſmall matters of this life, and depend upon him for likelihoods? How ſhall we believe him in that which is impoſſible to us, the raiſing of our bodies from their duſt? &c.

Let us then examine our faith, in the time of our afflictions: For what we are then, we are, and we are no more.

9 And thus afflictions confirmeth hope: And now is our hope in the full tide, When our worldly hopes are at their greateſt ebbe: Then doe we waite upon God for the accompliſhment of his promiſes, when we are fruſtrated of all earthly expectations: And then we fix this ſure anchor upon Gods never decaying truth, now hope lookes for comfort in him alone, when all things appeares falſe and deceivable. And now when God ſhall anſwer hopes expectation in help and deliverance; then doth this experience cauſe hope, not to be aſhamed.

Ah! the ſweet refreſhments and comforts of hope: She ſupports us, and makes us merry in all eſtates and conditions: 'Tis the beſt companion that ever bore a diſtreſſed ſoule company. It will never leave us, till it hath brought us to heaven gates.

When afflictions, like the lead in the net would finke us downe, and that ſin and ſorrowes labour to drowne us, hope like the Corke upholds us, and ſuſtaines us. So that according to the Proverbe. Were it not for hope, the heart would breake. And this the Apoſtle faith, 1 Cor. 15. If in this life only, we have hope, we are of all men moſt miſerable. And thus hope makes us to doe, to ſuffer, and to die.

Oh! therefore, let not thoſe deliverances which are delaied, be the fainting of our hearts, but let hope beare then up cheerfully, in a conſtant expectation of that mercy, which in due time, ſhall be made good unto us. Let us take what he gives, and wait for what he promiſeth, as well knowing, that he cannot ſlack, as the world accounts ſlackneſſe, but will ſurely keep his owne time, though not ours.

10 Afflictions manifeſt the truth of our love. Alas: Many in the time of proſperity love God, for his left-handed bleſſings. (as Satan objected to Job) And if God deny them but a fond deſire: they are ready to overlooke all the mercyes they enjoy: and fling them (as it were) in the face of God. But now to love God when he takes away all: To read love in an angry looke; This is love in deed.

Love, is that lovely motive, which makes our obedience full. Tis that virtue, which comprehends all other virtues; for if we do and ſuffer out of love, we are at the higheſt pitch poſſible attainable. Love, ſaith the Apoſtle, fullfills the Law; nor can any virtue hold out ſo long, faith and hope, bring us to Heaven Gates, but love enters with us, and abides for ever. Here what the Mayden Martyr ſaid at the Stake, Farewell Faith, and welcome Love.

See what a ſweet interpretation love puts on all Gods dealings; when the fleſh objects and ſayes, like Jobs wife, What, bleſſe God and dye? ſerve him, and be thus rewarded? but love anſwers, What, and ſhall we not receive evill at the hand of God as well as good? do they not both proceed from the ſame fountaine? yea, from that Ocean of Love from whence Chriſt came.

Againe, in ſtreights and want • , fleſh will object, Can the ſervants and the dogs be ſerved, and ſhall a Child of God want neceſſaries? want bread? but ſaith Love, The Love of God, as God, and the Love of a Father in Chriſt do much differ; as God, he is good to all, makes his Sun to ſhine, and his Raine to fall on the juſt, and unjuſt; as a Father, he is eſpecially good to his Children; to whom, if he gives not much in this world, yet gives he ſo much as he ſeeth beſt for them, with a comfortable uſe thereof, this however, to be his Child, is more then if he gave us all the World to enjoy.

When we are at any time ſcorned, reproached, reviled, ſcandalized; Love goes away ſilently, with this heavy burden, reaſoning with her ſelfe, behold the love of my God! do they fling borrowed dirt in my face? what a mercy is it, that God doth not diſcover to them the filth of my heart, my ſecret ſinnes? how would they blaze them?

And ſo for loſſes of friends, husband, children, goods; Love lookes upon nothing as loſt, but reſtor'd or laid up, thinking alwayes upon what ſhe doth enjoy; that in her greateſt wants, ſhe enjoyes innumerable bleſſings from God, whereas our ſins have deſerved that all ſhould be taken from us, and his judgements and puniſhments inflicted as a fit wages for all our ſinfull ſervices; Love makes us reſt ſweetly contented with what we have, and not repining for wanting ſomething; but rejoycing that the Lord affordeth us any thing: Ah! ſaith Love, if I am not ſo happy as others for what I do enjoy, yet in this I am happy, for the evils I might have had, and have eſcaped; ſurely if we have a little, and cannot be contented, we have even too much.

And this is the nature of Love, the more the world magligneth and perſecuteth us, the more our love is weaned from the world, and the leſſe we love the world, the more is our affections inflamed towards God: Ah! we ſhall in our outward croſſes feel the inward comforts of Gods Spirit ſo pleaſant and delightfull, that they are ſufficient to ſweeten a world of miſeries; and this made David to ſing, Pſal. 116.1. Oh how I love the Lord! And ſurely many of the Saints of God do never love him ſo ſolidly, as when they have beene ſoundly whipt.

And as by afflictions we come to love God more, ſo are we made to compaſſinate and pitty our brethren; we can never give comforts rightly, till we have gotten experience of what we ſay; there cannot be any place in our hearts for compaſſion of others griefs, till paſſion and ſuffering of the ſame evills have been there before; no Phifitian is more able to cure a nother man, than he who hath firſt cured himſelfe of the ſame diſeaſe; becauſe unto his art is injoyned experience, whereby it is made perfect; and therefore when we go to comfort others, we can from our own knowledge ſay, I have been thus afflicted, and thus and thus did I receive conſolation, and was ſtrengthened in patience to bear my croſſes; here God did ſupport me with his might, when being feeble in my ſelf, I was ready to faint and fall; thus was I refreſhed with ſpirituall conſolations, and the inward feelings of Gods love and mercy, thus did he powerfully deliver me, when in reſpect of all outward meanes my caſe was deſperate: And thus doth David take upon him to comfort others upon his own experience, Pſal. 34. O taſt and ſee that the Lord is good, bleſſed is the man that truſteth in him, I was brought low and he helped me, I ſought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my feares.

And this as a Caveat by the by; when ever you are afflicted, either in body, ſpirit, goods, or good name; do not vent your griefs to them that have never been afflicted; for as they cannot give you any experimental comfort, ſo your griefs cannot make any great impreſſion in their hearts, they can be no more affected with your complaints, than if you diſcourſed of the cauſes, ſymptomes, and malignity of that diſeaſe they never felt? they may ſigh, and ſay its very ſad, but it cannot long ſink into their mindes, its commonly but tedious diſcourſe at the beſt; ſome can ſpeak it by wofull experience, that the diſcloſing of their wounds, have been an occaſion that their plaiſters have been flung in their face, and that which ſhould have beene an argument of pitty and compaſſion, have procured ſlighting and contempt; but no more of this.

11 By afflictions we are brought to be more humble, to have a ſight and ſence of our own vileneſſe and unworthineſſe, to an acknowledgement of our infirmities, weakneſſe, and great inſufficiency, and to a voluntary ſubmiſſion of our wills in all things to the will of God: Alas in the time of proſperity, we are ſo blinded with naturall pride, and ſelf-love, that we never come to a cleer knowledge of our ſelves, nor to a true valuation of our abilities, but are puft up with ſelf-conceit, having a greater opinion of our own excellencies than they deſerve, imagining that though God ſhould leave us to our ſelves, we could ſtand in our own might, reſiſt any temptation, and encounter and overcome any enemy, but when God bringeth us into afflictions, and exerciſeth us with ſickneſſe, poverty, diſgrace, or loſſe of our neareſt and deareſt friends; then are we by them brought to a ſight of our own frailty and infirmity, and by this experience finde how unable we are by our own ſtrength to indure the leaſt triall, and to get the upper hand of the weakeſt temptation; alas a proud heart is never broken and brought down but by afflictions? This was it which made David to ſay, 2. Sam. 15.26. Let the Lord doe to me as ſeemeth good in his own eyes.

This was it that brought downe the proud heart of Manaſſes King of Juda, when he had raged againſt God and his Saints with wonderfull inſolency, but when he was in captivty, faſt in chains, then this Wild Colt is • amed, his proud heart is down; he humbled himſelf greatly before the Lord, 2 Chron. 33.12.

And thus we ſee in the Apoſtle Peter, how bold and confident he was in his owne ſtrength, and opinion, till he fell foulely; but after we heare of no more ſuch braggs: but of this, more hereafter.

12 Afflictions make us more diligent in prayer; for though we may be ſlack and looſe in this holy exerciſe when we are at eaſe and reſt, yet when the weight of affliction lieth heavy upon us, it preſſeth out of us ſtrong cries, and bitter ſighs and teares, this made David to cry out of the depth of his miſery, to roar for griefe of heart, to water his couch with his tears, and making his bed to ſwim, theſe his perbolical ſpeeches expreſs the abundance of his ſorrow.

And this was it which made Jacob to be ſo earneſt with God; his affliction and diſtreſs, made him to be ſo ſolicitous with God, with weeping and ſupplications, a whole night together, and would not give over without a bleſſing, Hoſ. 12.3, 4. And this the Prophet ſaith, Iſrael did, Iſay. 26.17. They poured out their prayers when the Lords chaſtning was upon them.

Prayer is the beſt remedy for ſorrow? griefes are eaſed by groanes and utterance, the but opening of a veine cooleth the blood: And ſuch Evaporations diſburdeneth and cooleth the heart? 'Tis ſome eaſe to poure out our complaints into a friends boſome; but no ſuch refreſhment as to disburden our hearts into the eares of God; prayer is the exerciſe of our graces: And graces exerciſed will yeild comfort, prayer ſolicites God for patience, that if we have a great burden, we may have a ſtrong back; prayer will beg hope and truſt, to waite upon God for his fatherly care and love. It will ask a gracious improvement: The benefit of the rod, is a fruit of the divine grace, as well as the benefit of the word, and then ſhe begs deliverance, with a ſubmiſſion to Gods will, that in the meane time, they may be moderated, ſweetned, and ſanctified, in the iſſue to us.

And ſurely there is no croſſe ſo great, but prayer will lighten it; as there is none ſo eaſie, but plodding and unthankfullneſſe will make it heavy. Oh let us then in all our ſorrowes and ſufferings, make our complaints to our gracious God, and let that time which is ſpent in aggravating croſſes and unkindneſſes, be ſpent in re-counting mercies and deliverances; and then croſſes will be as ſmall in our account, as they be in truth.

And when our prayers begin to flagg and faint, as being moſt unworthy acceptance, let us ſtrengthen our deſires by the remembrance of Chriſts praying and interceding for us; if Chriſt did not pray for us in our troubles and temptations, no afflictions but would be too big for our little hearts.

13 And as afflictions beget prayer, ſo they beget and increaſe patience, which is our paſſive obedience, whereby we are content that Gods will may be done in us, ſuffering with meekneſſe and patience, whatſoever croſſes & afflictions it ſhall pleaſe him to inflict upon us. In proſperity our mindes are made weak and effeminate, by reaſon that our too much having our wills, do make us wanton, and wantonneſſe doth make us way-ward and peeviſh; which cauſeth us to ſhew great impatience in our ſmalleſt croſſes, and to murmur and complaine, when but the ſight or ſhadow of any affliction doth appear, oh how techy we are! if but a little toucht in our reputation? we ſtorm, fret, and fume, if we are ſcandalized, reproached, ſlighted, contemned; we think they are ſuch indignities as are inſufferable, and inſupportable weights and burdens; the faulſehood and unkindneſſe of a friend, Oh that's not to be born; it God croſſe us but a little in our eſtates; we think our loſſe irreparable; if he take away a child from many, why then we overlooke all the reſt, and keep whineing for that; whereas it had been mercy if God had taken all, and left us but one; but if he add to take away a wife or husband, alas then there's no ſuch griefe as ours; now we will go mourning to our graves, with Rachell, we will not be comforted becauſe they are not; but when God lays on affliction to purpoſe, and whips us ſoundly for crying, now we are as quiet as lambs, now we can kiſs the rod, and do any thing; and ſay, Oh 't was good that I was afflicted; thy Rod and thy Staffe they comfort me: now that burden that made us ſink under, we carry away with eaſe; now the Scornes and reproaches of our enemies, which made us formerly weep, we either wink, and will not ſee them, or if we cannot chooſe but heare and ſee too, yet regard no more than a Lyon the bark of a Dogg.

Now the unkindneſſe of a friend, which would cut ſharper than a razor: (time was) make us to think upon thoſe friends that are perfect, and have left all their infirmities in the duſt; now we are made to ſeek friendſhip with him, that when once he loves, he loves to the end; with whom there is no variableneſſe or ſhaddow of turning: and to be ſweetly contented with him alone, though all the friends in the world have left us; and certainly he is unworthy to lay amy claim to God, that cannot finde parents, kindred, friends, in him alone.

And thus when we have ſweetly been brought to do the will of God, we ſhall ſilently and contentedly ſuffer it; paſſive obedience ſprings from active: when we truly know it is Gods will, we indure it with a quiet patience; conſidering that what ever befalls us, comes from his good pleaſure; and therefore thoſe that have not inured themſelves to the yoak of obedience, will never indure the yoak of ſuffering.

1 Another thing we may obſerve in Davids flight; he was perſecuted by his owne Son, to whom he had been but too kind a Father; and truly thoſe children ſeldom proove happy to us, that have too much of our heart.

Abſalom had deſerved death in cauſing his owne brother to be ſlain: David pardons the fact; in him is verified the Proverb: Save a Malefactor from the Gallowes, and he will hang thee if he can. If Abſalom had had his deſert before, David might have freed himſelfe from much trouble and ſorrow; hang'd he muſt be, if none will do it his pride ſhall; and beſides, hang on record for the moſt diſloyalleſt traytor and rebell, and the moſt diſobedienteſt Son that ever the Sun beheld.

Thus we ſee, that if parents can be content that their children ſhall croſſe God, God will be content that their children ſhall be croſſes to them; if David will not correct him, God will.

Againe if Rulers will give life when God calls for death, they ſhall help themſelves to ſorrow, and their friends to ſhame; God hath here a time to pay David, and puniſh Abſalom, thus you ſee in Elies indulgence to his ungodly ſons; rebuke them he did, but reſtraine them he did not, they ſhall be executed by the Sword of an enemy, though not of juſtice, and himſelfe ſhall die a fearfull death, 1. Sam. 4.18.

And truly it's worth our obſervation, that when we make too much of the Creature, God makes nothing of them. And thus many times we nouriſh ſuch Vipers as in the end eats out our bowels; many a one doth by us, as Joab ſerved Abner, 2. Sam. 3.27. Take us aſide to ſpeake with us quietly, and then ſtab us; Alas, the true hearted lie moſt open to credulity; and therefore 'tis very eaſie to beguile their harmleſſe intentions: And indeed no enemy ſo bad as a boſome friend? and no enmity burnes ſo furiouſly, as that which ariſeth from the quenched coales of love: And this is it that makes us take more grievous the injury of a friend far greater, than the malicious hatred of an enemy; for open hoſtility calls us to our guards; but we have had no fence againſt a truſted treachery.

Of all enemies 'tis a miſery to have one very powerfull, or very malicious; if they cannot wound us upon proofes, they will upon likelyhood.

