THe great weight of sin and misery, and the want of one to remove well both, is the cause of this dole­full complaint; O wretch­ed man that I am: Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? or from this body of death; as it is put in the Margent: The weight of sin is groaned under, in this terme of my Text, body; which is a word of quantity,nomen quan [...]i­tatis. and means the corruption of our nature, to be a very ex­tensive thing, that the whole state of man in all the powers of his Soul and Body, is depraved and vitiated, and made utterly un­fit to serve God, and most fit to serve sin and [Page 2]Satan, with all Organs and Instruments within and without.

2 Secondly, This terme in my Text, body; is also Nomen qualitatis, a word of qua­lity, that means the naturalness of this ge­neral pravity to us, it lay with us (as Mr. Rutherford saith) in our Mothers Womb, as Twins, as one body lieth with another; It took us fast by the heel in the Womb, and we could never kick it off since.

3 And, Thirdly, For as much as there is this Epethite given to this Body, calling it a Body of Death, and a Body of this Death; it notes not only the weight of sin, but also of misery, death being here put to signifie guilt and punishment: Our depraved con­dition casteth us under all guilt, and under all punishment, that is, actually under much misery, and lyable every moment to all mi­sery in Soul and Body, in this World, and in the World to come; not only liable to death, as 'tis a dissolution of Soul and Bo­dy, and all the sicknesses and diseases which prepare unto it; but liable to this death, that is a separation of both Soul and Body from God for ever.

Now, to deliver us from the Body of this death, a Body of corruption, which expo­seth us to such a death as this: There no Man, nor Angel is able, no all the Angels, did they joyn to do us service in this thing, to change our natures, to take off guilt, to rectifie the Image of God, which we have [Page 3]lost; they cannot stir this Body, as to any of these in the least, nor any member of it; they are not able to remove one sin, or sa­tisfie for the guilt of it; nor draw one line, an eye, or an eye-brow, or one finger of the new man. This great weight of sin and mi­sery, and this utter impotency of all created strength to help out of it, maketh the A­postle to cry out thus: O wretched man that I am: Who shall deliver me, &c.

1 There be several things very profitable to be observed in these words; as, First, this, That every one is in a wretched and mise­rable condition by nature; Depraved in all powers of Soul and Body, and exposed in both to the utmost displeasure of God. O wretched man that I am, &c. He doth not mean himself alone, but speaketh as perso­nating the best of men, and so consequently all men; for that he did thus complain of a corrupt state, who was so holy; who else, but hath cause much more to complain? For this death which my Text, speaketh of, hath passed over all Men, for as much as all Men have finned in Adam. And this Apo­stle which speaketh but of himself in this case in my Text speaketh generally else­where; That by nature we are the Children of wrath, as well as others, Eph. 2.3.

2 Secondly, This may be learned from these words, That our state by nature, is not a safe [Page 4]state to be rested in. That our state, as we come into this World, is not such, as we should be contented with, but a state much to be complain'd of by the best, and much cryed out upon, and much strugled under to be freed from. O wretched man that I am: Who shall deliver me? &c. Flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. They which rest in their state, as they come into this World, and think that they attain to be moral and civil, just and righteous to men, and little or nothing complain of that which the Apostle doth here in my Text, a Body of Death, do not know their own danger.

3 Thirdly, We may here learn, That the best are not so good as they should be: That the best in this World, are much burdened and much endangered, with natural corrup­tion. The Apostle Paul, though regene­rated, found much of the rebellion of an evil nature, of which he knew not how to get rid, carrying him Captive to what he would not, and so exposing him continually to the displeasure of God. I know that in me, that is, in my Flesh dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me, but how to per­form that which is good, I finde not; for the good I would I do not, but the evil I would not that I do. Corrupt nature, as it easily besets us, so it as easily overcomes us, for any strength that we have of our own: Such [Page 5]as so feelingly complain, as Paul here doth, will not easily be brought to drink in the Popish Doctrin of Perfection.

4 Fourthly, We may here learn, That our state in this World, at best, is but a wretched state; for, though a little grace be given unto us, it is so over-matched with a great body of sin, that we rather undo, than do any thing that is good. Is it not a wretch­ed state to be so hampered with an ill In­mate Night and Day, that when one pulls one way, 'tother pulls stronger still the wrong way. To see two Dogs coupled, a little one and a great one, What a woful condition is the little one in! how he is pulled and haled up and down this way and that way, not which way he would go, but which way the great one will go, or else he grins his teeth on the little one, and bites him and abuseth him much; just so is the condition of the most regenerate in this World. And therefore he that is best, and hath best in this World, can say no better of it than he findes, and daily feels, that his condition is but a wretched condition; O wretched man that I am, &c.

The Point which I would stand on,Doct. is this, That we all ought to be deeply sensible of natural corruption: Or, we all ought much to lay to heart our fallen state by nature. The Apostle Paul was a holy Man, yet [Page 6]very sensible of much unholiness, a body of it, of which he was little other than the Soul, and this he groans and sighs un­der; O wretched man that I am, &c. And, this written for our Example: Take ano­ther instance in this Apostle, as soon as converted. And Saul arose from the Earth, and when his Eyes were opened he saw no man, but they led him by the Hand; and he was three Days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink, Act. 9.9. Why did he neither eat nor drink for three Days? Doubtless he was in a deep sense of his lost condition, as one in the gall of bitterness, and bonds of iniquity, both by nature and practice: That his natural corruption was so great a weight upon him afterward, as we here see it was by my Text, it was much more heavy upon him at first view, when this bottomly gulf was first opened to this self-conceited Pharisee, what I say is very like­ly, by the three Days horror and astonish­ment, wherein he lay starving himself; Doubtless he thought himself as unworthy to eat or drink, so unworthy to live, as the poor Publican which smote his breast, and would not look up to Heaven, as not judg­ing himself worthy to go upon the Earth. The eating of the Pass-over with sower Herbs might point at this, for their coming out of Egypt, snadowed their coming out of spiritual bondage and misery, in which they were: And so the miseries of natural [Page 7]bondage by sin, and our fall: and then their sower Herbs, might well teach them, as to keep a sense of their bodily slavery and mi­sery; so especially to keep a deep sense of their soul-slavery and misery, and all the sower things and conflicts of their inward condition. The poor Jaylor may be a fur­ther authority, for this Doctrine which I have observed: His eyes being some thing opened, to see what a wretched Man he was by his nature and practice, trembled, and would have made away himself, and came and fell at the Apostles Feet, with a great out-cry, What must I do to be saved? Act. 16.30.

And whereas I make the Proposition U­niversal, saying, That we all ought to be deep­ly sensible of natural corruption. I ground it upon my Text, and the Example that is gi­ven to follow, in such an eminent Man as the Apostle Paul was: That the Apostle Paul was not exempted from natural cor­ruption, nor from this duty of deep-laying it to heart, neither are others. But then the Question will be, by what Rule the Apostle Paul did this, for he himself saith, that we should follow him no otherwise, than as he followed Christ; By what Rule then did the Apostle thus lay to heart his fallen state? And was his Rule universal, that is, for all the fallen Sons of Adam? For this, see, 1 King. 8.38. When the House, for communion between God and Man, was [Page 8]made and consecrated, this is the great Law of fellowship and communion between God and Man, That even every one should know the Plague of his heart. Now, by the Plague of the heart, is meant, saith Inter­preters, principally our fallen and corrupt state of Soul by nature, and then such par­ticular special ebullitions thereof in act, to open scandal and provocation; And this one Law is for Jew and stranger: And by knowing this Plague of the heart, which every one was to do, means that they should be well acquainted with their natural cor­ruption, and actual transgressions, and deep­ly bewail them, and truly, as having to do with an All-seeing and All-searching God, who searcheth the heart: so it follows, in the next words, Vers. 39. What Prayer or Supplication soever be made by any Man, or by all the People of Israel, which shall know every Man the Plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands towards this house, then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and give to every one ac­cording to his ways, whose heart thou knowest, for thou, even thou knowest all the hearts of the Children of Men. The New Testament concurreth to this, in as much as John the Baptist thus began the Gospel, by calling upon all to repent, and so Christ himself called upon all his hearers to repent, Mat. 4.17. The other of John the Baptist, is, Mat. 3.2. From that time Jesus began to [Page 9]preach, and to say, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This is the Power of God by the Word, to change your hearts, and to open the everlasting Doors: By re­penting, he means, what he saith further in his Sermon, Mat. 5▪ 3, 4, 5. Poor in spirit, mourning for sin, attended with a desire of relief, a hungering and thirsting for a bet­ter state. That is, Repentance is, that sin­ners be throughly convinced of their lost condition by nature, and of their utter in­ability to make their own relief and escape, from the displeasure of God due unto them by it, and therefore hunger and thirst, that is, earnestly desire relief from God, in that way which he hath appointed in Christ through the Gospel, for the Salvation of sinners. Thus, and in this Path the Publi­can was taught to come, begging mercy for a sinner. He smote his breast, as that where he felt the Plague lay, and said, God be mer­ciful to me a sinner. I purpose to say no more, to prove the truth of the Point.