And of all enemies he will be the worſt that hath done us an irreparable injury; for when he ſees he can make us no ſatisfaction, he will proceed to hatred, and then to malice, and then hee'l ſeek our ruine.

And he is the worſt enemy that turnes traytor, and turn traytor he cannot, unleſſe he hath been a friend formerly; now a traytor is much more dangerous than a profeſſed enemy; and a fugitive Souldier more pernicious in time of war, than he that aſſaulteth with open violence: Ambroſe could ſay, That an enemy may be ſhunned, but a friend cannot, if he meaneth to be treacherous; we may eaſily take heed of him to whom we have not committed our councells; but it is ſcarce poſſible to prevent his miſchiefs to whom we have intruſted them.

And truly David never met with ſuch enmity from all his profeſſed enemies as he had from thoſe which were once his familiar friends; Heare what a pittifull complaint he makes, Pſal. 55.12. 13, 14. If it had been an enemy, I could have born it; but it was thou, mine equall, my familiar friend, in whom I delighted, which did eat of my bread and went to the houſe of God in company with me, this is he that hath lifted up his heel againſt me.

But let all Traytors lay to heart, how frequent have been examples of Gods vengeance on ſuch: who ever ſaw a bloody Traytor come to a good end? few or none ever eſcape the hand of God, or the ſword of the Magiſtrate, or their owne balter; how died Zimri, Achithophel, Abſalom, Zebah, Judas, their owne hands made paſſage for their ſoules into helliſh torments, (as the divell once complained) before their time.

2 But are theſe all that David hath to encounter with? theſe were dumb dogs that would have ſnapt at his heels, nay at his head ere he had ſeen them; no, there is another fierce maſtiffe, which flies at him with open mouth; Shimei will take advantage of this time to vent the old grudge and malice that lay lurking in his heart, till a fit opportunity: he was of the houſe of Saul, that was enough to make him an enemy; ſo that we may conclude, that malicious wretches watch an advantage when they may do a miſchief: It is the common courſe of a curſed diſpoſition to trample upon thoſe which are already fallen.

This hath been the practice of Satans inſtruments in all ages, to inſult over miſery; and I would it were confin'd to them onely. Job was bitterly ſpoken againſt in his greateſt extremity by his owne friends, and they no doubt Godly too, and cenſured for an hipocrite; and yet he gives it out for a maxime, that to him that is in miſery, pitty ſhould be ſhowne; and of all objects of ſorrow, a diſtreſſed King is the moſt pittifull, becauſe it preſents moſt the frailty of humanity: the ſorrowes of a depoſed King, are like the diſtorquements of a departed conſcience: which none can know, but he that hath loſt a Crowne, towards thoſe that have been alwayes poore, piety is not ſo paſſionate: For they had no elevation to make their depreſſion ſeeme the greater wonder. Surely a tender heart would have pittied Bajazet, and Valerian, (as they were men) the one in his Cage: the other when he lay proſtrate as a footſtool to his proud foe, who would not have wept with King Edward the ſecond, when his princely teares were all the warme water, his butchers would allow him to ſhave him with? When the hedge was his cloth of ſtate, and his throne the ground; and who would not have poured out unreſtrained teares, to have ſeene King David goe up Mount Olivet barefoot, and weeping as he went, to ſee all his Nobles and mighty men in mourning; and to heare all the country cry with a loud voyce, 2 Sam. 15 23.30. And yet this miſcreant Shimei in ſtead of pitty, proudly inſults.

Ah! With what ſpirits are they indued, that can greive, the greived; and adde ſorrow to the over-burdened: What to put more waight to an overcharged b • ame, to laſh with an iron rod that back which is already flaied with whipping? Surely this property is not only inhumane, but diabolicall. To perſecute a poor diſtreſſeed ſoule, it is the very extreamity that malice can doe, or affliction ſuffer.

'Tis a helliſh diſpoſition, how to watch to give a blow to the man that is already reeling.

Again, Shimei charges David peremptorily with the blood of the houſe of Saul, why ſhould we conclude that which neither our eies did ſee by proofe, or our eares heare by report; but Calumny and conjecture will injure innocence it ſelf.

In matter of cenſure, nothing but a certaine knowledge, ſhould make us give a certaine judgement; fame, and aire, are both too weake foundations for unſpotted truth to build on; only deeds are liable to the downe-right taxe? In things uncertaine, a bad conſtruction, muſt needs flow from a bad minde; and therefore Malice and baſeneſſe, ever dwell with Calumny. And the deſire to diſgrace another, ſprings from the ſame fountaine.

Cenſures will not hold out waight, that have life only from the ſpungy cels of the common braine; why ſhould any paſſe a definitive ſentence againſt any one whom we know but ſuperficially? As if I were a God to ſee the inward ſoule. Nature, art, report, may all faile: Yea, ſometimes probabilityes. There is no certainty to diſcover a man by, but time and converſation.

Beſides Shimei rips up Davids faults, and layes them to open view: David had polluted his hands in the blood of Ʋriah, though not of Saul: But God had waſht them cleane: Who then durſt call David a bloody man? Its bad raking into thoſe ſores, which the blood of Chriſt hath heal'd.

He is juſtly to be condemned for a traitor to reputation, and ſociety: That tells the private faults of his friend, to the publick, and depraving world; certainly they have no worke or buſineſſe at home, in their owne conſciences. That have ſo much leaſure in ſinfull curioſity, and unneceſſary medling, and enquiring into other mens carriages? Oh! What Malice, Spite, and pride, doe ſhew it ſelfe many times in thoſe Phariſaicall falſe-hearts, and finde-faults, to miſtake, and miſsinterpret an innocent neighbour; yea, and often times to proclaime with great noyſe, and ſelfe applauſe, their own idle Malignant, forgeries, and fancies; for faults, of thoſe, who are more righteous then they. 'Tis an uſuall cuſtome, for malevolent Detractors, to diſparage others upon ſlight grounds, and little inſtances; and in a matter of a diſcourteſy to dive into a mans minde, beyond his owne comment: Stirring up a doutbfull indignity, without proofes, that carry waight, or conviction. And many times for want of matter, they will ſnatch a report from the invenomed tongue of a tale-bearer. And ſo with his wicked wit, and wide conſcience, worke a World of revengfull villany.

Ah! there are too many, which thinke it beſt to raiſe their reputations, with the ruines of anothers; and to hold every inſolent detraction from other mens ſufficiencies, an addition to their owne.

Let all cenſorious buſi-bodyes, take heed, how they ſpeake of the infirmities of Gods people: Thou mayſt ſpeake the truth, and yet be a ſlanderer; and whilſt thou makeſt thy tongue, the whipper of thy neighbour: thou oftentimes proveſt a murderer. By mangling and martering his reputation, which if it live to recover its wound, yet ſeldome or never its ſcarre; and therefore there can never be a ſufficient recompence for an unjuſt ſlander.

Let theſe motives prevaile with us; what if he be a Saint thou ſo defameſts? if he be a Saint, he is one for whom Jeſus Chriſt hath dyed, between whom there is a neerer relation and union, then betweene a man and his wife; will a loving husband indure to ſee his wife abuſed before his face; ſeriouſly thinke the Lord ſtands by and ſees all. He heares all thoſe contumelious reproaches, and will weigh from what minde they doe proceed; whether from weakeneſſe, or, willfulneſſe. And accordingly he will repay, conſider that place, Num. 12.8. What ſaith God, (to Aaron and Miriam, Saints) were you not af • raid to ſpeake againſt my ſervant Moſes? and then reaſon; ſhall I upon the malicious inſtigation of a viperine broode, deride, diſgrace, diſcredite any one that is ſo neer to the Lord Jeſus; ſhall I caſt a malicious glance, coy, or contemptuous looke againſt one of the bridegroomes friends ſhall I admit any falſe and forged calumniation, againſt their ſpotleſſe innocency. Shall I invent intangling ſnares to inveigle their charitable and credulous ſimplicity? ſhall I have the leaſt ſiniſter conceips againſt their upright converſations? What if they are blacke in regard of ſufferings and afflictions outwardly? And in regard of their often frailtyes and infirmityes inwardly: Why yet let me thinke they are amiable, and lovely, in reſpect of their practiſe of piety, inward ſincerity, and Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and ſanctification begun and kindled, which will never goe out. What if they are deformed in their owne eyes, and eſteemed vile in the eyes of others: Nay, hardly gracious in the eyes of a very few: yet are they honorable in the eſteeme of God.

Ah! How dare we to ſpeake ill of a Childe of God: Or greive one that is ſo indeared to ſuch a fathers affections? God loves his owne ſo tenderly; that whoſoever offers a diſgrace to them, ſhall be ſure to pay for it: Either by teares or torment.

Let us therefore ſtudy and practiſe a right religious ordering of our tongues, and let them be alwaies the touchſtone of our hearts, whereby we may eaſily diſcerne, whether they be heavenly mettall, or of earthly droſſe. And let us never ſpeake evill of any man, though truly: But with a deſigne of charity, to reclaime him from that evill; and never uſe more words againſt any mans ſins in publicke: Then we would make prayers for their ſoules in private.

Let us take heed how we handle the reputation of another: It is like a white ball, which ſullys by being toſt from hand to hand,

There be few which doe not ſometimes ſuch actions as they would not have diſcretion ſcan, unadviſed words may ſometimes fly from the tongue, that the heart did neither hatch, nor harbour; integrity it ſelfe, would not be awed by a blabbing ſpy. And therefore in all our commerce, let us make frequent appeales to our conſciences: would I have this meaſure meted out into mine owne ſoule; Oh! Let us abhor to ſpeake that of another which we would not have another ſpeak of us, or ever condemne that in any one, which we would not have but pard oned in our ſelves; and what ever we doe or ſpeake, to thinke firſt, what will become of it, when its done. And though we cannot make a man worſe to himſelfe; yet we may render him vile to others.

How too many are there which pretend to meet for better ends; doe under Chriſts livery, carry a pack of falſe and ſlanderous tales: which they have raked, and ſcraped together, from their owne dunghill ſurmiſes: inſinuating liſtenings, malicious whiſperings, pragmaticall inquiſitiveneſſe into other mens buſineſſes; and hear out of an inching humor of tattling, they lay abroad their rotten wares, defame their innocent harmeleſſe neighbours, which if any accidentally come in the while; they quickly pack up and are gone.

Here their malice draws conſequencies, a great way off from the premiſes; and conclude ſins from inevident fignes; and what reproach is here hatcht under a hearſay; they greedily take up, and vent it at the next meeting for an undeniable truth.

Ah! Would they lay that place to their hearts, Pſal. 15.3. Thoſe that ſhall inherit Gods hill, are ſuch, as doth not back-bite with his tongue: Nor doth evill to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach againſt him. Note that he doth not onely, not ſpeak evill; but he doth not hear evill, with approbation; he taketh not up a reproach againſt his neighbour. But theſe backbiters ſhall finde it by certain demonſtration to their own conſciences, that they are as yet, the children of the devill, the father of lies and ſlanders, and have of him already learned the very language of hell Job. 8.44.

3 Abiſhai cannot beare this indignity, though David will: And therefore deſires leave to take away his head. Take notice, that, ungodly wretches that cannot bridle their tongues againſt the children of God: are in the ready way to ruine.

And ſurely, it cannot be ſafe to inſult over any. Into all ſenſitive creatures, nature hath put a kinde of vindictive juſtice, that in ſome meaſure they are able to returne an injury; if they doe not alwayes, 'tis only becauſe they are not able.

But man hath a more able, and more impatient ſoule: And though reaſon and religion teaches him not to be furious: Yet with all, it teaches him not to be dull.

Extremities of injuries, often awake extremities of revenge; eſpecially if we meet with contempt from others, or finde diſpaire in our ſelves.

Nor ſtands it but with reaſon: That a ſtrong patience, urged beyond it ſelfe: Should turne into the ſtrongeſt rage; diſdaine will baniſh patience, and bring in fury.

And truly ingenuity can bear any thing more eaſily, then the grieſe of a contumelious reproach.

It argues a kinde of nobleneſſe in that mans nature, that will pleade in the defence of his neighbours innocencie, and they that will not vindicate the name of a Chriſtian from calumination; theſe in their ſilence, conſent to the ſlander, that it is true.

But yet here muſt be great diſcretion: in the apprehenſion of a quarrell; let nothing ſinke beyond its weight; ſuddaine apprehenſions uſually miſtake; the ultimate judgement of reaſon is beſt.

Alas, when the judgement makes too great a report of outward things to the affections: the affections makes too great adoe about them.

And therefore many men may doe good things: and not doe well in doing it, becauſe he faileth in the end, and manner of doing.

Abiſha • 's zeal to Davids welfare perſwaded him to have taken off the head of Saul his undeſerved enemy; upon an advantage: But Davids Maxime took place firſt in his owne breaſt. Who can ſtretch forth his hand againſt the Lords anointed and be guiltleſſe, 1 Sam. 26.9. And therefore that man which will doe more then is fit; will in time doe more then is lawfull. He that now exceeds the meaſure; will ere long, exceed the manner.

4 And now you may heare Davids anſwere, with a kind of indignation at the thoughts of revenge. What have I to doe with you yee ſons of Zeruiah, let him curſe, &c.

Where we have the greateſt humility, lie under the moſt grievous inſulting can be expreſt; and truly it argued a brave Princely ſpirit in him.

When Embaſſadours have uſed any indecencies to Kings: They doe not chide, but deny them Audience; as if ſilence were the Royall way to reject a wrong. Ah! he injoyes a moſt noble compoſedneſſe, that ſeates himſelfe above the flight of the injurious claw, nor doth he by this ſhew his weakeneſſe but his wiſedome, becauſe the wiſe rage leaſt.

1 Again, David anſwers Shimei, not a word. See a patterne of patience, in a heart fraught full of holy Magnanimity, and heavenly greatneſſe; which walkt ſo high, that ſcorners, and tauntes could not reach him: much leſſe troubles and afflictions preſſe him down; he goes on his way, regarding it no more then children that cannot judge.

Indeed to revenge an injury, is both eaſie, and uſuall: And as the world thinks, ſavours of ſome Nobleneſſe; but religion ſayes the contrary, and tells us, 'tis better to neglect it, then requite it. And therefore if any one ſhall offer us an injury: Let him know, we can ſee it, and ſcorne to take notice of it; unleſſe it be ſuch, as the bearing is an offence.

In an apparent wrong, its better ſometimes to diſſemble it, then play the waſpe, ſtrive to returne a ſting; it was Solomons Phyloſophy, that a wiſe mans glory was, in paſſing by an offence.

It ſtands not with the diſcretion of a generous ſpirit, to return a puniſhment for every abuſe; ſome are ſuch, as require nothing but contempt to kill them; men doe not ordinarily ſtrike dogs when they doe but bark.

And ſurely he hath but a poore ſpirit, that is not planted above petty wrongs; ſmall injuries we ſhould either not heare, or not minde. Nay though we were told them, we ſhould not know the Author; for by this we may mend our ſelves, and never Malice the perſon.

And truely it argues a man of a Gunpowder ſpirit, that a little ſparke of fire can ſo quickly blowe him up.

A Very light matter will refreſh, and then againe diſcourage, a minde that reſts too much upon the liking of others, and indeed it is a ſure evidence that a man lives more to opinion and reputation of others, then to conſcience; when his griefe is more for being diſappointed of that approbation which he expects from man. Then for this miſcarriage towards God; to feel an injury to lye heavier, then ſin; the weight of ſin.

And ſurely our afflictions diſcover much our choyce and affections: When outward croſſes, are our greateſt evill, 'tis a ſigne God is not our greateſt good.

It is much to be lamented, that many good people are with too much effeminate facility, ſo quickly moved, and toucht with every trifle. A ſpot, or wrinkle upon their garment, a diſh miſplaced on the table, or ſome leſſer toy, will turne many quite out of tune, and put them out of their humour into pelting chaffe; and all this argues ſuch men to be but of poore ſpirits: For ſurely great mindes are not moved but with great matters: It is a point of Chriſtian wiſdome, to paſſe by many petty provocations to anger, without notice or acknowledgement, without wound or paſſion, and to digeſt many times the brawlings and indiſcretions of haſty men, with the ſame patience that ſurgeons doe the injuries and blowes of mad men when they let them blood.

Ah! What a ſweet harmony is there in our ſoules, when we judge of things as they are, and affect as we judge, and execute as we affect. Remembring that thoſe troubles that come of neceſſity, we ſhould learne to beare with bouldneſſe and Chriſtian courage.

And therefore as one ſaith, let us ſtill maintaine a gariſon of holy reaſons, againſt the aſſaults of ſtrong paſſions: We may hope for the beſt, but feare the worſt, and prepare to beare whatſoever God ſhall pleaſe to lay on us. In this world of changes, we cannot reſolve upon alteration, the minde is out of frame: we cannot ſay, this or that trouble ſhall not befall: Yet we may in the ſtrength of God ſay, nothing that doth befall, ſhall make me do that which is unbeſeeming a Chriſtian.

Where the ſpirit of God hath taken up his firme abode in the ſoule, it will little ſet by any outward change; he will little eſt • eme to be accounted little in the eies of others, when he is ſo little in his owne.

Let us therefore walke in ſuch a heavenly diſdaine, amidſt the ſcornes of an inſulting generation: That the world may know we can live above every condition; and that all our afflictions, are far beneath our hopes.

And let it be our joy, to beare contentedly the unjuſt aſperſions of malicious cenſure: Who was there ever among the Saints, that was not ſlandered? though our accuſers may be believed a while: Yet let our actions out-weigh their words: and the diſgrace at laſt will reſt with the intender of the ill; that ſtone that injury caſts, ever in the end, lights on its own head.

2 David lookes off from Shimei, to God that ſet him a worke: Suffer him, God hath bidden him. Let him curſe, becauſe the Lord hath ſaid; curſe David.

Let this teach us, that Gods hand hath a ſpeciall ſtroke in all our afflictions, is there any evill in the City, (ſaith God,) and I have not done it, Amos. 3.6.

Heare what Joſeph ſays to his brethren, I am Joſeph your brother whom yee ſold: But God ſent me hither, Gen. 45.5. And thus did Joh from the Sab • eans, and Cald • eans, which had robbed him, and ſlaine his Servants, to God: The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken, and bleſſed be his name, Joh. 1.21.

And indeed, the Preſident and patterne of all humility: lookt neither at Hered, nor the Jewes, or Pilate, but to his father; ſhall I not drinke of the cup that my father hath given me? And this was it which made David ſo ſweetly ſilent, Pſal. 39 9. I was dumbe, and opened not my mouth becauſe the Lord did it. To flye upon inſtruments as the maine cauſe of our croſſes; is to declare our ſelves voyde of reaſon: So the dog bites the ſtone; which would never have hit him, if it had not been thrown.

It was a ſweet meditation, a holy man of God, hath ſet down for his own ſupport and ours. He ſtrikes me that made me, that moderates the world: Why ſtruggle I with him? why with my ſelfe? am I a foole, or a rebell? A foole if I am ignorant whence my afflictions come: a rebell, if I know, and be impatient.

And therefore, when ought falls out contrary to our expectation, let us not run to ſecond cauſes, but ſay, God hath purpoſed it, as it is fallen out. He will make uſe of what inſtrument he pleaſeth: It is enough, and his will be done, though ours be croſſed.

So promiſcuous, and inconſtant is the adminiſtration of things here below, that they ſeeme to run upon wheeles, ſo doth Ezechiel phraſe it, Chap. 1. But theſe wheeles have eyes. From which Metaphoricall, and Metonymicall expreſſion we may ſee, that there is ſomething in their events, ſhewing the reaſon of their turnings, which we ſee not. Yea, and thoſe wheeles move, as the beaſts ſtir them: To teach us, that there is nothing done on earth, but by the Lord in his inſtruments; the wheeles move, as they are guided by thoſe Angells, move as they are guided by the ſpirit: And thus all is from the Lord. And leaſt the ſaith of any be overthrowne from the change of things: The Lord tels us, that the wheeles are one within another, and ſo are the winges of the Angells. There is an agreeableneſſe between them, and thus is it in the changes of a thouſand yeares. Now to looke upon Gods providence in ſome particular only, as upon a wheele or two, and not upon all as once, as they are one within another, this deceiveth us.

When we looke upon honeſt Joſeph in his diſgracefull impriſonment onely? On innocent David, in his ſcorne and contempt in the Court; and under the reproach of curſing Shemei; on juſt Naboth, condemned to death by falſe witneſſes, and accordingly ſtoned; who ſay we ſhall riſe againe to ſhew his innocencie? on Paul held the worſt man of his time; on the Church, as in the daies of Queene Heſter, but if we looke upon all theſe paſſages, all at once, we ſhall ſee that they have eics; that they have Angells, and theſe a ſpirit to guide them.

On theſe wheeles is Joſeph brought by the ſale of his brethren to Phara • 's Steward; by the falſe accuſation of his Miſtris, he is caſt into priſon: By the interpretation of the priſoners dreams he is brought to Pharaoh's knowledge, and ſo to greatneſſe in his Court.

Thus whil'ſt David ſits ſtill: Doth the Lord vex Saul by the Philiſtins, and ends his dayes. And firſt ſetleth David in the Kingdome of Juda; then Iſh boſbeth falling out with Abner about a word forſakes him; Iſh-hoſheth ſhall be ſlain by two wicked men. And thus is David fairly brought to the Crowne, even by thoſe wheeles.

Thus in the dayes of Queene Heſter, when the Church was upon the point of deſtruction; that the King could not ſleep that night. That he ſhould call for the booke of the Chronicles before another: And that in this booke, that place which contained Mordeccyes revealing the treaſon againſt the King; ſhould revoke his decree, and ſo the Church injoy deliverance: this plainly proves, that in all thoſe various, and ſtrange adminiſtrations of accidents that doe befall us: that God not onely made, but wiſely diſpoſes of all. Surely theſe wheeles have eyes, and a ſpirit to guide them.

And therefore in all our wrongs and injuries, let us looke up to the firſt mover, and diſcharge the meanes. 'Tis true, the inſtruments may be unjuſt, nay, cruell in their wronges, but the cauſe is juſt from him that did inflict them; wicked men are rods in the hand of God, and at them muſt looke never, but as they are in the hand of an Almighty power; wherewith when he hath ſufficiently corrected us, he will caſt them into the fire.

Gen. 28.12. Jacob wondring at the deſcent, and aſcent of Angells on the ladder in the viſion; looketh up to the top, and there ſees God ſending them with their errands: ſo one Angell ſmites us, and another delivers us: but if we look up, we ſhould ſee God in both.

3 As David acknowledgeth God to be the principle cauſe of his afflictions: ſo he quietly, and patiently ſubmitteth himſelfe to bear them.

A patient ſubmiſſion unto Gods will, and a faithfull exerciſe under his viſiting hand, is an unfallible demonſtration, that we are children and not baſtards.

Saith David, the Lord hath ſaid curſe David, who then ſhall ſay wherefore haſt thou done ſo?

And thus elſewhere he patiently ſubmitteth himſelfe to be afflicted at his good pleaſure, 2 Scm. 15.26. But if (ſaith he) he thus ſay, I have no delight in thee, behold here am I, let him doe to me as ſeemeth good in his eies.

So good old Elie, when he heard from Samuell what a fearefull worke God would doe to his houſe: quietly he humbleth himſelfs: ſaying, it is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth him beſt, 1 Sam. 3.18.

Thus likewiſe Job, once have I ſpoken, yea twiſe, but I will proceed no further: I will lay my hand upon my mouth, and abhor my ſelfe, repenting in duſt and aſhes.

Lo Hezechiah ſweetly ſubmits: when he looketh up to God: what ſhall I ſay? For he hath ſaid it to me, and he hath done it, Iſa. 38.13.

It is the ſafeſt way, when Gods hand is on our back, to lay our hand on our mouthes, and do as Aaron did at the fearefull death of his ſons: when he heares Moſes to tell him, that God would be ſanctified in thoſe that did draw neere unto him? He held his peace, Lev. 10.3.

Thus thoſe Saints in the 21. Acts. 14, Conclude their arguments with words of ſubmiſſion, concerning Paules journey to Jeruſalem; the will of the Lord be done.

Now as all events whatſoever, are by, and according to the will of God: ſo to this will of God, muſt we ſweetly ſubmit in all croſſe accidents whatſoever we either feele or feare.

This have the Saints in all ages done, when they ſaw once the the mind of God, they quietly yeil ded.

So Mauritius the Roman Emperour; when after the butchering of his loving wife, and tender children, before his face, at the command of the Tirant Phocas: he was to act his owne part in that mournfull tragedy, in his fleſh at firſt, like a grudging Iſraelite, began to repine and draw back: but after ſome paſſionate panges, he humbly ſubmits, with theſe words: juſt art thou O Lord, and juſt are thy judgements.

And this is patience indeed; when we are content, without murmuring or repining, to reſigne our ſelves into Gods hands, to be dealt withall, even as it ſhall ſeeme good to him, both for the time and meaſure of our affliction. We muſt, not only, not ſink under them: but not ſhrink from them. Stay in them, till he that laid them on, ſhall pleaſe to take them off.

1 If we would ſeriouſly conſider, who this is that afflicts us? Why, it is the Lord, who is infinite in glory, power and Majeſty: who having created us of nothing, may diſpoſe alſo of us according to his pleaſure, for why ſhould the clay murmur againſt the potter; duſt and aſhes againſt the glorious King of heaven and earth. Who meaſureth the earth with his ſpan, and poyſeth it as in a ballance; who upholdeth all things by his word: and ruleth them at his good pleaſure. In him we live, move and have our being, ſo that if he ſuſtaine us, we continue: but if he blow upon us, we are preſently gone, and returne again unto our duſt.

2 As God is infinite in majeſty and power: ſo is he juſt in his judgements, his wayes are paſt finding out. Hath he corrected us ſharply, ſurely 'twas no more then we deſerved, hath he taken away our deareſt friends by death; why he took away nothing but what he gave? he never gave any thing abſolutely, and for ever: but only to uſe for a time, till he againe did call for it; and therefore ſeeing the Lord hath taken nothing but his owne: let us not ſay we have loſt it, but only reſtored it to the right owner.

3 Let us beare patiently whatſover comes from God, becauſe he is goodneſſe it ſelfe: from whom there can come no evill. It is he that ruleth the world, and ordereth all things for the beſt: taking care of every particular perſon: neither doth, nor hath any evill in him.

God is the fountaine from whence all goodneſle flowes: if he be good to all: he is abundantly good to his owne; if he be ſo ſweet to thoſe that ſeeke him: how beyond expreſſion will he be to thoſe that finde him.

Now who may better chaſtize us, then he that created us; who more right to correct and nurture us, then he who feedeth and nurſeth us.

We ſee the moſt ſavage beaſts, which will not indure the looke of a ſtranger will take ſtripes from their owner, who feedeth and tendeth them; and ſhall we more brutiſh then they, ſnarle and repine when the Lord, who not only giveth us food, but alſo maketh it nouriſhment, doth chaſtize us for our good.

The Lord is our King and Soveraigne unto whom we are to yeild abſolute obedience: and therefore if earthly Princes doe puniſh their ſubjects, and judge them inſolent if they repine, and rebellious if they reſiſt: not enduring expoſtulation, or to have their actions called to account, nay, though they be unjuſt. How then ſhall we be acquitted, when being corrected by God, we impatiently murmure: and by uſing unlawfull meanes to free our ſelves, as much as in us lieth, reſiſt him in his moſt righteous judgements: which are all diſpoſed for our good, if we ſubmit our ſelves unto them. Seeing by ruling us thus on earth, he fitteth us to raigne with him in heaven.

Ah! Therefore let us not looke to the interiour cauſes, by which our croſſes are immediately impoſed, but unto the Lord our God, who is the cheife and ſupreame cauſe of all our afflictions. Let us not looke to inſtruments, and aggravate our ſorrowes by circumſtances: as looking upon our afflictions with an impotent impatience, becauſe our enemies are malicious, proude and inſolent in the carriage of the matter: but to God, which aymeth at nothing but our good.

Thus ſaith Chriſt to Pilate, thou couldeſt have no power, except it were given the from above.

Thus likewiſe doe we make our burdens in ſupportable, when we too much looke upon the treachery, neglect, or unkinde dealing of ſome friends; of whom we have deſerved well, and therefore leaſt of all ſuſpected to have received from them ſuch hard meaſure; Alas! if our thoughts mount no higher then thoſe broken reeds, we may ſit down, and die of diſcontent.

And therefore 'twas ſweetly ſaid of a holy and experimentall Divine lately: that unleſſe we learne to ſuffer from the hands of Saints, as well as from ungodly perſons, we muſt never looks to live a merry day. So ſay I, unleſſe we can beare the fallings off; the falſehood, and treachery of a beloved friend, we ſhall never come to poſſeſſe pure patience indeed.

And thus many times when ought befalleth us through our owne default, negligence, or want of providence: we adde unto it the weight of many criminations, and oftentimes falſe accuſations againſt our ſelves, as though it were not heavy enough in it ſel • e to preſſe us downe, unleſſe we added thereunto the loade of bitter invectives againſt our owne negligence, and of ſharpe cenſures for our owne faultineſſe, as being the cauſe which hath brought upon us thoſe croſſes and calamities.

But we muſt lift up the eies of our minde above the earth unto heaven, and conſider that the Lord is the chiefe cauſe of all our afflictions: and like a juſt judge uſeth wicked enemies, falſe, and fading friends: Yea, and alſo our owne improvidence, and negligence, as the executioners of his righteous judgements: effecting by theſe meanes his owne purpoſes for the advancing of his glory, and alſo for our eternall good.

And therefore let us patiently look up, eye him which is inviſible, who hath power in his own hand, to reſtraine their fury, bridle their malice, work their falſehood, and treachery, and make uſe of our own weakneſſe and failings for our future advantage.

Waiting patiently for the Lords coming to help us, or bearing patiently what the Lord impoſeth on us, are a like right pleaſing and acceptable ſervices unto our God: which he is wont to crown with multiplyed, and overflowing refreſhings when he comes. They that waite upon the Lord, ſhall renue their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles: they ſhall run and not be weary, they ſhall walk and not faint; Iſa. 40.31.

Ah! We have not patiently waited ſo many yeares in the meanes of grace for comfort, as God hath waited for our converſion.