For the Explication of this Doctrin, these things may be said, wherein the further con­firmation of the Point will arise. 1 First. We should be deeply sensible of natural corrup­tion, in its being simply considered. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother conceive me, Psal. 51.5. David had fallen into great actual transgressions, of Murther and Whoredom, and he, that he [Page 10]might practice repentance, according to the rule thereof, took to heart how he came in­to the World; Behold, I am an old sinner so born, shaped in iniquity in the Womb, and out of this shape I cannot change my self, and therefore I complain to thee, O God, Do thou wash me throughly, and cleanse me throughly, that is, justifie and sanctifie me with the Blood and Spirit of thine anointed one, on whom thou hast laid my help: So in Psal. 8. What is sorry man, Enosh, or wretched man, as the Apo­stles Epithet is in my Text, that thou art mindful of such a forlorne Creature, which words also shew, that we should be sensi­ble of our natural state in the Being, yea, in the first being of it in us. Our Saviour in his Sermon to the Woman of Canaan, confirmeth this that I am upon, that we should all, Jew and Gentile, be sensible of corrupt nature in the being of it. But he an­swered, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel; by these words he names the Jews state by nature, to make this Gentile reflect upon her own state, as also such, and lost. Then came she and wor­shiped, saying, Lord help me. As if she had said with much sorrow of heart, if there be any lost Creature in the World, surely I am one. Then Christ replies again. It is not meet to take the Childrens bread, and to give it to Dogs. By which words Christ would insinuate more particularly to her, [Page 11]what the state of us Gentiles is by nature, as Dogs most fierce against Sheep, oppo [...] to all good, and inclined (as Dogs) to all ill, and mischievous qualities and ways. By which words it is evident, that Christ would have this Woman well acquainted with the being of her natural condition, that there is such a great mischief befallen us, that we are by nature rather Dogs, and Bears, and Wolves, and Tygars than Men, than holy Men as we were created; and that this poor Woman did make this use of Christ's Doctrin, appears by her reply, And she said, truth Lord, yet the Dogs eat off the Crumbs which fall from their Masters Table, Mat. 15.24, 25, 26, 27. Truth Lord, I am more like a Dog, or any Brute, than what I should be, and by my sin become as the Beast which perisheth. 1. Ignorant, darkned in my co­gitations, profane, alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance, that is in me. Add to this, Rev. 3.17. Where we find great blame is cast upon the Church of La­odicea, that she said, She was rich and increa­sed in goods, and needed nothing, and knew not that she was poor, and blind, and wretched, (which is the word of my Text.) and naked. Did not know this and that: 1. Did not deeply lay to heart, that by nature they were corrupt, and in a wretched condition, and destitute of what-ever should make them truly blessed, truly rich, and truly wise, and truly happy; they were vainly puffed up, it [Page 12]seems, with some few gifts and parts, and not aware of the pravity of all, and of the whole that Man is by nature, and therefore proud, as otherwise could not choose but be, as a Peacock of his Feathers, whil'st he looketh only on his Tail, and not on his Legs.

Secondly, We should be deeply sensible of natural corruption, 2 in the vastness of its Beeing, as it is a whole Body, a great, and large corporation of all wickedness, defiling and destroying all; so was Paul, Who shall deliver me from this Body, &c. If thine eye be evil, the whole Body shall be filled with darkness. That is, saith the mar­gent, If thy affections be corrupt, and gi­ven to this World; If a sinners affections be naught, Set upon this World, and any of the lusts of it, he is under the weight and slavery of the whole body of corrup­tion, Mat. 6.23. And this doth Christ preach, to make sinners sensible of the ex­tensive beeing of natural corruption, that it is a little leaven which hath leavened the whole lump. The Apostle was sensible of natural corruption, as in the beeing of it, so in the extensiveness of its beeing, he was sensible of concupiscence, that Fire which is in the nature to evil, and he was sensible of the extensiveness of this evil, —All manner of concupiscence, Rom. 7.7, 8. I had not known lust, saith the margent, concupiscence, that is, I had not been prickt [Page 13]at heart for it, and deeply sensible of it, but that the convincing power of the Lord helped on this work. But sin taking occa­sion by the commandment stirred and irri­tated this lust, and set all on fire, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence, that is, wicked lusts and heart-burnings. Angels appeared in white, to shew the purity of their nature, say the Dutch, on Act. 1.10. And we should be always in black, in mour­ning, to shew the impurity of our nature in the vastness of it; for, from the crown of the Head to the sole of the Foot, we are nothing but bruises and putrifying sores, which are not dressed at all, nor bound up, but all open and running, and stinking in every ones Nosthrils, of which in bodily matters we are deeply sensible. All these metaphors are made into an allegory, on purpose to make fallen man sensible of the extensiveness of his misery by his Fall, that he is bruised all over, in his Head, in his Breast, in his Legs, from top to bottom, no part sound and incorrupt. The Scrip­ture speaketh of being born in sin, and of being altogether born in sin, the one speaketh the being of our fallen state, of which we should be sensible, and the other speaketh of the vastness and extensiveness of the be­ing, of which also we should be sensible; Thou art altogether born in sin, Joh. 9.34. They spake truth, though they did it not to a good end: Yet the words in themselves [Page 14]are true, and have a good scope, that we might be made sensible of our fallen state, and how great it is, how great our fall is, how it hath bruised and putrified, and spoi­led all.

3 Thirdly, We should be deeply sensible of natural corruption, in all the properties of it: As, First, The aversness of it to all good: If natural corruption were a meer impotency to all good, it were not so evil. But it is an aversation; that a body can never go to meal with a stomack, how sen­sible is any one of this, as a great misery? This is our case spiritual, we can never go to pray, to hear, to meditate, to any ho­ly duty, but our hearts hang off, and hang this way and that way, that we gō to Hea­ven, as if we were going to Hell: Should we not be deeply sensible of this? that we are still a silly Dove without heart, to all that is heavenly. The poor Marriners were very sensible, that they found one in their Ship which untrimmed it, Jon. 1. This Man, though a good man, yet when the Ship and he tossed, and like all to be drow­ned, he was so drowsie that he could not hold open his eyes, like the Disciples of Christ, when their Master was ready to be leized on, yet were drowsie and could not watch and pray; Should not such an indis­posedness to good, if the body of death had no other bad property, deeply be be­wailed? [Page 15]I have heard some complain, and indeed it should be for a lamentation, that sometimes even in this duty of hearing, have not been able to hold open their eyes, and yet at all common business as well a­wake as can be. The Church was called upon to this and that Divine duty, and she had put off her Coat, and knew not how to put it on; natural corruption hath this ill property, never ready, nor dressed, and fitted to any good, and yet at the same time ready and dressed to any thing that is evil, as wise to this, as foolish to any thing that is good: The natural man, or animal man, is a Soul too low still for any matter divine; which thing alone, if there were no other evil property in natural corruption, should be deeply laid to heart.

A Second property of natural corrupti­on, is perversness. Vain Man would be wise, though he be born as the wilde Ass-colt, Job. 11.12. This Zophar spake of Job, as seeing him perverse, as he thought; but he was right enough as to the thing, though not as to Job in this matter. Thus we are by nature, of no more reason than a wilde Ass, and yet as unturnable as that Crea­ture. The old Man is proud, and wilful, yea presumptuous, yea of enmity and de­spight if resisted, as Lions and Dragons are, spitting their some and poison as Cats▪ in the face of all that contradict. 'Tis said [Page 16]of Judas, [...] that he became head-long, Act. 1.18. He was so in his life, for he would on in his work of betraying Christ, though convinced by Christ's own preaching, and told to his Face that he should betray him. And so are the ways of corrupt nature car­ried head-long: He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsels of the froward are carried head-long, Joh. 5.13. And all this continually, as the Blackamore that can­not change his skin. No place better sets out the bad property of natural corruption, then that Gen. 6.5. God saw that the wicked­ness of man was great, and that every imagi­nation of the thought of his heart was evil, and only evil, and that continually. For such a visible, as well as audible Sermon, as Noah preached, of 120 Years long, would surely have turned them from their sins, had they not been desperately obstinate, and so con­tinually, of which God was sensible, and complain'd, and was grieved at his heart that he made man; And shall God so much lay to heart the depraved state of a man, and man himself not lay it to heart at all?