Let us reſolve to doe as much as we can; and ſuffer as much in obedience to God, as we can ſuffer for neceſſity, or paſſion, feare, or deſire: and ſurely if we can for one thing, we can for another: and there is nothing wanting but the minde; and therefore let us not ſay, we cannot indure this: for God would never have ſent it, if he had not known us ſtrong enough to abide it; onely he that knowes us well already, would alſo take this occaſion, to make us know our ſelves.

And truly there is an art or skill of bearing troubles, (if we could learne it) without overmuch troubling of our ſelves: as in bearing of a burden, there is a way ſo to poize it, that it weigheth not over-heavy: if it hangs all on one ſide, it poizeth the body down. Thus is it when we lay all the weights in the ſcales of creatures, and other croſſe accidents, occaſioned by our ſelves. We pull the greateſt part of our troubles upon our ſelves, by not imparting our care ſo as to take upon us the care of duty, and leave the reſt to God.

Ah! Let us not thinke the day of the Lord too little, and the day of man too much: but relye on the all-ſufficient God; accounting it nothing to be judged by man, as knowing in whom we have believed: and that it is enough that our judgement is with the moſt high: and the uprightneſſe of our hearts are known to him: and that our praiſe is with him.

And at leaſt wiſe ſhall we be accounted patient ſufferers: if finding impatiencie to ariſe in our affections, we ſhall be diſpleaſed with our ſelves for it. And to checke and chide our ſoules for our impatiency, ſaying as David, Pſal. 62. Yet my ſoule be ſilent to Jehovah.

Neither muſt we be patient for a fit; or take patiently one croſſe, and fume and 〈◊〉 for another; but we muſt with a Chriſtian Magnanimity be able to beare all. Thus we ſee did Job, after one affliction, he patiently indured another, untill they were exceedingly multiplied in number, and increaſed in weight.

And this was the practice of the Prophet, Iſa, Chap. 26.9. In the way of thy judgements O Lord, have we waited for thee. So likewiſe the Church, L • m. 3.26. It is good (ſaith ſhe) both to truſt, and to waite for the ſalvation of the Lord. And let us not in a blockiſh ſtupidity, lye under the correcting hand of God, as if we had no ſence, no, no: god will have his blowes felt, and as Ambroſe well obſerved; they doe not deſerve the praiſe of patience, who indure without complaining, the wounds of adverſity, when being benummed, they have no ſence of paine.

And therefore moderate griefe for offending ſuch a gracious father, may very well ſtand with true patience; we ought to grieve, (ſaith a holy and experimentall divine, one of a thouſand) when God rebukes: yet as children to their fathers ſcourge; with ſhame, with feare, and with ſubmiſſion. and as children to their fathers love, with hearts inlarged, and love redundant, weep • , and love. and as children to their ſa • ers • me, with holy change, and • eſt reformation. And as children to their fathers bounds, with eye to preſent time for preſent duty. Ah! Le • u • ſtudy what is our preſent duty, and God will ſtudy what ſhall be for our future comfort. And then may we ſafely expect God in his wayes of mercy; when we are in his wayes of obedience.

And let us likewiſe beare our afflictions freely and willingly: ſweetly and ſilently, putting our necks under the yoake, and willingly kiſſing the rod. For if we go • to the croſſe as beares to the ſtake, we ſuffer not in obedience; remember what the Lord Jeſus hath ſaid he that taketh not up his croſſe daily, cannot be my diſciple. Forced ſuffering againſt our wills, is not worth the name of patience; overpowered ſtrength may beare in policy, when it muſt yeild of neceſſity: but little thankes for ſuch bearing, in reſpect of God, to chooſe to beare rather then not when God chaſtiſeth, and his will is ſo to take up the croſſe, when fleſh might finde the way to ſhift it; Chriſt calling thereunto: this is action, and truth of duty: not dull paſſion, or patience perforce. And there's a wide difference betweene taking up our croſſe, and having it laied on us; many a one beares a forced burden, whether they will, or no, grudgingly, and with repining: no reward for this, but then is our fortitude worthy of praiſe, when we can indure to be miſerable willingly.

And willingneſſe implieth cheerefulneſſe: and ſo we muſt be too. But here then you may object. Is it not required that we ſhould be affected with ſorrow in our ſufferings? and moderately mourne in our croſſes and afflictions: and how then can we at the ſame time rejoyce: ſeeing joy and mourning, are oppoſite one to another.

For anſwer hereunto, we muſt know that Chriſtian ſorrow & rejoycing, may well ſtand together: ſeeing the one maketh way for the other: for therefore we be waile our ſins, that we may rejoice in the aſſurance of the pardon of them, of our reconciliation with God, and of our intereſt in all the gracious promiſes of the Goſpell. So that though we give the firſt part to be acted by ſorrow, yet let us not alwayes have it continue in a Chriſtian heart: for ſo it would grow immoderate: but after this our unfained repentance for ſin, and our aſſurance of pardon with God, let us have ſpirituall rejoycing: not only when we have a confluence of thoſe left-handed bleſſings: but in tribulation and afflictions.

Againe, oppoſites may agree in the ſame ſubject, at the ſame time, in a divers reſpect, for ſo we mourne becauſe by our ſins we have crucified the Lord of life: but rejoyce, in that by his death he hath wrought the worke of our redemption: we may at the ſame time mourne in the fight of our ſins becauſe we have difhonoured by them a gracious father: and yet rejoyce, in that our ſorrow aſſureth us, that they are forgiven us, and we received into Gods favour. We may mourne in the ſence of our pain and ſmart: but rejoyce in it, as it is a figne of our adoption; when God correcteth us as his children, that we might not be condemned with the world. So that we may ſpend our dayes in a joyfull mourning, or a mournfull joy.

And thus by ſence of paine, the Lord maketh the fleſh to mourne, that it may be mortified, reſtrained from ſin for feare of puniſhment, and by this ſpirituall joy apprehended by faith, our good God refreſheth the ſpirituall par • , that it may not faint and yield when the fleſh tempteth it to murmuring and diſpaire. Ah! I • is the ſwe • n • o • God's love that allayeth the ſow • neſſe of all our afflictions. This made David to ſay, Pſal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts which are within me, thy comforts delight my ſoule.

Labour we then for patience under all our preſſures, it will lighten all our croſſes, and leſſon our paines. Patience in afflictions (as a father ſaith) will make us Martyrs without either fire or ſword. And therefore miſery it ſelfe cannot make us miſerable: Let us then rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great will be our reward in heaven. And let the conſideration of this, ſweeten the bitterneſſe of our cup, that according to the weight of our afflictions here; ſhall be the weight of our glory hereafter. Who would not then be content to drinke of Chriſts viniger and gall in this world ſo he migh drinke that new wine with him in his heavenly kingdome.

Oh. But how ſhall we obtaine this patience, and a Cheerfull bearing up the head under all our preſſures?

Anſw. We muſt know that patience is no naturall faculty, or inherent quality, which is borne and bred with us; for naturally we are peeviſh and impatient, if we are • ever ſo 〈◊〉 croſſed of our wills: murmu • and repining againſt Divine providence, and therefore this flower is not to be found in the barren deſert of corrupted nature, where it never grew? neither is patience attained by the help of naturall reaſon, and Philoſophy, whi • propoundeth unto us only ſhadowes of comforts, that have a ſeeming ſhew a far off, but vaniſh away when we ſeeke to catch them. Theſe props which uphold patience, are guilded over but with humane Wit, Art and Eloquence, which ſeem to be of ſome ſtrength, ſo long as our patience is unburthened: but when once patience is preſſed with the leaſt weight of afflictions; then they faile, and breake, bewraying their weakneſſe and inſufficiency: together with the folly of thoſe who invented them, and of us who truſted in them.

Alas! The Philoſophers (for the moſt part) were ignorant of the chiefe cauſes of all afflictions, not aſcribing them unto God, and his moſt wiſe and juſt providence: but unto fate, and deſtany, chance and fortune: never looking unto the chiefe deſerving cauſe which is ſin: but imagined that all croſſes hapned by the guidance of blinde fortune; which put no difference betweene the good and bad, juſt and unjuſt: and ſo accordingly did they apply falſe remedies, which were as loathſome as the diſeaſe which they ſought to cure.

Epictetus, was one of the wiſeſt of all the Philoſophers, and yet what cold counſell doth he give, as namely that we muſt beare patiently that which we cannot avoid: whereas that alone, is enough to make a man break out into all impatiency, when he ſhall conſider that his miſeries which are preſently intollerable, are alſo inevitable for the time to come; that we doe beare thoſe burthens which are common to many: and that we have innumerable companions in our griefes, that all mankind are ſubject to manifold miſeries, and afflictions, and therefore we muſt not take it ill, if we be not exempted from the common lot; but in the mean time, they • make no mention of Gods providence diſpoſing of all our afflictions, and turning them to our good: they do not ſhew that they are proportioned to the meaſure of our ſtrength, ſo as they ſhall never overwhelme us: nor that they are the chaſtiſements of a gracious Father, and the fruits of his love again; they put us in no hope and aſſurance, that God is preſent with us in all our troubles, and in his good time will deliver us out of all our afflictions; and therefore we are not to truſt to thoſe who are but miſerable comforters at the beſt.

Now if we will be ſure to have true patience in our afflictions indeed; we muſt ſeek for it where it is to be found; and that is from the Father of lights, from whom every good and perfect gift doth come; now God hath promiſed that what ever we ask according to his will (beleeving) we ſhall obtain: ſince therefore we have a promiſe, let us go to God by prayer, and in a humble boldneſſe put him in mind of that word: call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me; and truly we never glorifie God more, then when we ſeek deliverance from God, and patiently expect it from him alone.

God doth many times, as tender Mothers doe with their children that ſtray away from them; which cauſe them to be frightned, that they may return and caſt themſelves into their armes for protection, ſo doth our good God cauſe theſe bugbeares of afflictions to meet and terrifie us, when we have run away from him; and ſuffereth us to be deprived of all other helps and comforts, that we may with fulneſſe of affiance reſt wholly on him.

Ah! if we would conſider that ſo ready is the Lord to hearken unto the ſuites of thoſe that pray unto him, that when he ſeeth this diſpoſition in them, he promiſeth that before they call, he will anſwer, and while they ſpeak, he will hear, Iſai. 65.24. and again Pſal. 91.15. he ſhall call upon me, and I will hear him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and glorifie him, ſo in Pſal. 145.19. he vvill fulfill the deſire of them that feare him, he alſo vvill hear their cry, and vvill ſave them.

And indeed there can never be a ſtronger prop to uphold our patience, then fervency in prayer: ſaith the Apoſtle James, chap. 1.5. if any of you lack wiſedome, (namely that wiſedome ſpecially which inableth us to beare the croſſe, with comfort and patience) let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it ſhall be given him.

Oh! how it eaſeth us of our griefer, and lighteneth our hearts of the burden of our afflictions, when as we lay open our grievances before God, and pour out all our complaints into his boſome; now if it be an eaſe to our afflicted minde, if we may communicate our griefesto a deare friend, that at leaſt we may be pittyed by him, though he have no ability to help, or releeve us: then how much more eaſe and comfort ſhall we finde, in laying open the cauſe of our griefes before our heavenly Father? who as he infinitely exceedeth all the tendereſt Fathers in the World, in pitty, in love, and compaſſion; ſo he is able, when as it ſhall be moſt for his glory, and our comfort, to free us out of all our miſeries and afflictions.

Now a main ſtrengthener of patience, is providently to foreſee croſſes approaching; this the heathen Seneca preſcribed as a way to be rid of care and feare, and to attain unto full ſecurity; that whatſoever evill we may feare to be coming, we ſhould ſuppoſe, that it will certainly come, and ſo exerciſe our ſelves to bear it willingly, before we be conſtrained to beare it upon neceſſity.

Let us then prepare our ſelves for the time of adverſity, and conſider that thoſe things which have hapned unto others; may alſo befall us: and beare thoſe afflictions which at any time may be layed upon us.

But above all, let us not fix our hearts upon any thing in the World, but uſe the benefits of this life, as though we uſed them not, and injoy them ſo, as thoſe who are preſently to foregoe them; for thoſe things which we poſſeſſe with immoderate love, we alwayes loſe with immoderate griefe, and if we look upon our temporall bleſſings, as upon perpetuities, we ſhall ſubject our ſelves, to much ſorrow, and finde ſmall patience, when their loſſe proveth unto us, that they were but moveables.

Its good to forethink when we are honoured in the World, and have every mans tongue as a Trumpet for our praiſe; the time may come, we may be as much diſgraced and defamed: for this hath befallen to many before us, and will happen to many after us: and why not then unto us alſo among the reſt? then ſeriouſly let us conſider, and examine our hearts how we ſhould be able to beare it: if we ſhould be caſt down out of the high Throne of honour and reputation; into the loweſt bottome of ſhame and diſgrace, and with what reaſons and arguments we might ſtrengthen our patience: and mitigate and moderate our griefe and heavineſſe.

Thus vvhen vve abound vvith riches, and have ſuch plenty of earthly things, that vve have not onely for our ſelves a ſufficiency of all vve can deſire, but are alſo able to give to others, and make them beholden unto us; novv then let us think, hovv vve could patiently beare a change of all theſe things, our filks for rags, our full tables for courſe and ſcant fare; nay, may be to be conſtrained to ask rel • ef even of thoſe which formerly vve have ſupported, and to receive it grudgingly, or to be ſhamefully denied.

So likevviſe vvhen vve have friends, and acquaintance vvho novv ſmile upon us, making airy covenants of perpetuall leagues, pretending ſuch dearneſſe of affection, that our entertainment ſhall be the very beſt, and our vvelcome huggs and imbracements, that in the middeſt of our delights, vve ſhould conſider that they are not only mortall but mutable; they may become our greateſt enemies. Novv let us forecaſt hovv vve could bear it, to have their ſvveeteſt diſcourſe turned into ſilence at the beſt, vvhen vve ſhall ſee ſuch a change in their countenance, that in ſtead of ſmiles, vve ſhall read ſlighting, contempt, diſdaine; vvhen they vvill not honor us ſo far, as to give a reaſon for their eſtrangment, or admit of an apology to plead the ſincerity of our hearts towards them: but ſhall loade us with the burden of their unkindneſſes, not only trying, but tyring our patience with their wrongs, which ſticks cloſer to our hearts, then all the injuries and outrages of a profeſſed enemie.

And thus likewiſe for our neereſt and deareſt relations, of Husband, wife, childe, &c. let us caſt a ſerious look on them, and conſider, they may quickly be taken avvay from us: any of them, all of them, death will not be bribed: will not hearken to any of our cries, teares, or ſighs: oh then let us reaſon with our ſelves, how ſhall vve be able to endure a parting, when we cannot indure the thought of it? how ſhall we grapple with the ſubſtance, when the ſhaddovv doth ſo affright us?

Oh! therefore vvhatſoever vve may loſe of that vvhich vve moſt love; let us think that it is novv in loſing, or ſuppoſe it already loſt: this is the vvay to prepare our hearts, and arme our patience, to bear the burden?

From the ſerious conſideration of theſe things, there will ariſe two ſpeciall benefits.

1 That we ſhall not be puffed up with pride in the confluence of theſe earthly bleſſings, and ſo become inſolent: but uſe them with all ſobriety and a good conſcience, when as our expectation, like a continuall Monitor, doth put us in minde of our loſſe.

2 This daily expectation will make theſe afflictions, which in themſelves are griſly, and terrible, to be ſo well known and familiar, that when they appear, they will not much skar and affright us. And truly the very Heathen in this matter will ſhame us. Anaxagoras being certified of the death of his dear, and worthy Son, heard it with patience, without any diſturbance of paſſion; for ſaid he, when I begot him, I knew he was mortall, and had brought him up in the expectation of this mortality.

And this conſideration, of preparing to meet afflictions before they fall upon us, will arm • our patience, and abate their ſtrength: and when by our meditations we ſhall poyze a croſſe before it be impoſed upon us, we ſhall much lighten our burthens, which are made ſo to others by their cuſtomable bearing of them.

Yet muſt we not run into afflictions, or pull them on our ſhoulders: but that we diligently uſe all good meanes, either to eſcape them before they come, or to be freed from them, when they are inflicted on us; and then if the Trumpet of holineſſe ſound the alarum to Ba • tell, let us march on valiantly without delay, contemne our lives, and enter the conflict with cheerfulneſs, ruſh into the main army of our enemies, put Sathan to flight, and ſet up a trophy of victory: but if godlineſſe ſuſtain no damage, the principles of religion be not undermined, which concern our ſalvation, nor any man do inforce us to doe any thing diſpleaſing to our God; let us not be ſuperfluous in our ſufferings; and be ſure, we make not a croſſe of our own, and throw it in our way, and ſo ſtumble in it, and ſay it is the croſſe of Chriſt; herein we deceive our ſelves, if we pick private quarrels againſt our own peace, ſeeking out and provoking an enemy, with whom the Lord hath not commanded us to fight.

And though we have obtained of the Lord patience to bear our burthens, yet God doth not allow us to lie down under them ſtill, when we may by good and honeſt meanes be freed from them: becauſe this is to tempt the Lord, when as needleſly we deſire to make experience of his power, providence, and promiſed aſſiſtance either for our delivery, or for ſtrength and patience to indure theſe wilfull trials.

We ſee what the practiſe of the Saints have been to avoid troubles if they could, and with their prayers they have joyned their own lawfull indeavours? Thus Moſes fled from Pharaoh, David from Saul and Abſalom, Joſeph and Mary from Herods cruell perſecution, Paul from the Jewes at Damaſcus.

And as we may pray that our bitter Cups ſhould be removed from us, ſo may we adviſe with our ſelves, and take counſell of others, and labour and indeavour in the uſe of all lawfull meanes to eſcape afflictions, or to overcome them, if we cannot avoid them; and this all with a ſweet ſubmiſſion to the good pleaſure of God; deſiring that our wills may be even melted into the will of God; not mine, but thy will be done.

Obj. But here our ſoules may object, and ſay that we have known many who have truſted in God, and have waited for his help, and have fervently called upon him for deliverance, have notwithſtanding at laſt died in their afflictions? yea, and we our ſelves ſtill remaine under great and grievous miſeries and croſſes, though we have often earneſtly ſought the face of God: and with ſtrong cries and teares, have poured out our complaints, and depended upon no other, for ſuccour and freedome, and yet we are not delivered, no nor can ſee no outgate, or meanes when we ſhall eſcape?

Anſ. For anſwer to our own hearts, 'tis certain that all Gods children have deliverance out of their afflictions in due time, whether it be by life or death, that matters not; one way or other we ſhall be delivered: now ſeeing our longeſt lives are ſhort and momentany, being compared to eternity, and that happineſs which we ſhall then injoy with God: the time of our afflictions cannot be long, nor our deliverance farre off, although it ſhould be deferred to the day of our diſſolution; Ah! the comforts of God are well worth the waiting for all our days.

2 Gods promiſes of deliverance from remporall afflictions are not abſolute, but alwayes to be underſtood with this condition; if it ſtand with his own glory, and our ſpirituall good: for otherwiſe our freedome from afflictions would be no benefit, but the greateſt hurt; now Gods glory and our ſalvation often times are more advanced by the continuance, then by the removall of our croſſes: as when God tryeth by them his graces in us, that he may afterward crown them: and cauſeth our fight to be ſo much the more long and dangerous, that accordingly our inſuing victory may be the more glorious: or when God doth uſe afflictions, either for an hedge to keep us from leaping into the forbidden paſtures of carnall pleaſures: or for a fiery Furnace to purge and purifie us from the droſſe of corruptions; now in theſe caſes, it is the greateſt freedome not to be freed: and Gods greateſt mercy towards us, when as he continueth us in our temporall miſery.

3 Let us comfort our ſelves when God deferreth his promiſes, and continueth our conflict of afflictions, after we have long vvaited for help and deliverance, by conſidering, that in his good time they ſhall moſt certainly be accompliſhed: Gods promiſes are certain performances: his truth is of his eſſence, and it is no more poſſible that he ſhould faile of his word, then that he ſhould deny himſelfe, and therefore ſince he hath promiſed that we ſhall overcome the World, that we ſhall have ſtrength to endure temptations, and have a happy iſſue out of them: that if we ſuffer with Chriſt, we ſhall reign with him: we may be aſſured though our way be long and foule, yet at laſt we ſhall ſafely come to our journeys end: that after our painfull ſufferings, ſhall come our glorious raigning: and that after our dangerous fight, we ſhall obtain a happy victory, and be crowned with eternall glory.

Saith Bernard, we may be ſecure in fighting, ſeeing we are ſure of over coming: by flying we may lo • e the victory, but by dying we cannot; ah! bleſſed ſhall we be if we dye fighting, becauſe we ſhall be crowned dying.

Let the conſideration of this com • ort us, that God no leſſe waiteth upon us to doe us good, then we to receive it: expecting a convenient time, when as • e may moſt fitly and ſeaſonable extend his mercy in our deliverance, and therefore • aith the Prophet, Iſaiab 30.18. therefore will the Lord wait, that he may have mercy upon us, and therefore he will be exalted that he may have compaſſion upon us; we waite when God will, and God waites when he may: when mercy may be moſt welcome, and deliverance moſt glorious.

The fourth circumſtance is Davids juſtifying of God in his way of proceeding; behold my Son which came forth out of my bowels ſe • keth my life, how much more this Benjamite? &c. here ſee that God will never leave correcting that ſoul whom he meanes to ſave, till he hath brought it downe on its knees, and to acknowledg he is juſtly dealt withall, and this David confeſſeth, Pſal. 119.75. I know oh Lord that thy judgments are juſt, and that thou in very faithfulneſſe haſt cauſed me to be afflicted; See the change in his diſpo • ion, when Nabal would not anſwer his expectation, (when he ſo excellently acted the part of an eloquent begger:) he preſently was all on a fire, vowing revenge, not only to him, but to all his Family: now the caſe is altered; he can indure to be railed on by one that was his ſubject: yea, and curſed too, and ſtones and durt flung at him, and not ſo much as a riſing thought of revenge: and thus we ſee how fierce David was with the Ammonitiſh Priſoners, he put them to death in cold bloud: nay, he uſed great cruelty in their deaths, by putting them under Saws, and Harrows, and Axes of Iron, and burnt them alive in fiery brickkils: but afflictions at laſt made him ſo tame, that not only the right • ous might reprove him, but the wicked might reproach him, and he is ſilent: or if he ſpeak, they be words of patience and ſubmiſſion: So let him curſe, becauſe the Lord hath • aid curſe David: he that could not before endure Hanuns affront, can now quietly, and meekly without defire of revenge, indure many opprobrious indignities: and be contented that Shimei ſhall bemire him with the durt of his filthy tongue, without the leaſt ſhew of paſſion.

So Ephraim by this meanes is made to confeſſe his owne untamedneſſe with teares, Jer. 31.18. and Lam. 3. makes a man to put his mouth in the duſt, and to be of an humble and lowly carriage towards all men; doing nothing that may ſavour of pride, contempt, or diſdaine; but rather abaſing our ſelves to our inferiors, and even to give our cheeks to the ſmiters.

The Lord beareth, and forbeareth a long time, expecting our amendment; and when there is no other remedy, then he taketh the rod in hand; when gentle meanes would not ſerve, rougher means ſhall: if the ſhaking of the rod will not humble us, we ſhall ſurely feel the ſmart: God will firſt or laſt, take us in hand, and maſter our proudeſt hearts, and ſtouteſt ſtomacks; and if fewer and lighter ſtripes will not ſerve the turn, he will inflict more and harder, till he hath brought us as he would have us.

And therefore 'tis better to be taken downe in youth, than to be broken in pieces by great croſſes in age; we ſhall be ſure of a time of reckoning, the beſt of us; God will puniſh ſinne where ever be find i • , and in this world moſt ſeverely to his owne; they that have moſt of Gods heart, do oftentimes feel his hand moſt heavy.

When the • ins of Saints ſhall become a ſcandall to Religion, no wonder if God will vindicate his honor, and be ſevereſt againſt thoſe that wear his livery; yet inwardly ſide with Satan and their own lofts; other offences God may puniſh, this he muſt, leaſt the enemies of the truth triumph againſt him: David had ſuch a whip for this as never man had greater, becauſe he had by his fin cauſed the enemies of God to blaſpheme, his child muſt dye; when he that had ſung the pureneſſe of the God of Iſrael, and proclaimed the noble acts he did of old, and ſeem'd as one indeared to the Almighties love, how would the Philiſtims rejoyce, when he ſhould thus become Apoſtate, and with a milde licentiouſneſſe, mix his luſt with murder and ingratitude; ſurely his ſin and puniſhment God will have to ſtand upon record to the worlds end to be a warning to all, that if God was ſo ſevere againſt one who lay ſo near his heart; then let us with fear and trembling look to our wayes, making ſtreight ſteps to our feet, leaſt that which is lame be turned out of the way; ever remembring, that after the remiſſion of a • in, the very chaſtiſements of the Almighty may be deadly.

And this was it which made David ſo meek without murmuring, ſeeing God as his juſtice required, did juſtly execute his righteous judgements upon him for his ſin, and according to his revealed truth inflicted thoſe afflictions which he had formerly threatned.

God is immutable: as his courſe hath been towards his children in times paſt, ſo will he deal with us, and our poſterity in time to come, he will ever proceed by the ſame rules of juſtice and mercy, puniſhing like finnes with like judgements.

And therefore let us juſtifie Gods wifedome in all his proceedings of providence, concerning our ſelves and others: his juſtice in puniſhing, as well as his love in correcting, his grace in giving, and his mercy in taking away, and in all things from the heart, bleſſe the name of the Lord.

Bleſſe his name, and exalt his free grace, that our puniſhment is no more, nor no wor • e.

What if we have many croſſes heavily lying upon us? truly if we had our due deſert, we ſhould have more and greater; the terrors of conſcience here, and torments of hell hereafter; what if death have deprived us for a time of our children, deereſt & necreſt relations, alas our fins have deſerved to be deprived of the preſence of God, and all his holy & glorious Saints & Angells, & that to all eternity; what if we have lo • t our honor, riches, reputation, and eſtimation with the world, perhaps they were our Gods, no wonder they were da • ht to pieces, and we made to drinke of their duſt, what if our friends have leſt us, and have forgotten all their promiſes, and purpoſes of friendly intimacy, and have taken away all their love, and have in ſtead repaid us with ſcorne and diſdain; what then? they could not take away our God, nor our Chriſt, nor his ſpirit, nor our intereſt in the promiſes, nor our hope of Heaven; why what have we loſt then? truly matters of no great moment, the preſence of our God without any of theſe is perfect peace, but all theſe without God is but a little more cheerfull hell.

And therefore none could juſtifie God in his way of proceeding better then David: ſo he ſays, nay ſings it too: Pſal.103. he hath not dealt with us after our fins, nor rewarded us after our iniquities, and this he intimateth, Pſal. 51.4. by that ingeminating confeſſion of his; againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned, and done this evill in thy fight, that thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and clear when thou art judged.

5 David comforting himſelfe with hopes of being benefited by this affliction: it may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will requ • good for his curſing this day.

And this ſhould comfort us in our deepeft diftreſſe, becauſe Gods round reprehenſions, are ever gracious forerunners of his mercy.

Faith will teach us to ſay, God hath chaſtiſed me according as he hath threatned: therefore he will comfort me according as he hath promiſed: now hath not God promiſed, and aſſured us to uphold us in our afflictions, and bring us through it, and comfort us by it, and glori • ie us after it? let us therefore with Abraham, hope againſt hope, and apprehend the certain accompliſhment of theſe promiſes by faith, whence fence and carnall reaſon ſee nothing but the contrary.

Ah! if we would ſeriouſly conſider, that as God is the ſupreame cauſe of all our afflictions, ſo doth he govern and over-rule all ſecondary, and inſeriour cauſes and meanes, by his moſt wiſe and powerfull providence: that when they ſeeme moſt to oppoſe againſt him: they do but effect that which he willeth, and hath purpoſed to be done? they ſerve to the furthering of his ends, his glory, and our ſalvation; how oppoſite and contrary they are one to the other.

Now if God hath joyned his glory and our happineſſe together; it is • it that we ſhould refer our ſelves to his good pleaſure, that hath joyned his glory to our beſt good, which is our ſalvation.

This was it which upheld the head of David, the good which would follow: he was ſure that this wet ſeed-time, would bring forth a plentifull harveſt: this he • ings. Pſal. 126.6. He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious ſeed: ſhall doub • leſſe come again with rejoycing, bringing his ſheaves with him; And again, Pſal. 126.5. They that ſow in teares ſhall reap in joy. And thus many times, God in mercy puts us to a leſſer trouble, for our greater good.

Thus did the Lord with the Iſraelites when he brought them into the wilderneſſe, where they indured much affliction: he did humble them, and prove them that he might do them good at their latter end. Deut. 8.16.

Now God doth not only advance by afflictions the ſpirituall and everlaſting good of his own children, but many times turneth them to their greater benefit in the things of this life, as we may ſee in the example of Joſeph: he was ſould as a ſlave, that he might be a great Commander; he loſt his patrimony at home, that he might receive a much more large inheritance in a ſtrange Countrey, and therefore he profeſſeth, that when his brethren intended evill againſt him, God diſpoſed it to the good, not only of himſelfe, but of many others.

And thus was Johs afflictions turned to his advantage here in this life; what a name hath he gotten to be a pattern of patience: which ſhall never die ſo long as the world laſts, for all his temporall things which he loſt, he ſhall have it doubled; and thoſe that charged him for an Hipocrite, ſhall be the firſt ſhall contribute to his reliefe and comfort; and this was it which comforted him, when he looked to the end: God (faith he) knoweth my way, and tri • th me, and I ſhall come forth like gold. Joh. 23.10.

Ah! if we would conſider Gods manner of dealing many times: he is faine to pull us down to the ground before he build us up anew, empty us quite of all Creature comforts, before he fils us with himſelfe: ſo never ſhould our names have had ſo ſweet a ſavour with God, if they had not been by man, pounded in the morter of afflictions, ſo that many may ſay, they had been undone, if they had not been undone.

Thus I have heard of • godly man • hat was going for France, and he was going a Ship-board, he broak his leg, and it pleaſed God ſo to order it, that the Ship in which he ſhould have gone in, at that time was caſt away, and not a man ſaved: ſo that by breaking a bone, he ſaved his life.