Fourthly, We should be deeply sensible of natural corruption, in the consequence of it. It is a body of death, a body of this death; that is, it disposeth us to all the wrath of God, both in this World, and in the World to come. And therefore doth the Apostle cry out here in my Text, as [Page 17]one utterly loft; O wretched man that I am, Who shall deliver me, &c. And they likewise who were prickt at heart, by the Apostle Peter's preaching, with the sense of their sinful state, Cryed out, Men and Brethren, What shall we do to be saved? Which are Scriptures of purpose, to shew, that we should be deeply sensible of the evil conse­quence of corrupt nature, as it will destroy Soul and Body. Judas is called a Childe of Perdition, and so are we called Children of wrath by nature, that is, such as are not under mercy, [...], not pitied. as the expression is rightly rendered in the Queens translation, 1 Pet. 2.10. Now, how are Malefactors affected with the consequence of their evil way, when they are going to the Gallows, espe­cially when they have no hope of mercy, when they be not under talk of mercy and pardon. Now, our natural state is death, without all mercy, that is the sentence pro­nounced upon it, if the state so abide, a carnal state, it is death without all mercy, and every carnal man should speak of him­self, as the Apostle Peter doth, as one not under mercy, or as one that hath not yet obtained mercy, but lies lyable, as a Prison­er condemned, every hour to Execution. I take it, that their attonement day, spoke [...] of, Levit. 23.27. Wherein they were to afflict their Souls upon pain of death, had principal reference to their state of sin by nature, that body of sin which they brought [Page 18]into the World with them, which exposed them, and us all unto death, and all misery in this World, and that to come: and, if it be so, then you have the Point in hand pro­ved, and the reason of it, why we should be deeply sensible of corrupt nature, as well as of all that flowes from it, because God commands it, and commands it upon great penalty, We die for it else, unless we afflict our Souls, under the sense of our fallen state, and Gods displeasure belonging there­unto, that Soul which doth not so well die for it; their afflicting day was a day to go to the Root, and to cast salt and brine up­on the springs of wickedness, which if they did not, the wrath of God seized on their Roots. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we perswade Men, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5.11. We perswade Men. To what? Answ. To look well about them, that they be not found in their carnal state, when Christ cometh to Judgment: So that the deepest sense of this thing should be upon us that can possibly be, as if we were now going before the Judgment of quick and dead, and all in our sins: or as if we were going to the Wedding of a great Prince, and had not one rag on our backs, to cover our nakedness.

Ʋse I Learn from hence, that if we should be sensible of natural corruption, then of all actual transgressions, which are but as [Page 19]streams from this Fountain. If we should mourn over the evil Womb, then over all the evils, which this VVomb brings forth. And yet what twins and what tens, and what great man-sins and provocations, doth this evil VVomb bring forth every where at this day, and yet who lays to heart either Mother or Children? I hearkned and heard, but they spake not aright; no Man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turns to his course, as the Horse rusheth into the Battel, Jer. 8.6.

Ʋse 2 Woe, and alas, how much are the most liberal reproved, who are past feeling, as to both natural corruption, and all actual transgressions, yea even the fowlest and greatest, Giving themselves over to lascivi­ousness, to work all iniquity with greediness, and drink in all abominations, as the Fish doth Water. So far from sense of all sin, either in the heart, or in the life, that all such frame of spirit is scoffed at: If a man do but cast the least discountenance on the greatest sin; What? you are a Phanatick, and ready, as Swine, to turn and tear, and rent such, as cast such Pearls before them, as wholesome and seasonable reproofs: and are as the wilde Ass that snuffeth up the wind, and in the heat of her lust cannot be turned away, Febris accedit, the mad Feavour will and must have its course, though Heaven or Hell bear upon break­ing [Page 20]off, or going on. They say in the pride and stoutness of their hearts, to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abun­dant. To talk of a body of death, Lord, what strange language would this be now adays, and if a Man should chance to sigh, as the Apostle, O wretcheà man that I am, What will become of me? that Hellish cor­dial, I doubt, would be readily administred, God dam-me, thou wilt do well enough. Never was it such a God-daring time for wickedness,If it be such a God-damning time, as per­sons p [...]ay, Hell will be full of Souls in­d [...]ed. for many Ages surely, as this. Men have made their hearts as an Ada­mant, that they may not repent: and sear­ed their Consciences with a hot Iron, that they may be sin-proof, and not fall before the greatest wickedness, nor the greatest judgment of God. That capital curse, I fear, is inflicted on many, of judicial hard­ness of heart, Isa. 6.10, 11, 12. Make the heart of this People fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their eares, and understand with their hearts, and convert and be healed: Then I said, Lord, how long? and he an­swered till the Cities be wasted without Inha­bitants, and the Houses without Men and the Land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed Men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the Land. This will be a strong reproof indeed, if this should be the reproof upon us, and yet very pleasing.

Ʋse 3 Try your selves by this Doctrine: Are you deeply sensible of natural corruption? If so, then it is your only burden. Of all perils and distresses (though Paul had many) did the Apostle complain, as here of the Body of Death. Do you any where read him say, O wretched man that I am, I am poor, I am in Prison, Who shall deliver me out of these sad conditions? Alas, he made nothing of hunger, of nakedness, of stripes, of deaths oft, but gloried in them. But the body of this death that made him fetch deep sighs, O wretched man that I am, he never called himself so for any bodily evil whatso­ever. The Israelites were enjoyn'd, when they came with their first fruits, to make a solemn confession of their great unwor­thiness, of God's great bounty and good­ness; A Syrian ready to perish was my Fa­ther, and he went down into Egypt, and so­journed there with a few, Deut. 26.5. If you be deeply sensible, then this is the allay in all your glory still, in all your mirth, this is the qualm that comes over your heart, that makes it sad; what, a wretch ready to perish came I into this holy and good Land; And, why should such a dead Dog as I be treated thus with grace, which abuse all that is bestowed on me. Thus you look back to the hole of the Pit, out of which digged daily, and sigh, if deeply sensible.

2 Secondly, If you be deeply sensible of na­tural [Page 22]corruption, then are you very vile in your own eyes; I am more vile, saith Agar, than any man. David calls himself a Beast, and the Cananitish Woman owns her self to be a Dog; and if Christ had called her a Viper, a Toad, a Monster, no doubt she would have owned it: If I wash me with Snow water, and make me never so clean, yet shall thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own cloaths shall abhor me, Job. 9.31. If ye be indeed sensible of your naughty state by na­ture, ye are Persons of low eyes, ye think the Cloaths ye wear too good for you, be­cause ye defile them; the Meat you eat too good for you, because to the unclean, all things are unclean; and the Earth too good to bear you, because you are such a great load of filth, such a going Dunghill; If ye be indeed sensible of natural cor­ruption, ye are poor in Spirit, unworthy that Christ or any good thing should come under your root; This Apostle means all this, when he calls himself a wretch, la­bouring under a Body of Death. The Le­per under the Law, and the Person with a Running Issue, how low and loathsome were they in their own eyes, loath and a­shamed to come neer, nay to come in fight of any one.

Thirdly, If ye be deeply sensible of na­tural corruption, then ye are as this Apo­stle in my Text, at an utter loss in your [Page 23]selves, what to do for deliverance, from the guilt and power of it. O wretched man that I am, Who shall deliver me, I am ut­terly to seek to save my self, so is all the Creation. I cannot deliver my self, and who of all the Creatures of God, in Hea­ven or in Earth, that can deliver me? To which of the Saints or Angels shall I turn? So the Prophet Isaiah saw himself at an utter loss, upon the sense of his vile condi­tion. Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, Isa. 6.5. He saw no way but one with him; I am cut off! So is the reading in the Margent; I am gone and lost utterly now, the holy God hath seen what an unholy wretch I am, he hath got a view of me, and a sent of me, and surely he will think on it for e­ver, what an ugly sight he saw, and what a filthy smell he smelt! Do you feel your selves undone by sin? by reason of this Running Issue, and that in your nature: Are ye a burden to your selves, because a burden and grief to the Holy Spirit of God? Or, are you not clean: and pure in your own eyes, and cock-sure ye shall go to Heaven when you die, you have lived so well amongst all your neighbours, and have done so much good, and every one speaks so well of you? Can such a state do amiss? Our Saviour saith, the whole need no Physician, and that he came to save lost ones, such who are so deeply possessed, with [Page 24]the signe and sense of their sinful state by nature, and life and conversation, that they cry out, Who will deliver me, wretched me? most sinful and forlorne me? Isaac was at a loss for an Offering, and doubtless thought at last that he must be burnt.

Fourthly, If ye be deeply sensible of the body of death, 4 then ye prise deliver­ance from it, above all this World. Naaman the Syrian, how he prised any Person or means, that could cure his Leprosie! And the Man-slayer, how he prized, and pursued the City of refuge: And, what would not one of those pursued Man-slayers have gi­ven, for but one Foot within the Gate of the City of refuge! To them that are un­der the deep sense of sin, the Redeemer that is come from Zion, to turn away ungod­liness from Jacob, is very precious. O how precious was Christ, to this Apostle, which my Text mentioneth, as you read in the next Verse. O wretched Man that I am: Who shall deliver me? I thank God through Jesus Christ: As a Man almost drowned, having some one that can swim, leaping in, and taking hold of him; O how doth he thank God for this friend I The Apostle Paeul being deeply sensible of his wretched state by nature, did so esteem Christ, that the truth is, he esteem'd all else, in compa­rison▪ but as dung and dross; Nebuchadnezar which was brought as a Beast from grass, [Page 25]from creeping upon all four; O how he magnified the true God for a while! So doth that sinner magnifie and extoll Christ, Dan. 4.34. that is brought from crawling, like a Toad upon all four, in the filth and poison of his natural corrupt on, The black crabbed Tree of the Cross hath made Christ and my Soul very entire, (saith Mr. Rutherford) He is my Song in the Night: So I say, the black Crab-stock of natural corruption, maketh Christ and that sinner very dear and entire, and his Song in dark Night, who is in the pains and travels of natural corruption. The Fountain open for sin and for unclean­ness, is very precious to that Leper, which indeed, and from his heart, cryeth out un­clean.

Ʋse 4 The last Use of this Doctrin is for Ex­hortation: Be at this practise with this A­postle, of panting and groaning under the Body of Death, when the poor Woman with the Bloody Issue saw, that she was not hid, she came trembling to Christ, Luk. 8.47. and confessed her condition, and how long it had been so with her, and what ineffectual means she had used, and yet wasted all on them. Though your corrupt nature be hid from the eyes of men, and from your own eyes much, to much, yet not in the least hid from the eyes of Christ; and therefore come trembling to him, and confess all your vileness to him, as far as you [Page 26]are able (but alas, what a hard task do I mention [...]) and how long you have layne in this forlorne state, and do as Beggars by the High-ways sides, pull off all Plaisters from every soar, and take heed of hiding any sin with Fig-leaves, as your Father A­dam, let the great Physician see and know all, every putrefied soar, that is not bound up, nor mollified with oyntment; and who knoweth but his eye may move his heart to­wards you, to pity you, and to play the good Samaritan, and to dress your filthy souls and soars, and to anoint them and mol­lifie them. This I think is the meaning of the Prophet, Isa. 42.18. Hear ye deaf, and look ye blinde that ye may see.

1 This is a proper work for every sinner to be at, to bleed and mourn inwardly for the Fountain of sin that is in him, and to be­wail the many springs of wickedness, which boil up bad matters Night and Day in his Soul, to the grieving of the Holy Spirit; Hearken to me ye that follow after righteous­ness, ye that seek the Lord, look to the roots whence ye were hewen, Isa. 51.1. & to the hole of the Pit whence ye are digged, meaning Abraham, who was an Idolater, and dead in trespas­ses and sins, as well as others. The Body of Death is the hole of the Pit, out of which cometh all the Frogs and Locusts, which crawle and swarm in your lives. Many Professors not bewailing this well [Page 27]and throughly, as they should, build a brave House to look on, but on the Sand, which with storms falleth, and the fall thereof is great. The time of loss is to be lookt into and considered. Damni dati tempus inspici­tur. And how old is our loss of God's I­mage? How inveterate is our wound? How old is the old Man? as old as Methusalah? The old man came into the World with you, and a Miracle it is, that it had not with its great weight, like a Mill-stone a­bout your Necks, pressed you to your place long ago; yea, the old man came into the World, with this world that now is, and with the other world that is drowned, and it will bring this to the Fire at last, and from burning to burning; it is very proper work to be casting tears upon such sparks, as will burn to the lowest Hill.

4 Secondly, 'Tis needful work this, to know every Man the Plague of his own heart. To know it, that is to sigh and groan under it, as here the Apostle Paul doth. When Daniel had received that sad Vision of Nebuchadnezar's ruin, the lopping down of that tall Tree which reached to Heaven, and the sad condition of a beast which he was to be cast into. Daniel remained speech­less for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him, and he was not able to say a word to the King, but sighed and lookt sad, Dan. 4.19. And an hour more (it may be) he would have stood sad and sighing before [Page 28]the King and silent, if the King had not forced matter from him. And this carriage was very needful to set home things upon the King's heart, and to make him look a­bout him well. And would I could so preach to all you this Day, and in this place, who are in your natural condition. If I were si­lent now for one hour more, and did only sigh over all you carnal and unregenerate Men and Women, and look sad, and some­times mourn, would it not be very needful, as hearts are now heardened, well and deep­ly to affect you? Certainly it would so make you look about you well, before the great Lopper death come. 'Tis very need­ful work for you and me to be at, this oft-bewailing our fallen state, and the body of this death, because we are become as Nebu­chadnezar by his fall: Beasts that perish, e­ven we that were in honour, in higher ho­nour than Nebuchadnezar was before his fall. We are become as Beasts in some re­spects, and much worse than Beasts in other respects; We are in this state without Christ, aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, strangers from the Covenant of Promise, having no hope, and without God in the World, which he calls upon every one to remember, Ephes. 2.11, 12. Wherefore re­member that ye in times past were thus and thus, &c.

3 Thirdly, This is to go to the Root of our Disease, to lay an Axe to the Root. The [Page 29]Apostle was wise, when he fell upon the main body of wickedness in him. Son of man cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, Thus saith the Lord God unto all Jerusalem, thy Birth and thy Nativity is of the Land of Canaan, thy Father was an Amo­rite, and thy Mother an Hittite, and thy Na­vel was not cut, nor salted, &c. Ezek. 16.2, 3. You cannot know your abominations, as you should, that is, be affected with them, as you should, unless you look to the Root, from whence they all spring, and fix your eyes and your hearts there well, according to this wholesome instruction of the Lord. We are by nature Amorites and Hittites, as wilde as any, Children of wrath as well as others, and in us: (i.e.) In our nature dwel­leth no good, but the seeds of all wicked­ness; and until we thus go to the bottom, we do in our humiliations but skin over soares, and not search and cleanse them well. This, this Apostle calleth for, 1 Cor. 5.7. Purge out therefore the old leaven; what a deal a-do there was to search out leaven, and to get totally rid of it; among the Jews much is said of it: the Apostle would have us as industrious about corrupt nature, which he calleth old leaven, in all our hu­miliations, wherein there should be soul-ex­aminations, that we should fall close upon our evil hearts and state within, and smite upon them, and cry out much upon them. Damni dans causam, damnum ipsum dedisse [Page 30]videtur. The old leaven, is the cause of all the sins and miseries we daily fall into; This, this therefore we should especially be­wail, and labour about, to pluck up the root of bitterness.

4 Fourthly, There is no dealing with any actual sin, without effectual dealing with the body of sin. To go to lave a Pool, and not first to deal with the Spring, as it is foolish, so it is an endless work. How can a clean thing come out of an unclean? If the heart remain still filthy, How is it pos­sible to make the life holy? Hence it is, that the heart is so much called for to be cleansed, and that sinck to be well lookt after, because there is the seat of natural pravity, and the very Core of all corruption. Cut off branches, as you would lop a Tree, cut them off all, and leave the roots through the sent of mud they will grow, as Job saith; every occasion and temptation, so long as the nature remains unrenewed and unlookt to, will make sin break out afresh, and the Dog will return to his own vomit. The Queens Daughter is therefore called upon, to forget her Father's House, or else she would be hankering to be there again. They which came out of Egypt in body, and did not come out spiritually, as to their souls, how unsteadfast were they and their righte­ousness, as the morning dew, and in their hearts went back again to Egypt. If any Is­raelite having taken in War a Heathen Wo­man, [Page 31]and beautiful, that he had a desire to marry, he was first to bring her home to his House, and shave her Head, and pare her Nails, and was to put off the raiment of her captivity, and then she was to bewail her Father and her Mother a full Moneth, &c. That is, her Heathenish state wherein born and bred, she was to bewail, and taught by this paring of her Nails, and changing the Raiment of her Captivity, to look after de­liverance from her inward captivity, and for a new state, a new Father and Mother, and all new, her hands, yea her very Nails; and all this but little enough to make her forget her Father's House, and to forsake old haunts, and customs, and ways. Who knoweth not, but that Nails and Hairs, and such excrements are most apt and ready to grow again; and yet not more apt and rea­dy than sin is, though pared and shaved, if it be not dealt throughly with, in the heart, and in the root.

5 Finally, Without this deep sense of our natural condition, Christ will not be preci­ous to us, nor indeed desirable, who is the only Physician for this great cure: We shall be righteous in our own eyes, as the Pha­risee, and not care for any righteousness else, but our own, though we may talk of faith, and of the righteousness of Christ, as many Christians do. We shall be as Country-peo­ple, which are whole as a Fish, and laught at all Physicians. Till the Apostle Paul was [Page 32]smitten down from Heaven, and his eyes o­pened, to see this body of death, of which he complains in my Text, he was alive and brisk, and who but he, for a holy and a hap­py man. But when the Commandement came in Authority upon him, which he thought he had perfectly kept, sin revived, and he died. 'Tis the poor, and blind, and wretched, and naked, that Christ counsels to come and buy of him Eye-salve, and Gar­ments to cover their nakedness, Rev. 3.17, 18. As we are Proselites, (i.e.) Comers to Christ, so we are cured of our spiritual Le­prosie, and such Proselites we will never be, but as we see and feel our lost state by nature, and our great necessity of him. Who looks after the things which they do not need? Ho, he that thirsteth, &c. and such will prise Milk and Water. I cannot get a House in this Town, wherein to leave drink-silver in my Masters name, saith Mr Ruther­ford, There is no sale for Christ in the north, (meaning at Aberdeen) he is like to lie long on my hand, ere any accept him. Thus it is, with all unsensible and unheart-broken sin­ners, though at the brink of Hell, yet will not come unto Christ, that they may be sa­ved from their sins, and from the wrath of God.