The like did that bleſſed Martyr in Queen Mary's dayes, who would alwayes conclude of all Gods dealings to be very good: and ſo he ſaid when word was brought him, that the next day he muſt be burned: but as he was going to the ſtake, he fell and brake his leg, which when ſome asked him whether this were good too; he replyed, oh yes! very good: and ſo it fell out indeed, for before his lame leg would bring him to the ſtake: a poſt from Queen Elizabeth came to ſave him, and to tell Queen Mary was dead.

Oh! how doth afflictions occaſion more comfort and further experience of grace: God ſeldome afflicts in vain, ſuch ſolemn providences and diſpanſations, leave men better or worſe: but the children of God gain profit ſtill by them, for 'cis Gods courſe to recompence outward loſſes, with inward injoyments, for as the ſufferings of Chriſt abound in us: ſo alſo conſolations abound by Chriſt; that is, inward comfort and experiences, according to the rate of outward ſ • fferings: Ah! a wilderneſſe that giveth us more of God, is to be preferred above all the pleaſures and treaſures of Egypt.

Novv as afflictions occaſion comfort, ſo it tries it, whether it be ſound, and ſolid: for in the time of proſperity, that comfort which v • e have, is ſo mixed according to the mixt cauſes of it, that vve can very hardly di • cern what of it is carnall, and what is ſpirituall: but vvhen all other comforts and hopes are gone: then that vvhich is left, is moſt likely to be ſpirituall: and the ſpirit never vvorketh more ſenſibly and ſvveetly, then when it worketh alone.

So likewiſe, how can we tell whether we be able to incounter with an adverſary, when there appeareth 〈◊〉 to contend againſt us? Hovv can vve tell vvith what patience vve can bear poverty, vvhen vve alwayes abound in riches? hovv can vve diſcern vvhat heart and co • rage vve • ave to ind • re ſha • e, diſg • ace, reproaches: vvhen vve ſhall grovv old in popular applauſe, and the ſ • reame of their favours, ſhall flovv unto our graves: hovv ſhall vve knovv vvith vvhat conſtancy, and contentedneſſe, vve can ſuſtain the l • ſſ of children, friends of the neareſt and deareſt relations, when we never heard of the death of any of them: truly we may comfort others, but then it comes more kindly, when we have firſt comforted our ſelves, and have commanded our griefes to avoid our preſence?

And this is ſhe goodneſſe and ſweetneſſe of our afflictions, when being caſt into this fiery Furnace, we are purified from our droſſe, we may be approved in the touch, and be eſteemed and prized, as well befitteth our worth and value; according to that of Solomon, Prov. 17.3. as the fining-pot for ſilver, and the Furnace for gold; ſo h Lord trieth the heart.

Object. But ſome may ſay, my afflictions are grea • , and my ſtrength ſmall: ſo that in my trials, I ſhew ſo many infi • mities and corruptions, I fear I ſhall never be approved: how then ſhall I grow better by them.

Anſ. Alas poor ſoul, doſt thou think that the Goldſm • th hath skill enough ſo to proportion the heat of the fire to the mettall, that it may be purified and not conſumed: and canſt thou imagine that the Lord knoweth not how to fit his trials to thy ſt • ength: or if he have knowledg and wiſedome enough, canſt thou doubt of his will, ſeeing he hath bound himſelfe by a moſt gracious promiſe, that he will not ſuffer us to be tempted or tried above our ſtrength, but will give a good iſſue with the temptations yea, but in the meane time, thou art preſſed with ſuch an heavy weight, that thou bewraieſt thine infirmities and corruptions.

And truely, it may be neceſſary and profitable for thee ſo to doe: that by this tryall thou mighteſt come to the ſight and ſenſe of theſe imperfections, which before were in thee, though hidden and unknowne: to the end, that now beholding them, thou mayeſt be truly humbled, brought to unfained repentance and to an hearty indeavour in uſing all good meanes to be cleanſed and freed from them.

God many times in wonderfull mercy and love, cauſeth us to bewray, our ſmaller infirmities, that he might free us from groſſer ſins: and taking away all ſelfe confidence in our one ſtrength, he cauſeeth us with full affiance to reſt upon him who never faileth thoſe that truſt in him.

Ah! We ſhall have treble honour for all our ſufferings: we are honoured by the Lord, when he inricheth us with his graces: and then by trying of them; whereby their worth and excellency is manifeſted unto all that behold us. And at laſt he will honour us by crowning his own graces in us, when as by tryall they are approved.

Did we but ſerio • fly confider that promiſe, Rom. 8.28. All things ſhall worke together, not on y for good, but for the beſt, to them that love God: we would think our preſent condition to be beſt, what ever it be, becauſe of the wiſe providence of God.

Not to ſpeake how proſperity workes for our good, becauſe though we are like a ſhip under ſaile, with afore-winde, carried ſweetly, and ſwiftly towards heaven, being fully laden with the bleſſings of Gods left hand: yet for as much, as we ſaile in a tumultuous ſea, we are in great danger alwayes to be over ſet: and many a one have been driven to that extremitie to cut downe their maine Maſt; and • achling: thr • w over-board all their goods before they could ſe • ure their lives.

My army, (ſaid a Roman Captaine) never ſtood in worſe termes, then when it had peace. And 'cis noted of Solomon that of all the Kings of Juda, he fell fouleſt, becauſe he was moſt proſperous.

And therefore an afflicted eſtate is moſt ſafeſt, yea and often moſt ſweeteſt. There is a fruite in the leaſt croſſe: we ſhould therefore looke more at the fruite, then deliverance from the croſſe: the longer it continues, the more we may get by it.

1 If we conſider the good which comes to us through the Malice of man: we re • d of Jacob when he ſent Joſeph to Dothan to viſit his brethren, they caſt him into a pit: Reuben, more pittifull then the reſt, relieves him; but ſells him to the Midianites: they ſell him againe to Potiphar: his Miſtreſſe accuſeth him; his Maſter condemneth him, impriſons him: the Baker after long forgetfullneſſe, commends him to Pharaob, on the occaſion of his dreame: and thus is he exalted. How many inſtruments were here, not one looking to God, or to one another. Onely the Lord of Ezechiels wheeles, turnes all about for the good of his children.

So David goes on in Battell againſt Iſraell with Achiſh King of Gath, with whom for a while he ſojourned in the time of his baniſhment. The Princes of the Philiſtimes command him to go back, and this they did only to diſgrace him, becauſe they did diſtruſt him. But 'twas for his good: for had he gone on, he had been guilty of the bloud of Iſrael, eſpecially of Saul, who was ſlaine in that Battell: whereas now he is free, both from the blood of Iſrael, and from the cenſure of the Philiſtimes, they cannot blame him for going back, becauſe it 'twas in obedience to their command.

Thus we ſee the Church in Q • eene Heſter's time: what was plotted for their ruine, turned for their farther deliverance, and Hamans malice to Mordecay, ſhall be the firſt ſtep to his preferment.

Many a Saint whoſe names doe now breath forth a freſh perfume in the Church of God, would have lived and died obſcurely: had not the malice of others pounded them in the morter of afflictions.

The wicked (ſaith one) are as it were Gods Phiſitions, by the poyſon of their malice they purge out the poyſon of ſin, from out of the ſoules of his ſervants. They are the Lords ſcullions and their office is, to make cleane the veſſels of honour. They ſerve as an antidote, to keep us from the contagious infection of ſin; and truely, this may be one reaſon, why the Lord thinketh it fitter to ſerve his owne providence of wicked men: that he may bring good out of evill, then not permit any evill at all.

Thus were all the ends of the King of Affiria, and the outrages of his army, directed by God to that maine end, inchaſtifeing his people: I hough (as the Lordplainly affirmeth) he never ſo much as thought ſo, or ever aimed at this end. Iſa 10.7.

And this many times the cruelty and oppreſſion of proude inſolency, that can not looke but with diſdaine, conttempt, make the Lord to pitty the diſtreſſed the ſooner; and to ariſe, and ſet hi • own in ſafety from them that poff • ah at them, Pſal. 12.

Another out of malice to our perſons, and a deſire to revenge miſconceived wrongs, and ſuppoſed injuries; ſeekes our utter ruine, indeavouring to make our names odio • s, to countenance their owne cauſe: thinking they have laid a ſound foundation of their own glory, upon the ruines of our reputation, and eſtates. But this oft turns to our greater advantage, when God ſhall at length m • nifeſt our inn • c • ncy, mauger all their plo • s and projects; ſo that whoſoever blowes out the candle of our reputation with too ſtrong a breath, doth but make a ſtink to blowe it in againe; and it were well thought o • , it is their malicious breath that makes ſo i • a ſavour, not our ſnuffe.

O hers cannot love us, becauſe they cannot: or they will not, becauſe they will not: and ſo force themſelves to an Antipathy, looking upon all our actions with the greene ſpectacles of prejudice; c • nſtraing, or rather miſconſtruing all actions, or intenſions according to their owne opinion, put • ing falſe gloſſes on all plaine tex • s; theſe are very ready to fide with a depraving multitude whereby they become acceſſary of injury; if the injury be great, they will proceed to hate thoſe whom they have m • l gned, hatred in time will turne to implacable malice, ſo that their houſes are too hot for our neighbourhood, nay, may be a whole Towne will in time • ſteeme us as Nauſeous to their quaeſy ſt • macks, and therefore we muſt out, as the frith of the ſtree • s. Theſe are like t • e m • n of Epheſus, who cried and made a lo • de noiſe, ſome for one thing, and ſome for another, but the moſt part knew not wherefore they were come together, Acts. 19.32. So theſe, cry out that ſuch are people want not any fault, though they cannot make manifeſt any one: thus may times one barking dog, ſets all the curs in a Towne a bauling, at nothing ſometimes, or at the moone.

But this likewiſe workes for the beſt, to a more circumſpect walking, among ſo many Criticall enemies, and truly we never walk ſo warily, as when we have many enemies to watch us. But if their cruelty will not indure our company any longer, but that we muſt be conſtrained to ſecke a new habitation; (which many of Gods deare children are forced in thoſe ſaddeſt times, having loſt their old.) but this may by the bleſſing of God, turn to a great advantage. Their malice doth but tranſplant us into a better ſoil, where we may thrive more, & bear our fruit with more ſafty, & comfort: without ſuch fear of being nipt in the bud. O • elſe they drive us to a more narrow ſearch, and greater longings for that City above; whoſe foundations are ſo ſtable, and ſure; that no enemy can deprive us off, where is no plundering or oppreſſions: when all the malice of man or devill, ſhall never be able to drive us thence.

Another ſort there are, which ſometimes were very hot, and eager in the purſuite of their love; profeſſing their love ſhall hold out, when others tire; their's ſhall live, and flow, when all others are dead and dry: like Peters boaſting, which will ſight valliantly for a ſpurt: and doe it may be more then is required: but when they ſee their friends over powered by inſolent authority; then they'le deny their acquaintance, and neither owne them, nor their cauſe. This have been the caſe of many, and therefore the leſſe to be wondred at.

David complaines pittifully, thou haſt put my lovers and friends far from me, and my acquaintance into darkneſſe, and this may comfort us the more, when we conſider God hath a hand in their eſtrangement, and therefore cannot chuſe but be for good: we ſhall ever after be more wiſe, then reſt and lean upon ſuch ſlender props, that at the beſt will bend, if not breake, and looke upon the choiceſt friends to be ſubject to mutability, as mortality, and to be wary of that love, which is ripe ſo ſuddainly: thoſe rath-ripes (as we may call them) will ſoone rot; all violent things in nature cannot laſt long: that love is never laſting, which flames before it burns; and very rarely is that friendſhip found with the durability of affection, which is ſo ſuddainely kindled; enduring love is ever built on vertue: which no perſon can ſee in another at once: and therefore by a ſoft aſcenſion, does degree it ſelfe in the ſoule.

If we ſhould tell thoſe our ſometimes great friends, that their hotteſt love was never but fained, I believe they would not take it well: but they muſt know that love was never ſincere, that will not hold out length with life, and therefore if God have ſnapt our fingers from ſuch falſe friends, we have the greater cauſe to be thankfull. There will a great deale of ſweetneſſe flowe from this ſower; better to be debarr'd of their ſociety altogether, then be any more greeved with their falſehood and unkindneſſe.

And thus the malice of enemies, and the falſe, fained, and ſickle love of ſuppoſed friends, ſhall all turne for our eternall advantage, and therefore though we have poured out many teares over their living Sepulchers, yet we may comfort our ſelves in their loſſe, then injoy their love with a continuall feare of looſing: or incurring their diſpleaſure by a Captious exception, many times for a meere over-ſight, or unwilling miſcarriage, and unpurpoſed enour: though generally we did ever obſerve them with obſequious love.

Let us not then be ſo greevouſly troubled, when we are any wayes wronged, belyed, railed upon, ſpurned at, or trampled upon by the feet of honoured inſolency, or dunghill Malice; ſlighted, contemned, and utterly caſt off, by our boſome friends: but in a meeke, and patient behaviour, let us ſweetly, ſeriouſly, and feelingly in our own hearts ſay; this is from God, for my good: or with Eli, it is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth him good. There is a ſupreame providence, wiſedome, and power, which ſeeth, and over-ruleth all their actions and ends: that when they are moſt eager in purſuing their deſignes, doth make them when they thinke leaſt of it, to ſerve him for the effecting of all his counſells and purpoſes, and the furthering and advancing of thoſe his maine ends, even his owne glory, and our greateſt good, both here, and hereafter.

2 not onely the Malice of man, but the malice of Satan himſelfe that ſets them awork, ſhall turn to our good.

He goes about like a roaring Lyon ſeeking what ſoule he may devoure, 1 Pet. 5.8. He thruſteth fore at us, and ſo worrieth us with unwearied temptations, ſeeking nothing more, then to diſhonour God in our overthrow: but this like a ſtorme at ſea, drives us to our port: even to the throne of grace, by prayers and teares, for help againſt hell, 2 Chron. 20.13. When Satan hath fetcht us over to a ſin, by ſpells and Charmes of mercy, he at length finding us bleeding and dying, would make us beleeve, there is no mercy for us: when having made us ſin againſt the Law, he would make us ſin againſt the Goſpell alſo; that ſo mercy her ſelfe might condemne us: but after ſin committed, he ſteps in betweene us and God, and begs out of our fathers hand, therod, to beat us for thoſe ſins we had never done but through his inticement. Now ſay we, we ſee the devills buſineſſe added to his falſe-hood: ſurely peace once made with our God, we will never be thus cheated againe; Ah! how wary ſhall we be ever after, of Satans wiles; ſurely the beſt of ſin is ſhame and ſorrow, the forbidden tree will never yeild better fruit.

3 Our fins worke our good, while we carry this mortall body about us, we doe, and muſt carry ſin within us. Many unavoydable infirmities, invincible neceſſities; God in mercy and wiſedome, will have it to be thus.

1 To ſubdue our pride, and preſumpion, which elſe would advance it ſelfe againſt God. 'Tis ſaid, Deut. 7.22. That God did not drive out the Canaanites from among his people all at once; leaſt the wilde beaſts ſhould grow in upon them. And ſaith David, Pſal. 59.11. Lord ſlay not all the enemies of thy Church at once, leaſt thy people forget it. So God that could at firſt have taken away all the corruption of our nature, and the luſts of our hearts would not: leaſt the wilde beaſts of pride, and ſecurity growing in upon us, we forget mercy. Thus the Lord would not take away the thorne in the fleſh of the Apoſtle Peul; thoſe buffettings of Satan: but tells him, his grace is ſufficient for him, 2 Cor. 12.8. Alas, had we not theſe infirmities in us: how ſoon like our firſt parents, would we thinke our ſelves to be Gods.