THE REMEDIE OF NATURAL Corruption.
Being A SERMON ON Rom. vii. xxv. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

THese words are an Answer to a sad Question: the Question is in the words foregoing, — Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? v. 24. That is, from natural corruption, the guilt and the dominion and Power of it: This Apostle was at an utter loss in himself, and as to all others, and then God revealed an able Phy­sician to him, as these words of my Text tell us.—I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ is revealed to Sinners, which dispair of all help in themselves, or in any other Creature; Such will thank God for him, as here this wretched Man doth. Mr. Ruther­ford [Page 34]speaketh, of a sorrow that hath no eyes. This Apostle's sorrow was such, for a time. Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He knew not of any delive [...]er, and then God became eyes to the blind, and helped the sorrowful sin­ner, and the blind sinner to eyes, to see a Saviour, and an All-sufficient one.—I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

When Isaac was at a loss for an offering, and Abraham also, when the sorrow of both had no eyes, God was sight and help to them both. Here is the wood▪ but where is the Sacrifice, i. e. One to die? My Son, God will provide. And he did so. Donatum non petitum gratius est, saith the Civilian. A gift not asked, is the most free. So did God provide that offering for Isaac, and so did he provide this offering, for this Apo­stle, and wretched Man, and so he doth for every wretched Man which hath the benefit of him, he is Donatum non petitum, to eve­ry fallen Son of Adam, that is raised by him, He was found of him that asked not after him.

2 Secondly, This may be further observed in these words, That God doth not barely shew us the means of our good, the proper means of our Souls good, but enable us to make effectual use of them to that end. If I should para­phrase upon this Text, it would be to this effect. Wretched man, I am burdened much with a body of sin and death, which is so heavy [Page 35]that I think oft▪ it will one time or other sink me to the lowest Hell: and I am as helpless as to all [...]thers, as impotent and miserable in my self. O doubly wretched man that I am, and am like to be, who will, who can deliver me? Yet I have some help shewed to me I thank God, but no body else he hath in my blinde and wretched conditi [...]n, shewed me an able Physi­cian, by name. Jesus Christ our Lord, anoint­ed and allowed under his own hand, to help all such wretched Creatures as I am, and he doth enable me to make use of him to my burdened Souls ease and rest. This Scripture and such like shew, that there is full and effectual re­lief for all burdened sinners, who are ready to sink under the burden of their sin and misery.

Doct. The Doctrin which I observe to prose­cute from these words, is this, That Christ is the proper remedy of natural corruption. I thank God through Jesus Christ, &c. He whom God the Father hath sealed, sancti­fied, and sent into this World for this end, to Cure natural corrup [...]ion, is, Jesus Christ our Lord, as the Apostle here calls him. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the bro­ken hearted to proclaim liberty unto the Cap­tives, and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound, Isa. 61.1. By Captives, and such as are in Prison, is meant sinners in [Page 36]their unregenerated condition, who are under the power and slavery of sin, and car­ried Captive by the evil one at his will; and by broken hearted and poor, he means such as are deeply affected and afflicted with the body of death, natural corruption, in the guilt and pollution of it; these is Christ anointed with the Spirit of the Lord, to relieve and help, to bind them up, and all their wounds and putrified soares, and to heal them; and to preach liberty to them, and to bring them into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God; and such as are shut up under the power of sin and Satan, as in a Prison, to break down these strong holds, and to open the everlasting Doors to him­self, the King of Glory, to make a Prison a Palace, a Slave a Son, and Heir with him of all; with this compare, Isa. 32.2. And a man shall be a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as Rivers of Water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land, and the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the eares of them that hear shall hearken, the heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the Tongue of the stammerer shall be ready to speak plainly. Men in their natural condi­tion may be in a calm; as long as the strong Man ruleth, all is at peace; but these will be in a tempest, and a terrible one, first or last, when their Consciences come to be convinced, as the Apostles here was. And [Page 37]then who is able? and who is appointed to allay these storms? To this the Prophet answers.—A man shall be a hiding place, and a covert from wind and rain: but, so a Man, that he is also God, or else he could do nothing at these winds and storms. That these things are thus spiritually to be under­stood, appears by the next words, v. 3, 4. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, &c. So that it means heart-storms and tempest, and heart-help, and Christ God-Man, that is to be the helper, and the great Covert in these storms and tempests, and the great Rock for shade, where the poor Soul is so scorched with the heat of God's wrath, that he is ready to faint and die. Blindness, and deafness, and rashness, they all speak one thing, the ill state we are in by nature, blind, deaf, dumb, and yet rash, and mad, and confident enough, and the Man Christ Jesus, who is called Emanuel God with us, he is the appointed curer of all these Maladies.

This is a proof of the Point in hand in general: I will descend to particulars of our fallen state, and shew you that Christ is the appointed and proper remedy, of all the diseases of our Souls. There are three things complain'd of, and supposed, in the Apostles complaint in my Text, one is a bo­dy of death, that is, our natural depraved state, which is the filth of sin.

Secondly, He complains of the Body of this Death, that is, the obligation of sin, to the wrath of God, temporal and eternal, which we call the guilt of sin: These two are expressed in his complaint. Now there is a third thing supposed, in these com­plaints of a bad state, which is, that he would fain have a better, or else he would not have complained of this, no more than other unregenerated Sinners do. Now as to all these three, Christ is the proper and appointed remedy and relief, of miserable and wretched Man.

1 First, As to the Body of Death, (i e.) as to the fi [...]th of sin, the depravation of our nature, of which I spake in the other Ser­mon, Christ is the remedy of this, root and branch; see Isa. 51.9, 10, 11. Awake, a­wake, put on strength, O Arm of the Lord, Awake as in the ancient days, in the Genera­tions of old, Art thou not it, that hath cut Ra­hab? and wounded the Dragon? Art thou not it which hast dryed up the Sea, and the Wa­ters of the great deep, that hast made the depths of the Sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head, and they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sor­row and mourning shall flee away. Now, put all these borrowed words into plain English, and what deep must this mean, the drying [Page 39]up of which maketh the way to Zion, where everlasting joy is obtained? This deep must necessarily mean, the bottomless Gulf of natural corruption, shadowed fitly by the deep, that hath in many parts no bottom; and as Christ was he that went before our Fathers, and dryed up that deep Sea, and made it a way to go through to Zion, and to the holy Land: So it is he that dryeth up the deep Sea of sin in our nature, and so maketh way to the holy state and the holy Church the true Zion, in which is everlast­ing joy. Now forasmuch, as corrupt na­ture, puts forth under some chief head and grand lust, which is as King to all the Ch [...]l­dren of pride, as Pharaoh and his Princes to all the Body of Egypt; Who fighteth a­gainst these? Ans. Christ: He is remedy for root and branch of the Body of Death. Art not thou it which hath cut Rahab, and wounded the head of the Dragon? The Pro­phet speaketh still in allusion to Pharaoh, and his Princes, which he calls, Crok [...]dile, or Dragon, that is, a Sea-Dragon, where­with Egypt abounded. This Sea of natural corruption hath some Sea-Dragons, great Soul-devouring Monsters swimming and playing in it; And, who deals with these? Ans. He that dries up the deep, that is, Christ. Art not thou he that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the head of the Dragon? This Text leadeth us by the hand, to that first promise made to Adam.—The Seed of the [Page 40]Woman shall break the Serpents head, which means our state of sin, as headed and orga­nised by Satan, through any particular pre­vailing lust whatsoever, our state of sin is there spoken of, as headed by Satan, who organiseth the old man, as Christ doth the new. And this surely is that great slaugh­ter, and the Towers falling, which the Pro­phet especially pointeth at, upon the fall of which, the light of the Moon becometh as the light of the Sun, and the light of the Sun as seven days, Isa. 30.26. For the saith, they shall be truly penitent, and cast away their Idols, i.e. their dearest lusts, as a men­struous cloath, saying. Get ye hence, vers. 22. And the slaughters of all our Idols, and the Mould wherein they are cast, to wit, our corrupt nature, these are the great slaugh­ters, and high imaginations, and proud af­fections boiling over, yet subdued, these are the high Towers and strong Holds falling, It was Christ that said to Man and Woman, Let them have dominion over-the Fish in the Sea, and Fowls in the Heavens, and over all the Works of God's hands. So it is Christ that saith to fallen man, let him have dominion over sin, and Satan that leads it, let it be by what cunning strong temptation soever, let him rule over the Devil, and all the works of his hands, and let him put all under his Feet.