Looke upon the Apoſile Peter, how conſident of his owne ſtrength, how forward was he, in his profeſſion: he would be firſt and ſingular, if all ſhould deny him, yet would not he, no, he would dye firſt; but God let looſe but a ſmall temptation, the words of a poore filly maid, ſhall ſo affright him, with the ſeare of death, that he will preſently deny his Lord and Maſter: nay forſweare him too; but this fall did him much good; O • ! How warily did he walke, ever after, how cautious of his words, And when Chriſt did ask him, whether he loved him more then theſe; he had done boaſting now; onely he pleades the ſincerity of his heart: Lord thou knoweſt all things, and knoweſt that I love thee, Job. 21.17.

Thus did Jobs impatiency, bring him, to the more humility, to the more abaſing of himſelfe: Yea, to abhorring of himſelfe in duſt and aſhes, Job. 42.6. So David after his falls, he was the more Circumſpect over himſelfe; the more eager againſt his ſins; and the more earneſt with God by praver againſt them.

2 As theſe infirmities ſerve us as to ſubdue pride and ſecurity; ſo to a waken us from our ſpirituall ſluggiſhneſſe, to carefull and conſtant prayer; yea, to watchfulneſſe unto prayer, with all perſeverance.

Our infirmities are as it were the coales which Satan bloweth to conſume us; now when feeling the fire, we labour to keep it out, and by the contrary blaſts of Gods Spirit to quench the flame, we enter the combat which nothing elſe but death can put an end unto.

When there is no fear of the enemie, our weapons ruſt, and we remain unexperienced; and what then ſhall we do in the day of tryal.

3 By our falls we are made more pitifully tender towards our brethen, whenſoever overcome by a temptation; becauſe we our ſelves, have been overcome, and we cannot tell how ſoon again.

Thus when news was brought to a learned, and experienced Divine, that a profeſſor was ſoully fallen; Alas! faith he, he fell to day, and I may fall to morrow.

And this the Apoſtle Paul ex • orteth, Gal. 6.1. It a brother be overtaken, yea, which are ſpirituall, reſtore ſuch a one in the ſpirit of meekneſſe, conſidering thy ſelfe, leaſt thou alſo be • empted.

Now many times we doe not know how fraile we are, till we fall: neither know what is our weakneſſe: nor what our ſtrength is, we ſee neither how poore we our ſelves are, nor how ſtrong our God is, and therefore will the Lord ſuffer us to fall, that ſeeing how filthy we haue made our ſelves by our owne pollutions, we may be the more wary and circumſpect for the time to come. The burnt childe dreads the fire; and thoſe that have layen once at hell gates, will for ever be carefull how they come there again.

Thus are Gods children by the renewing of their ſins, made to renue their ſorrowes, and more ſtrictly to examine their repentance, paſt and preſent; and if there be any duſt or dirt of pride, or impatiency in us, this ſhaking of us, will make it appeare, and diſcover it ſelfe: ſo that ſometimes one ſin ſhall be made as a meanes to purge out another: not by any virtue it hath in it ſelfe, but as God makes uſe of it as an inſtrument to drive us home to him, as Mariners in ſtorme to their port.

4 Our wants, they worke for our good likewiſe. Alas! ſuch is our nature, we love no longer to waite in humility then we have hope of benefit, the young prodigall no ſooner receives his portion, but he departs to raſſle it in another Country; willingly we would attend no longer then God is giving: having received, we would be out of his fight to ſpend, and this makes the Lord ſo ſcant in his bleſſings, God will have us many times to know the worth, but of his left handed bleſſings in their want, that we might know what value to put on the next we ſhall receive, and how to be thankfull for them. Now we come to relliſh every mercy indeed, now a bit of browne bread is ſweet, which in our fullneſſe would not down.

And now are we kept by this our meaneneſſe, in a continuall dependance on Gods al-ſufficiency for mercies and bleſſings, till we have them: that on our ſpirituall traſſique for his glory, he may furniſh us with greater ſtore.

O how doth this make us pitty poore hunger-ſtarved ſoules: now our bowels which before were hardned, are melted towards them in pitty and compaſſion: our hearts are made more tender, which may be would have never beene, if we had not wanted our ſelves.

Let us not therefore meaſure things by the preſent ſweetneſſe, but by the future profit. Wants will worke for good in the end; and truly thoſe mercies that come to us out of great difficulties, and ſeeme to be raiſed out of contraries, are the ſweeteſt mercies indeed. Let us never ſay at any time, we are in a hard condition, unleſſe we have a hard heart, and cannot pray.

What though we are at a very low ebb in regard of outward comfort; yet the high ſprings of our joy and conſolations, are not loſt, but ſwallowed up in the Ocean of Gods love, where they are reſerved for us, to an appointed time. And though we be not the ſubject of comfort; yet our comfort is alwayes ſure in the object of faith: and 'tis hid for us even then when 'tis hid from us.

Indeed they are the beſt natures, whom mercies and bleſſings winn; but they are more which this rod of wants ſends home.

Sometimes a Phiſitian lets blood, not that the man is ſicke, but that he may not be; ſo God takes from us ſometimes our wealth, leaſt we ſhould grow proud, ſometimes our deareſt relations and children, leaſt we ſhould idolize them. Sometimes our good name, leaſt we ſhould grow inſolent: ſometimes our health, liberty, &c. Leaſt we turn the grace of our God into wantonneſſe, ſo that what ever befalls us, is from our God, and for our good.

There is nothing ſo high, that is above Gods providence, nothing ſo low, that is beneath it: nothing ſo large, but is bounded by it: nothing ſo confuſed, but God can order it: nothing ſo bad, but he can draw good out of it: nothing ſo wiſely plotted, but God can diſappoint it. Nothing ſo ſimple and unpolitiquely carried, but he can give a prevailing iſſue unto it: and make it neceſſary in regard of the event. And therefore this cannot but bring ſtrong ſecurity to our poore diſtreſſed ſoules, to know that in all variety of changes, and croſſe providences; God, and our God hath ſuch a diſpoſing hand, whatſoever befalls us; all ſhall ſerve to bring Gods electing love, and our glorification together, let us check our drooping ſoules, in the words of David, Pſal. 42. why art thou ſo ſad O my ſoule, and why art thou ſo diſquieted within me, truſt in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him, he is the health of my countenance and my God.

And then let us ſweetly conclude that God will very ſhortly, turne our depths of ſorrow, into ſeas of comfort; our bitter • eares into ſpirituall triumphs, our former heavineſſ, into heavenly joy, our oppreſſion and wrongs, into a Crowne of glory, our innocency which now is obſcured by the rotten rags of prejudice: which fame, that common liar, caſt upon her: ſhall then appeare beautifull, and ſhine as cleere as the light. Our ſadned hearts ſhall be filled with thoſe unmixed pleaſures, which no man ſhall take from us. our troubled conſciences ſhall have that perfect peace which paſſeth all underſtanding, and which our utmoſt conceite cannot poſſibly comprehend.

We have ſeene how David comforted himſelfe with hopes of being benefitted by this his affliction: and we have ſeen the end of the Lord, 'tis true, he was now in one of the greateſt afflictions that ever befell a man, a father, or a King: perſecuted by his owne boſome friends, by his beloved ſon; more then 20000 of his own ſubjects up in armes againſt him; outward troubles, inward conflicts, incompaſſed him on every ſide; ſo that there was but a ſtep between him and death, yet by theey of faith and ſtrength of God, looks beyond all & eyed him which is inviſible. It was a thick cloud, God had wrapt himſelfe in at that time, none but a Saint could have concluded a faire end, from ſuch a lou'e beginning, yet Davids hope ſhall not ſhame him, his confidence will not leave him, till the full accompliſhment of his faith, the ſcaene ſhall be changed, his rebellious Son ſhall have his deſert, his truſtleſs counſellor Achitophel, ſhall pay himſelfe for his treachery, and ſhall ſave the hangman a labour; he'l ſupply the place of an executioner, his guilty conſcience ſhall be his witneſſe, and God will be his judge.

Now ſhall David be brought home againe with greater honour then ever all the tribes of Iſrael ſhall ſharply contend who ſhall be the firſt, that ſhall come and conduct him. Shimei, that a little before had ſo abuſed him, ſhall be as forward as any, nay to be formoſt of many, to wellcome the King backe againe. He needs no accuſers, or judge: his owne mouth ſhall condemne him: and his heart ſhall bid his tongue beg pardon for his deſperate preſumption.

Take notice of his humble carriage now, 2 Sam. 19.16, 17, &c. firſt he haſted to come downe with the men of Juda, to meet the King: and he brings a thouſand men with him of his owne tribe to honour him, and after he had uſhered him over Jordan, in the preſence of all he fell downe before him; and ſaid unto the King, verſ. 19. Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy ſervant did perverſly, the day that my Lord the King went out of Jeruſalem, that the King ſhould take it to his heart; for thy ſervant doth know that I have ſinned: therefore I am come the firſt this day of all the houſe of Joſeph, to goe downe to meet my Lord the King, &c.

Now were there not here a parcell of fine words? co 〈◊〉 Tavil, or any expect, or require more then con • ition, confeſſion, begging of pardon, in the greateſt humility; this 〈◊〉 paſſe with David, (and ought ſo with us) but it will not ſo with God; he knew the perſon, and what were his pretences, that the next occaſion might make him do the like again. And indeed there is no tryall of an enemy in proſperity; but when we are in an exigence, in diſtreſs; then you ſhall ſee he commonly ſhews himſelf, and tells what a one he is, 'Twas unlikely Shimei would ever have proved a worthy friend; he was ſo baſe a for. For as one ſaith, he that can be a worthy enemy; will, reconcil'd, be a worth yer friend. But to give a blow to a man that is already reeling; to inſult over adverſity, to whip a flai'd back is the greateſt cruelty.

Beſides, take notice, that when Shimei came, Ziba comes with him, this according to the proverb: birds of a fether, flock together. Traitorous backbiters; and ſlanderers goe together, and truly we may joyn • the tale-hearer, with the talebearer, they are ſo neer of kin: there is but this difference betweene them: that whereas the one hath the devill in his tongue, the other hath him in his ear.

David puts them together, Pſal. 15.3. Thoſe that ſhall inherit Gods holy hill; doth not backbite with his tongue, nor doth evill to his neighbour, not taketh up a reproach againſt him.

Ob. But may it ſtand with Gods juſtice to puniſh the afflictors of his children, when they but execute his will, did not Nathan foretell the troubles would befall David from out of his own houſe? and did not Shimei ſerve him but right? had not he cauſed the enemies of God to blaſpheme his name; was it not juſt his owne name ſhould be rent for ſuch diſhonour?

Anſw. Very juſt indeed, in regard of God, but not ſo in reſpect of man; this will not ſerve for their excuſe, nor any way at all extenuate their faultineſſe, for how ever they did doe the ſecret will of God, which no creature in heaven or earth, is able to withſtand: yet this makes nothing for them: ſeeing his hidden will was never propounded as a rule unto which they ſhould conform their actions; Gods revealed will was to be their guide: where they could find no warrant, or command for what they did.

As one ſayes There is a vaſt difference betwixt the inſtrument of Gods providence, and the miniſters of his ordinance, the one fulfils his purpoſes, the other his commands. When Jehu deſtroyed the poſterity of Abab; he ſinned not in the fact: for beſides the prediction of the Prophet, he had his ſpeciall commiſſion from God: for which he had his reward, 2 Kings. 10.30. But when Zimri ſlew Elah: there was indeed the like prediction, but no commiſſions therefore hath he a fearfull puniſhment, 1 Kings. 16.18.

Thus we ſee, if we doe what God preſcribes, we are accepted with him, though perhaps in the iſſue, we croſſe his ſecret determinations. But if we violate his precepts, though we fulfill his ſecret appointment; we are obnoxious to the wrath of God.

Well then from all, which have been ſaid, let Shimei's example be a Caveat for ever, how any one abuſes a Saint of God. Shimei payes dearely for it; though Davids piety can pardon him upon his humiliation; God will not let him ſcape ſo, he'l avenge Davids quarrel, and Solomon ſhall reckon with him for his former dealings, he ſhall fall into a new fin of diſobedience againſt the King, and now he is paid for all, himſelfe is made the judge, that the ſentence of death is moſt juſt.

Thus we ſee, it's bad medling with any of Gods children; eſpecially when they are under the correcting hand of God; a father will not take it well, that another ſhall come and laſh that childe he is correcting; no more will God; heare what he ſaith, Iſay. 47.6. I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didſt ſhew them no mercy: upon the ancient haſt thou heavily laid the yoak, verſ. 11. therefore ſhall evill come upon thee, thou ſhalt not know from whence it riſeth: and miſchiefe ſhall fall upon thee, thou ſhalt not be able to put it off: and deſolation ſhall come upon thee ſuddainly, which thou ſhalt not know. So Zachariah 1.15. Saith the Lord, I am very ſore diſpleaſed with the heathen, that are at eaſe: for I was but a little diſpleaſed, and they helped forward the affliction, every ſoule that miſuſes a childe of God, muſt be ſure to pay for it, either by teares, or torment.

Oh! Tremble all you which make ſo little account of injuring, or perſecuting a Saint: that have cauſed them to ſhed, either red, or white teares: ſurely their teares are as well bottled up as their blood, and both are precious with God, and both doe cry, though not with an equall voyce, yet loud enough to be heard.

Can you feare to ſoile, or demolliſh the palace of a Prince, or Peere: and can you preſume once to endeavour to ruinate, or contaminate the lords owne temple; founded and built upon Jeſus Chriſt; can you be affraid to harme or hurt the ſheepe, ſervants, children, brethren, conſorts, or members of mortall Princes: whoſe breath is in their noſtrels, and muſt returne to their duſt: and dare you adventure to defame, and perplex the ſheep, ſervants, children, brethren, ſpouſe and members of the Lord Jeſus; can you doe any thing out of the all-ſeing eye of God; or Gods deputy, conſcience: and though that may not alwayes ſpeake: yet it ever writes; 'tis a ſhrowd remembrancer, and will tell all, yea, the very leaſt aggravateing circumſtance.

If Iſhmael will be mocking the ſon of the promiſe, he ſhall be rejected for a perſecutor, Gal. 4.29. And ſhall be turned out of his fathers houſe for ever.

Remember ſeriouſly, and ſadly, the little children of Bethel, that did perhaps but as they were taught, when they call'd the Prophet Eliſha bould head: Alas! their years might ſomething have excuſed them: and yet behold a fearfull example of Gods ſevereſt judgements for the ſmalleſt abuſe of a Prophet: two ſhe bears ſhall have a command to tear in pieces two and forty of them, 2 Kings. 2 24.

Take heed therefore how your tongue ſmite a childe of God, or traduce their innocency; how you move it in the leaſt motion againſt them: doe not invent intangling ſnares • o inveagle their charitable, and too credulous ſimplicity: doe not ſurmiſe, hatch, or harbour the leaſt finiſter conceipt againſt their upright converſations: doe not ſo much as caſt a malicious glance, or coy, or contemptuous look upon their perſons: remember, their maker, is their husband, and will not ſuffer the leaſt indignity to be offered them, without a puniſhment? What if they are black in regard of their ſufferings, and afflictions outwardly: or in regard of their often frailties and infirmities, inwardly? vet are they amiable and lovely in reſpect of their practice of piety, and obedience to Gods Lawes outwardly; and of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and ſanctification begun, inwardly: What if they are deformed in their owne eyes, and vile in the eies of man? yet are they lovely in the eies of the bridegroome Chriſt, Cant. 1.7. And the bridegroomes friends, Cant. 5.9, 17. What if they cannot be gracious with all? yet they are with ſome, and though they may be caſt out of fellowſhip in the world: yet have they fellowſhip with the father, and with his ſon Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Job. 1.3.

Oh! Therefore let it be the brand of a moſt prophane wretch, and one of Satans brood, to be belching out reproaches againſt their innocent neighbours: who rather then they will want matter, they will moſt baſely, and unworthily ſnatch it from the invenomed tongue of a talebearer: nay, rather then fail; forge it out of a ſuſpicious ſelfe-guiltineſſe in their own prophane fancies; and ſuck it as they ſay, out of their own fingers.

And indeed, wicked mens cenſures of Gods children, are many times not onely groundleſſe, cauſles, and falſe: but alſo predigiouſly abſur'd, and utterly impoſſible, without any ſhew, or ſhaddow at all of likelihood. So the Jewes, confidently cenſured the Lord Jeſus, that he had a Devill, in whom dwelt the fulneſſe of the God-head bodily, Col. 2 9. Tertullus judged the Apoſtle Paul a peſtilent follow; that was the moſt precious man upon the earth, Act. 24.5. Eliab was accounted by Ahab, to be a troubler of Iſrael: who was in truth, the very Chariots, and horſemen of the ſame, 2 Kings. 13.14. The Princes of Iſrael ſuggeſted to King Zedechiah, that Jeremy was a traytor to the ſtate: from which he was ſo far, that he deſired his head to be turned into waters, and his eies into ſprings of teares, that he might weepe day and night, for the deſolations of it, Jer. 38.4.

And let it ever be the property of vaine glorious Phariſees, to raiſe their reputations, upon the imaginary ruines of good mens innocencies, and by fathering upon them ſuch inforced ſiniſter ſenſes; and wreſted crooked conſtructions, which an ingenious, impartiall expoſitor could never poſſible extract. It is the eaſieſt thing of a thouſand, for a Malicious minde, to ſoile the glory, of the braveſt, and moſt beautifull actions, with ill, and wrong interpretations.

Beware of faſtning a falſe crime upon an innocent, the very Caſuiſts & ſchool men, do deſervedly vilify it with a brand of hainouſneſs, far above theſt; as they may very well, both for a greater breach of love, preciouſneſs of object, uncomprehenſibleneſs of loſs, difficulty of reſtitution, concurrence of many ſins, and conſequence of much ill; take heed of adding to the truth, or detracting from it, or intermixing falſe adulterate gloſſes, or ſome impertinent parentheſis of your owne, and ſo in very malice will give good people in their abſence, their due and deſerved attributions, with many outward plauſible ſpeeches: but ever after at the cloſe, premiſing ſome formall counterfeit, proteſtation, and Phariſaicall preface, as, I am very ſorry to heare it; I would it were otherwiſe; indeed the man, (or woman) is of very good parts, extraordinary gifts; but he is proude of them; I believe him to be a Godly perſon, but he hath one or two foule faults, which I would not willingly name, thereby implying more then is expreſt. Oh! This is not to ſpeake out of any love to the party, but out of an envious, perverſe, dunghill humour, they do deſire to brand thoſe whom they will not love: or whom they have injured, and cannot make ſatisfaction: with one notorious brand or another.

Oh! doe not, for ſeare of a curſe; charge upon a Saint with ſo much credulity and confidence, thoſe things they never did, never knew, never thought upon; do not report true things maliciouſly, and upon purpoſe to bring them into hatred, and dil-eſtimation: ſo Doeg dealt with David, and it coſt the lives of 85 of the Lords Prieſts. And you, which take upon you the name of profeſſors, and would be accounted of more then ordinary; becauſe perhaps you are in ſociety with ſuch a Church: or in credit with ſuch a Miniſter: and eminent in prayer, in repetition of Sermons, excellent in knowledge, and diſcourſe: Alas! you may do all this, and yet goe to hell. Take not liberty to your ſelves to inſult unmercifull, either over the damnable eſtate of thoſe who are without: oh dive not, or once be prying into Gods booke of predeſtination; it is too high for mortalls, being Gods prerogative Royall; or uncharitably blaze abroad the infirmities, and failings of the Saints, which you ought to conceale. Doe not be fierce, and fiery againſt your fellow Chriſtians, if you differ from them in ſome indifferent things, if God have given you more knowledge then others; bleſſe God, and walk the more humbly: and give that allowance to others, which you would they ſhould give to you.

Remember that undeniable truth, James. 1.26. If any man among you ſeeme to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, he deceiveth his own heart, his religion is in vaine, certainly, thoſe profeſſors who give their tongues ſo much liberty, prove too often, either utterly unſound, or not ſo throughly humbled; thoſe that are ſo quick to ſpy a more in their brothers eye, have commonly a a beam in their own; and thoſe who are prying into other mens carriages, peruſing other mens lives; have hardly any leaſure to look into their owne rotten hearts, and meer carnall courſes. How often may we hear an imperious Phariſee mangle and marter a Saints good name, for ſome leſſer, bewailed infirmity; who never yet learned to mourn for, or mortify any one of thoſe many groſs corruptions, and ſecret villanies, which reigne too manifeſtly in themſelves.

O! all you therefore that are not onely profeſſors, but practiſers; not in ſhew onely, but in ſubſtance: Saints of God, elect and precious: doe not, Oh! doe not you learn, or become acceſſary to this helliſh vice of cenſuring: be very carefull and tender what conceits you entertaine and what cenſure you paſſe upon others. You are bound by the laws of divine love, to conceive and ſpeake the beſt of every one: untill his words, ordinary carriage, and open prophaneſſe, cleerly convince the contrary, you are to interpret all things in the better part, ſo far as they may ſtand with a good conſcience, without prejudice to the truth, or impeachment of Gods glory; you ought to be ſo far from apprehenſion of imaginary matter, or violent wreſting of mens words, actions, and be haviour to the worſt ſence: that if matters be but probable, poized with equall circumſtances, and with even weight of reaſons interpretable both wayes: you are ever to ſuffer your conceits, and cenſures, to be carried the more charitable way, and be ſo far from cenſuring others without ground, truth, or proofe, (which is the ordinary practiſe now) that you ſhould never ſpeak the ill you too certainly know by your brethren, but with fearefullneſs, as it were, and with ſome kind of inforcement.

Would we not ſay he were mad, that did wound and teare his owne members; much more is he that will give a laſh at a member of Chriſt.

Let curſed Chams, uncover, and ſport themſelves in the nakedneſſe of a fallen Saint: let railing Rabſhakehs be ever belching, and breathing out reproaches againſt Gods precious ones. Let dogged Doegs thirſting after, and delighting in the overthrow of innocency, diſcover the errours of Gods anointed ones with Satanical aggravations. Let covetous Zibaes by preſents, and falſe ſuggeſtions, diſpoil the honeſt, and harmleſſe of reputation, and favour. Let baſe and unworthy Shimei's inſult over miſery, caſting dirt and ſtones on them whom God is whipping. But doe not you, which are miſticall members of Chriſts body, wound one another, for feare you wound the ſides of Chriſt.

And indeed, the Sword of a brother cuts deeper then an enemies; and proves many times the moſt deadly blow.

But above all, take heed of wounding, or grieving the father leſſe and widdowes: who lye moſt open to injuries and wrong, who have few, or none on earth to plead their cauſe: yet they have a God, who hath ſtil'd himſelfe to be, a father of the fatherleſſe, and a judge of widdowes cauſes, and this ſings David, is God in his holy habitation, Pſal. 68.5.

In how many places in ſacred ſcripture, hath God commanded to plead ſo them, to relieve them, much leſſe to abuſe them; read and tremble at that fearefull place, Exod, 22.22, 23, 24. Ye ſhall not afflict any widdow, or fatherleſſe childe. If thou afflict them in any wiſe, (marke that) and they cry at all unto me: I will ſurely hear their cry. And my wrath ſhall wax hot, and I will kill you with the ſword: and your wives ſhall be widdowes, and your children fatherleſſe. Doe not ſay this is old Teſtament, for 'tis a morall Law inacted in the high court of heaven, never to be repeal'd, till time ſhall be no more.

Oh! That Saints would walke more warily now in this frozen age; they are too many of them tainted with this ſin: and it is to be lamented, even with tears of blood: what, ſhall Saints fill up the meaſure of iniquity Mat. 24.12. becauſe iniquity ſhall abound, the love of many ſhall wax cold. How miſerably are we devided; not more in judgement, then affection; if God have given one a more cleerer light then another, let him not deſpiſe him; but rather bleſſe God, and help him that ſincerely ſeeks the right way to heaven.

That once glorious Church of the Jews, walkt through many types and ſhadowes; at the beſt it was but by moone light, or ſtar light; but when the Son of righteouſneſſe aroſe, all thoſe ſtars of leſſer light did vaniſh and give place. Now though our Sun be up, yet is he not exalted to his Meridian; till that glorious City of God, new Jeruſalem come down from heaven; when all miſts and foggs of er • our and hereſy ſhall be ſcattered, when all darke places ſhall be made light and cleare, and propheſies ſhall be accompliſhed. But if we live not to ſee this beautifull Church, let us content our ſelves in being members of Chriſts miſticall body, and we may finde the way to our home without ſtumbling if we pleaſe. And may goe to heaven without treading upon one the others heels.

Study not new lights, and opinions, to be ſingular; or follow any man (how eminent ſo ever) no longer then they follow Chriſt: lamentable it is to ſee, how men drive on a faction; and indeed, religion is become little elſe, truth is even loſt, in queſtions about her.

'Tis wiſedome to prove all things, but hold faſt that which is good, be like the honorable men of Berea, ſearch the ſcriptures whether thoſe things be ſo or no; ſtand in the way, and ask for the good old way. Examine how the Saints formerly lived: let the ſacred word of God be our rule, and the practiſe of the moſt eminent Saints, our example.

Oh! Let us not content our ſelves with a bare outſide ſhew of holyneſſe: or delude our ſelves, (as one very excellently ſayes) Alas! our religion doth not conſiſt in outward ſhewes, profeſſion, much talking, in holding ſtrickt points, defending new opinions, in externall formes of religious exerciſes, ſet-tasks of hearing, reading, conference, and the like: in ſome ſolemne, outward extraordinary abſtinences, and forbearances, cenſuring others, &c. But in righteouſneſſe, peace and joy in the holy Ghoſt: in meekneſſe, tender heartedneſſe, love, patience, humility, contentedneſſe; mortification of ſin, moderation of paſſion, holy guidance of the tongue; in workes of mercy, juſtice, and truth: in fidelity, and painfulneſſe in our callings, conſcionable converſing with men, well knowing how we ſtand related; reverencing ſuperiours, loving our equalls, courteous to our inferiours, ſweerly forgiving our enemies: an open-hearted, reall, fruitfull affectionateneſſe, and bounty to all Gods children: in heavenly-mindedneſſe, ſelf-deniall, the life of faith, in diſeſteem of earthly things, contempt of the world, reſolute hatred of ſin: in approving our hearts in Gods preſence, a ſweet communion with him, and longing for the comming of the Lord Jeſus.

It is not ſufficient that we be talkers, unleſſe we be walkers; if any man be in Chriſt he is a new creature, nor new in one part onely, but in all; otherwiſe we are monſters. If there be a new heart, certainly there will be a new habit. Lightneſſe in attire, ever ſhew a vaine minde, and will never ſute with a grave heart; ſo a looſe, unadviſed, frivolous, talkativeneſſe: argue at beſt, but a frothy braine.

Let us not therefore ingroſſe all the talk, in unmannerly interruptions, as too many doe, and is ſometimes incident to new converts, or counterfeits; neither in the other extreame, to be ſo reſerved and curious, as to ſay no more, then may breed an applauſe and admiration of that worth which may be is not ſo much in us. This is as fearfull a fault, though not altogether as filthy as the other. A ſober, humble, well adviſed ſpeech, (as one ſayes) is a token of grace.

And let us be very circumſpect of our company, and companions. 'Tis a thing to be much lamented to ſee how many precious hours, and opportunities are loſt, with idle, frivolous diſcourſe, which benefits none; how doe many range about in their diſcourſe from field to Towne, from Towne, to houſes, from houſes, to particular things, medling with others buſineſſes which doth not belong to them of their diet, clothes, faſhions of them, their family, children, ſervants, eſtates, whence they had it, and how long twill laſt; then next they will be raking into the dunghill puddles of the true, or ſeeming miſcariages of their neighbours good, or ill. Toſſing, and tumbling them from tongue to tongue, as ſharpe as ſwords; renting and tearing the good names of thoſe that are better then themſelves: fathering upon them that which they never thought of, turning by their cunning art, a hear-ſay, may be their ſuppoſition, into a peremptory propoſition, that it was ſo: and then to mount it upon the wings of flying, and lying fame, to paſſe ſwiftly, and ſecurely without ſtop, or controlement.

When this perhaps is done, then they ramble in their ſerious communications into their fields, and houſes; telling many large and deep diſcourſes of the longitude, and latitude of their lands, the number of their ſheep, and the ſeverall conditions of their horſes: what great buſineſſe they have finiſhed, or intended. And then for want of better matter, they'l tell of the pretty liſpings of their children, what they did, and what they ſaid, and all to no purpoſe, but to maintaine a great deale of prittle prattle: with much ſuch tedious ſtuffe, enough to tire a judicious, and Solid Saint • who departs the company, either grieved, or corrupted, or both: but if ſome ſhould pen the diſcourſe that is at ſome meetings many times; and after they are in a ſerious moode, to read it to them, with all their Antick geſtures, and behaviours: I believe ſome would be aſhamed, and not to have ſo much patience as to heare, what ſomtime they ſpake, therefore 'tis wiſdome to premeditate, and not be too haſty in our ſpeech: and after, to uſe reviewes, what we ſaid, or did, one unadviſed word, may ruine us; either in our eſtates, or lives.

Oh! Conſider ſeriouſly; ſuch communications doe not yeeld the leaſt glance, or glimmering of ſound delight, or comfort, when we are going to our bed, or fall into any affliction, or temptation, or come to lye downe in our beds of death; and though formerly we have beene overtaken, ſo as to talk, or heare ſuch fruitleſſe, and frivolous matters: yet let us hence forth reſolve in the ſtrength of God, never to ſtay long in that company, wherein we can neither teach, or learne. Never medling with others marters, but ſuch as concerne our ſelves, or thoſe with whom we doe conferre.

Let us principally aime at Gods glory, our owne ſoules benefit; and the good of others, by communicating ſweeteſt experiences of Gods deare, and precious dealings to our poore ſoules in their extremities; which may be a ſupport and ſtay, for their preſent, and our future comfort, in whatſoever condition.

FINIS.