2 Secondly, As to the body of this death, i.e. as to the guilt of sin, that whereby as [Page 41]a Transgressor of God's will, Man stands bound over to the Judgment of the great Day, to Eternal wrath and condemnation; Christ is the proper remedy as to this also, to cancil every bond and hand-writing of the Law and Conscience against us, and to make us stand spotless before the Throne of the great and most Holy God: See Zech. 13.1. In that Day there shall be a Fountain opened to the House of David, and to the Inha­bitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for unclean­ness. By sin is meant guilt, which Christ ta­keth away by his blood; and uncleanness, means the filth of our corrupt nature, which Christ purgeth by his Spirit, which is a Spi­rit of Judgment and Burning: Of this I have spoken in the last head I was upon; I have now only to shew you, that Christ cureth the body of this death, that is, the guilt which we continually contract by our corrupt state, and the obligation which this maketh to the wrath of God, both in this World, and in the World to come, and setteth us in favour above. That Christ doth this for fallen Man; see Dan. 9.24 Seventy week [...] are determined upon thy People, and upon thy holy City, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righte­ousness, and to seal up the Vision and the Pro­phesie, &c. And to anoint the most Holy, &c: By the Transgression here mentioned, is [Page 42]meant, the Jews killing of Christ, and wish­ing his blood upon them, and by sealing up the Vision, and the Prophesie, means the ac­complishing of what God had shewed this Prophet, and other Prophets, concerning the Incarnation and death of Christ. At such a time he shall come in Man's nature, and at such a time he shall die, and by his death make an end of wickedness, that is, as to the reigning power of it, and as to the obliging power of it: For, as if this Prophet had said, He shall by his death sa­tisfie the Justice of God, and dying as such a spotless Lamb and Sacrifice, as one that hath fulfilled all God's wills, as one indeed after his own heart, he shall impute all this as theirs who shall believe on him, and so procure their pardon, the favour of God, and an everlasting righteousness, and well-pleasingness before God, and so make an end of guilt utterly, that if it be sought for, it shall no where be found. The Apostle Peter also confirmeth this that Christ cureth the body of this death, i. e the guilt of fin; For Christ suffered once for sin, the Just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3.12. That he might bring us to God: that is, That he might reconcile us to, and bring us into favour with God.

3 Thirdly, It is supposed by the complaint of this wretched state, that the Apostle [Page 43]would have a better: His complaint of sin and depravation, and the loss of God's I­mage, supposeth that he would have holi­ness, and God's Image lost restored: now as to this also, Christ is the proper remedy, as to destroy the old Man, so to restore the new; as it is he that binde, the strong man, and spoileth all his goods, so it is he that creates the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. He that sanctifieth, and they that are sancti­fied, are all one, for which cause he is not a­shamed to call them Brethren, Heb. 2.11. He it is that sanctifieth, and we are they which are sanctified, and all this is of one; by the same Blood and Spirit by which as such an undertaker of our sin, he sanctified himself, by the merit and efficacy of the same he sanctifieth us, who are not sinners meerly by imputation and deputation, as he was, but inherently. Christ's Blood and Spirit is the Laver of regeneration, and the Fullers Soap that maketh us white, and changeth our black-more skin. The Earth was with­out form, and vo [...]d, [tohu, bohu,] and the Spirit of Christ fluttered upon it, and brought it in a little time to such a glorious new thing, than what it was in its first Creation. So it is the same Spirit of Christ, that fluttereth upon our Souls, which by nature are ano [...]her Chaos, and maketh them a new Creation. To this I think the Apo­stle [Page 44]pointeth, 2 Cor. 4.6. From whom I borrow this Metaphor. But God who causes the light to shine out of darkness, &c. It was to Christ that the Father spake, Come, let us make Man in our Image; and it is he and the Father that work hitherto by the Holy Ghost, that speak one to another; Come, let us quicken this dead Soul, and make him stand up from the dead, and bear our Name in his Forehead, our similitude and likeness. When the Prophet Ezekiel had said, that David should be their Prince for ever, meaning Christ, he further saith, in the Per­son of this David, to wit, Christ, — The Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sancti­fie Israel, when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever more, Ezek. 37.25.28. compared; It is this Zerubbabel's hand, that laid the Foundation, and it is his hand that finisheth it, and therefore the charge is, that none despise the little small begin­ings of it, though never so small. As Christ can remove guilt and filth in one day, which is much rubbish indeed: So he can make a new Creature as soon, if he please. He made the Thief a new man quickly, and car­ried him to Heaven with Him that Day, He made Him, and finished Him, and Housed Him, and all in a Day; He made but a Days work; nay, but a few Houres work to finish Grace and Glo­ry.

These things of the new state doth Christ, and so as not to be undone. He shall not fail, or be discouraged, till he have set Judgment in the Earth, and the Iles shall wait for his Law, Isa. 42, 4. There be many discouraging things, in the removal of na­tural corruption, as in any work I know, enough to quench the Spirit of Christ quite, but it seemeth, that he is under such a Law; and such an assistance from the Father, that he must know no discouragement, but must on with the work against all opposition, and set and establish judgment, that is, the state of the new Creature, or the work of grace; he must make the new Creature, and he must establish it, i. e. so make it, that it may never be marred again, as the Image of God in the first Adam was. Christ threw out filth so, that the Devil cannot easily fetch it in again. And Christ build so upon himself the Chief corner Stone, and firm Rock, that no stormes can over­turn, Job is a great instance. The Apostle saith, That Charity never faileth; If our love never fail, it is because that God's love to us in Christ, never faileth. The love of Christ is unchangeable, and so he maketh ours, that much water cannot quench it. Christ ordains us to bring forth much fruit, and our fruit to remain, Joh. 15.16. When Polycarp was set on an Ass, and carried to his doom, he heard a voice from Heaven, [Page 46]saying, be of good chear, O Polycarp, and play the Man, the Speaker no Man saw, but the voice was heard by many of us, saith the History. And if any one did play the Man in his suffering, he did. Have respect to thine age, tender thy life; swear by the for­tune of Caesar: repent of what is past, and say remove the wicked. But he looking a­bout with a stedfast countenance upon the wicked Multitude, said, Remove O Lord these wicked. — Fourscore and six years have I served Christ, and he never offended me in any thing; And, how then can I revile my King, that hath thus kept me? The pro-consul still urged him, but he still as stoutly resisted him, and replyed, I am a Christian; and there was no turning of him with all that they could say or do. The first Work of grace in our first Parents was lost, but the grace we now have by Christ, eating of that Tree of Life, is preserved for ever, and none can pluck out of his hand.

Secondly, Christ doth this excellent work of the new Creature, alone. But now once in the end of the World, hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself, Heb. 9.26▪ What sacrifices soever have been used, they did not mean, that any could re­move Man's guilt or filth, but all pointed at Christ the sacrificing of himself, and that this, and this alone, is the remedy of fallen [Page 47]and sinful Man. He trod the Wine press of the wrath of God alone, and of the People none with him, Isa. 63.3. David duell'd it with Goliah, and had nothing but a contemptible weapon, a Sling, and a Stone. And so Christ duell'd it, with all the Enemies of Man's sal­vation, and had nothing but a contemptible weapon, a body subject to infirmities. Christ would not put any of this work, out of his own hands to be done, — Who his own self bare our sins, in his own body on the Tree, that we being dead to sin should live to righteous­ness, by whose stripes we are healed, 1 Pet. 2.24. Christ had none to help him, to bear the Cross which God laid on him, though he had one to help bear the Cross, which Men laid on him. The weight of our sins, as punished with infinite wrath and tor­ment; Alass, who could bear this Cross? or be compelled to it? and yet all the dam­ned are compelled to bear this Cross, and so will all reprobates. As in one part of our restoration, Christ was alone, so in all the parts of it, foundation and top-stone he layeth both alone, and none of the People with him. — None offered to him first, not last. Look to Abraham your Father, and to Sarah that bare you, for I called him alone, and increased him and blessed him, Isa. 51.2. I think the scope of this Scripture, was to strengthen faith, that though they were but few, yet that God was able to deliver them [Page 48]from all their Enemies, as he did Abraham in a very lonely state in Canaan, from the Kings that fought with him. But take the place more spiritually and strictly, for Gods calling of him out of the state of Heathen­isme, and so the bringing him to a state of grace, the bringing him to a new Country and Religion and State, all this God did for Abraham alone, and subdued all his inward enemies alone; and made him an Heir of Eternal Salvation, alone. God would trust Abraham's best estate with none, but him­self. I desire but this, (saith Mr. Rutherford) that Christ would take me in hand to cure me, and undertake for a sick man, I know I should not die under his hand, sorrow which hath no eyes, hath put a Vail upon my Soul, that I cannot see him. If Christ undertake a sick sinners cure, let his disease be what it will, never so desperate, never so long standing, he cureth him without any more Physicians, and none die under his hand.

3 Thirdly, Christ doth this great service for Man, of making a better state, freely; for Jew and Gentile, for great sinners and little sinners, (if there be any such) Christ doth all freely: He cured Naman, that his skin came, as if it had been the skin of a young Child, and did it for nothing, though a very rich Man, and would have given much for his Cure. Our Fathers had Manna [Page 49]from Heaven, and Physick the brazen Ser­pent, which cured them and supported them for nothing, and all that was Christ. The Manna that fed them was Christ, the Ser­pent that healed them was Christ,—Where there is neither Greek, nor Jew, circumcision, nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all, Col. 3.11. In all sorts, Jews and Gentiles, Christ works for the Cure of natural corruption, and doth many Cures of this kind, but takes nothing, no mony, nor monys worth, he cursed Gehazi that would be medling this way. The Samaritan poured in Oil and Wine, and healed the wounded Man of all his wounds, and all freely. And so brought the Prophet's Widdow out of debt freely; such Samaritans are now much wanting for Prophets Widdows in debt; and he frank­ly forgave a Debtor many Talents. GOD lookt upon every of the Five Days Work, and said it was good: But, on the Sixth Days Work, when he had made Man, he beheld, and said it was very good, to shew what special delight God had to make his own Image, and to draw his own likeness in Man; so doth Christ still not only do this work of restoring fallen Man, and do it for nothing, but delights to conform us to his Image, and when this Days work is done for any wretched Man, he saith, it is very good, and all the Angels rejoyce with him.

Ʋse 1 Learn from hence, that our Soul-ruines, and miseries by our Fall, are very great, in that none but Christ God-man, is able to remedy them. 'Tis a strong Prison, that which none can open but Christ, which hath an Arm like God Omnipotent. By the which he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison, 1 Pet. 3.19 It is a very strong Pri­son, and very filthy, in which we are by na­ture, and who can go into this Prison to preach there, but Christ? The Doors are all Iron, and Iron-bars and Bolts upon them. If any one could go into these Pri­sons and preach, 'twould have spoken the state the less deplorable, but for as much as none can, but Christ himself, it speaks the Prison in which man is by nature, very strong and terrible. 'Tis a great heap of filth, and a very great Dung-hill indeed, which all the Carts in the World imployed about at once, could not carry away, no none but an Infinite strength. Then was a fiery Sword turning every way to keep out Adam from the Garden, and from com­munion with God, and from eating of the Tree of Life, the Seal thereof; and surely this misery of Man is great upon him, and this fiery Sword terrible, that none can sheath it, and take it away, and bring Man into Paradise again, and communion with God, but the Omnipotent Power of Christ. If any could have taken away that brandish­ed [Page 51]Sword; or, if an Angel from Heaven could have done it, and have taken Adam by the hand, and have brought him into the Garden of delights, i.e. of communion with God, the misery had not been so great. They are great and fearful diseases, which none in this World can cure, no nor none in that World above, though much more populous than this, but one even Christ himself. Let the Inhabitants of the Rock sing, let them shout from the top of the Mountains, Isa. 42.11. This is spoken of them that li­ved in the Wilderness of Arabia, among Stones and Rocks, (Ishmael's Posterity) where nothing but wild Beasts and Devils haunt, the Inhabitants were like the Coun­try they dwelt in, their Hearts, Rocks and Mountains, and Legions of Devils, and cur­sed Spirits haunting them. Now, O how mighty must he be, that drives a Wilder­ness! How mighty must he be that bids or commands the Inhabitants of these hard Rocks, to sing and melt with joy?

2 Secondly, Learn that we are much obli­ged to Christ, and God, for laying the help of such desperate Diseases on one so migh­ty. The Apostle John wept, that there was none found worthy to open the Book, nor to read it, nor to look thereon, and he wept much; and when one was found out, how the tone is changed! They that wept much rejoyced [Page 52]much, and sung a new Song, saying, Thou are worthy to take the Book, and to open the Seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God with thy Blood out of every Tongue, and Kindred, and hast made us to our God, Kings and Priests, Rev. 5.4.9. The open­ing not only of one Book, but of all the Scriptures, and the heart too, much weep­ing there is among sinners about this, and none is found worthy, that is, anointed and accepted of God to this service but Christ, and he hath bought his skill dear, with his own heart blood, he was slain to get this art and ability.—Worthy art thou to receive Power, &c. for thou wast slain: And being thus, how much are we bound to this Phy­sician for our eyes, and for his eye-salve, as to the light of the Scriptures, and the way to any good, which we have! I will bring the blind by a way that they know not, I will lead them in Paths which they have not known, I will make darkness light, and crooked things straight, this will I do and not forsake them; And who this is by whom God will do this, see Isa. 42.6.16. compared, namely Christ. To lead a blind Body from place to place, and to do so all Day long, all the Year long, yea all the Life long, and never to be wea­ry, how wonderfully is Man obliged to Christ and to God, that hath given him to such a work! Who is not tier'd to lead a blind Body a Day?

Thirdly, Learn that it is dangerous to reject Christ, because he is the appointed and proper remedy of our fallen state. There is no other Name given under Heaven, whereby we can be saved, but by the Name of Christ. As there is but one Faith, one Baptisme, so there is but one Lord, Ephes. 3.5, There being no more Doors to go out from our filthy state, we had need to take heed, that we do not neglect it, the shame of our na­kedness will by such a course appear,The marshy places will not be drained or healed. Ezeh 47.11. i.e. we shall remain unhealed, and die in our sinful state, our sin will remain: Ye are come to Mount Zion, not to Mount Zina, and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Te­stament, and to the Blood of Sprinkling; which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel, See then that ye refuse not Him that spake. Moses was a Mediator of the old Covenant, and could do little; Christ is the Mediator of the new Covenant, and can do all the Services of our fallen state, and ful­fill the great and precious promises of the New-Testament to us. He that rejected that Mediator which spake on Earth, died for it, Heb. 12.25. How much more will they who reject this Mediator, which now speaketh from Heaven to us. If Christ be only he which blesseth us, and turneth Jew and Gentile from their sins; and God hath only raised him from the dead, for this end, to bring Salvation from afar, and we reject [Page 54]all, it cannot be taken well, either by God the Father, or by Christ his Son. Ʋnto you first God having raised up his Son, hath sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquity, Act. 3.26. As if the A­postle had said, God hath been at great cost and pains, to part with his only Son to die, and then to raise him from the dead, and all for this end to bless you Jews, and to turn you first, and then the Gentiles, from their sins, and so to make them and you eternally happy; If you shall reject all this love of God, and love of his Son, it will fall heavy, he will conster it, that you have no mind to be turned from your sins, but to continue in them, and so you shall for ever, and die and perish in them.—He that is filthy shall be filthy still.

Ʋse 2 Try your selves, Is Christ become actu­ally yet a remedy to you? Hath he deli­vered you from the body of this death? Then as you have long groaned under the want of it, so you are much taken with the mercy, in any measure obtained; with the freeness of it, that the Waters which cleanse you should come to you, through such a golden Pipe, as the Blood and Wounds of Christ.—I thank God [through Jesus Christ our Lord.] The Apostle is much taken with this, that the Pipes of his cleansing, should be laid through the sides of Jesus Christ, so [Page 55]costly a conveyance, both as to God, and as to his Son, but of none as to him. I thank God all is in a good way of cure now, through Jesus Christ. Donatum ob causam, non est donatum, sed potius permutatio. A gift given for some cause, is not a gift, but rather an exchange of one thing for ano­ther: but when very costly in it self, and yet of no cost to us, then it sparkles in the eyes of the receiver; such a gift is Christ, in this great work of the cure of our carnal state, And doth the freeness of this love sparkle in your eyes? and lay bonds upon you, and make you go bound with holy af­fection and admiration. No man that was ever cured of a desperate disease, wherein he gave himself up for death, but it was much obliging to him, as to the instruments used for his Cure. Naaman the Syrian thought himself bound to choose the God of Israel for his God, that had cured him of his Leprosie; If you be cured of your filthy Leprosie, which is Christ's Priestly work, and Kingly work too, your Cure is between them both; Do you choose him and own him for your Jesus; and Lord, as the Apostle here doth? — I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ by kindness conquers, as Jeptha did; If I do thus and thus for you, slay your Enemies, deliver you from slavery, Shall I be your King? And, will ye chuse me to rule over [Page 56]you? and they consented willingly. If Christ hath cured your Soul diseases, then are you under the Law of this great kindness, and willing that he should be your Lord, and to Rule you in all things according to his Word.

2 Secondly, The Apostle was taken, as with the love of Christ, so with the love of the Father in this matter. I thank God; he hath found out a way to do me good, a new and living way through his Son: So the Apo­stle Peter, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again, unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, to an Inheritance incorruptible, 1 Pet. 1.3. He saw an abundant mercy in the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as in the Son our Lord Jesus Christ. That having no more Sons. should part with him out of his Bosom, in Heaven, to lodge Him in a Manger; yea, worse, to lodg Him in Hell: nay, in a Place worse than that, the filthy heart of the fallen Sons of Adam. So the Apostle Paul again writing to the Ephesi­ans, saith, But God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin and trespasses, hath he quickned us together with Christ, that in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, [Page 57]through Christ Jesus, Ephes. 2.4, 5, 6. He saw rich mercy, and great love, exceeding riches of grace in God, that by his own Son, and not by any lower hand, he should quick­en Men dead in trespasses and sins. And surely some thing of this is, where this great Work is wrought, a confessing that Jesus is the Lord, To the glory of God the Father.

Ʋse 3 The last Use is for Exhortation, seeing Christ is the proper remedy of our fallen state, let this draw us to him, to attend his Word and Ordinances, and to attend the Angels stirring of these Waters. Christ doth open Prison doors, and deliver Cap­tives, but he doth it according to his Com­mission. Now well observe the termes of his Commission.Is. 61, The Lord God hath anointed me [to preach] good tidings to the meek. To which agrees, 1 Pet. 3.19. By the which also he went [to preach] to the Spirits in Prison, which were disobedient in the Days of Noah. Preaching, how lightly soever e­steemed, and how much soever opposed and suppressed, is the great Ordinance by which Christ frees Captives and Prisoners; and therefore this Ordinance, which is the most general Ordinance to convince and convert, should carefully and tremblingly be attend­ed upon. They that make light of preach­ing, make light of their own depraved state, [Page 58]of their Captivity to sin and Satan, these groan not with this Apostle under the body of death. Christ did create every day or­derly by his Word, he could have done it without, but he did all as his Father ap­pointed him, and did not Movere per saltum, make hast and pursue his own will, or his own infinite and absolute Power; so he doth in the new Creation, and therefore wait upon wisdomes Posts. — Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither, where he will have Line upon Line▪ now a little and then a little, to touch and turn his heart. Pre­sently after the Creation was finished, the Creator takes to himself the Title of Jeho­va, Gen. 2.4. These are the Generations of the Heaven, and of the Earth, when they were created, in the Day that Jehova Eloim made the Heaven and the Earth. When you do approach to the Preaching of the Word, Remember this Name of Christ, that he is Jehova, and able to give Being to his Word, That what he bids you to be, that he makes you to be.

2 Be exhorted when you attend Ordinan­ces, to pant for this thing, that Christ as Je­hova would Preach to you, as one giving Being in your heart, to every Word which he speaketh in your Ear: That Christ would so speak, that you might hear and believe all that he sa [...]th, as they at Iconium, Act. 14.1. [Page 59] Take an Harp, go about the City, thou Harlot, that hast been forgotten, make sweet melody, sing many Songs, that thou mayest be remem­bred, Isa. 23.16. This spake the Lord to Tyrus, a filthy sinful City, and their punish­ment fore-told, and the time for Seventy Years, and then counselled to bemoan her self, that she might be remembred, and it is observable how holy bemoaning our selves is called, and holy panting for deli­verance from the slavery of sin and wrath, it is called sweet melody, and singing many Songs; So indeed is such panting under the body of death, and to be delivered from it, as here the Apostle doth. The mourning Doves note, under the sense of our wretch­ed state, with a panting after Christ to cure it; no Musick is such melody in the Ears of God, to make him to remember us. Thus crie, and be ye all pained to be delivered.

Thirdly, Take to you words, and tell your great Physician how it is with you. 3 And if you want words, help your selves with those Ephes. 4.18. This I say and te­stifie in the Lord, that ye walk not as other Gentiles, in the vanity of your minds, having your understandings darkned; being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in you, because of the blindness of their heart, being past feeling, &c. Take up these words, and apply them to your own depra­ved [Page 60]condition, saying, O wretched man that I am, what a vain mind I have, and how I walk in the vanity of my mind all the Day, I know not at Night where my mind hath been all the Day, it hath been at this and at that, at the end of the Earth, but not in Heaven all the Day; Children run not more from one toy to another in their action, than I do in my thoughts and affections, and dwell upon nothing that is good scarce a moment. My understand­ing is darkned, I know not God, I know not his Son, I know not the Fathers Name, nor the Sons, I know not the Scriptures, both Testa­ments are a sealed Book to me. I know not the Volume that is always open to me in my own Closet, I know not my self, nor the deceit and guile that desperately stirs in my heart conti­nually. A vail is on my heart always as to all these necessary things to be known. And as my Eyes be boared out like Samson's, as I have no knowledge, so I have less affection. I am wholly alienated from the Life of God, no spiritual life and heat in my heart, but as dead as Nabal; yea, not only a dead heart, but a stony heart, twice dead, ten times dead, nothing will make sense, neither words nor blows, as if I were utterly past all capacity of feeling, as a Stone is. This is the poor and needy seek­ing Water, and finding none.

Fourthly, Then when you have thus told out your broken story to your Physician, 4 [Page 61]then cast your selves upon Him, and tell him you do so. Honour his ability and all sufficiency, to do as great Cures as yours is, though you have not faith enough to ho­nour his willingness to undertake your case. So did the poor Leper.—Lord, if thou wilt I know thou art able to make me whole,— Me though a Leper; God thy Father hath highly exalted thee, and given thee a Name above every name, Power and ability above all to open Prisons, to lead Captivity Cap­tive, to relieve the Poor, to bind up broken hearted: Thou canst whip out all the Worldly lusts which swarm in my heart, all the mony-changing thoughts, and affecti­ons, which make my Soul common, and lean, and ill favoured. There be many great and precious Promises which God hath made, and the scope of them is, that I should be cleansed from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, and have a Divine and holy nature, given me, and thou O Christ art to make all these Promises, yea and Amen unto me, and art able to do it, if thou wilt, yea even in my very filthy Soul, Why then is it not done? Touching Christ's ability, see Gen. 2.5. And every Plant before it was in the Earth, and every Herb before it grew, for the Lord had not made it to rain, and there was not a Man to Till the ground. The meaning is, that Christ the Creator of all things, the Eternal Word by which the Father com­manded [Page 62]all things to be, was not behold­ing to Nature or Art, to make any thing that was made, or to preserve it when made; he made the Plants and Herbs before they were in the Earth, that is, he gave the Earth such a formative Vertue, to shape such Plants, and Flowers in her Womb, and then without Rain, or Man's Tillage and dres­sing, did he preserve these, for Man nor Rain were not yet created, when these Plants and Herbs were actually in Beeing: by his bare Word did he both make all Plants and Herbs, and by the same bare Word, without Rain or Tillage of Man, did he make them grow and subsist: Such is the Power of Christ's Word, as to any distress of the Soul, to raise the dead, to cure the lame and blind.

5 Then in the next Place, trust that it shall be done unto thee as thou needest, and ac­cording to the ability of this All-suffici­ent Agent, that he will say to thee, as to the Leper.— I will be thou clean. Adam and his Wife perceived that they were naked, and were ashamed, and hid themselves there, Gen. 3.7. and this shame was a blessed fore­runner of the great good which immedi­ately follow, the revelation of Christ to them, and the Promise, and the enabling of them to take hold of them, For blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the King­dom [Page 63]of God. If God hath opened your eyes to perceive that you are naked, wretched, and miserable, and to groan under it, as the Apostle Paul, and to be ashamed of your nakedness, as our first Parents, and that this maketh you tremble, and at an utter loss, crying out, Who shall deliver you; 'tis a sure sign that God is at hand to reveal Christ to you, as he did to Adam, and as he did to Paul, therefore excite faith even from thy despair, by and by some or other will hear thee say.— I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord▪ am I escaped.

Motives particularly to press you to de­ceive and follow these Exhortations, are these three. First, You who groan and sigh with this Apostle, O wretched Man and Wo­man that I am, &c. You are particularly and specially invited, as it were by name, to come to Christ, and to trust that he is both able and willing, yea and cannot do otherwise, but relieve you, who ever he passeth by, Come unto me all ye that are wearied and heavy loaded, and ye shall finde rest to your Souls. The Promise expresses to all such as you, that ye shall finde relief, full relief, rest to your restless Souls, Luk. 11.28. In this Promise, observe the uni­versality of the Invitement. — Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy loaded; i. e. which cry out, as the Apostle in my [Page 64]Text, as lost and undone, O wretched man, &c. All you by name are invited, and there­fore it will be your sin and shame not to come to Christ, that is, to trust, that he will undertake your case, and do you good. Therefore as the Apostle saith as to his suf­ficiency, so say I, as to his will.— Having such a High Priest, let us draw nigh with a true heart, in full assurance of faith. So say I, having such a merciful High Priest; yea, and having such a high and precious Pro­mise, let all burdened and heart-loaded sin­ners draw nigh to Christ, with full assurance of faith, that he will give them rest. Where promises are so particularly directed, it is much indulgence, and as a stretching out the Hand and Scepter to Esther, to wel­come and embolden the trembling doubting sinner, yea it is as the Father of the Prodi­gals, beholding him afar off, and running to meet him.

2 Secondly, Consider, that Christ is not meerly under the Bond of his Promise to relieve such, though this he cannot break, as he cannot lie, but he is under the bond of much affection in this work. Husbands love your Wives, as Christ loved his Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sancti­fie and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the Word, that he might present it to himself spotless, Ephes. 5.26. No Husband can with [Page 65]more natural affection, tender and succour, the Wife of his bosom, then Christ doth the helping of poor wretched burdened sinners, the binding up and mollifying their maladies. Some are bound fast enough to a business by their word, but not at all by their affection, and these though they keep their word, yet it is in such a rough churlish way, as is much discouraging; but it is not so with Christ, because he is under the bond of his bowels and affections, as well as un­der the bond of his word, and therefore trust in him, that your case shall be help­ed, and very carefully and compassionately helped.

3 Finally, Confider the danger of not be­lieving in this able One. You become deb­tors to the Law to fulfill it, and debtors to your own desperate wretched condition, as not self murderers, to deliver your selves from the body of death in which you are, and from the wrath of God, to which this obligeth you. You frustrate the Ordinance of God, which he hath anointed and ap­pointed for your good. You cast your selves under the Covenant of works, as that young Man, which said to Christ, What shall [I do] to be saved! As if he could have saved himself, and so made himself a debtor to fulfill the Law, and Christ put him upon it, seeing he would that way be saved, and so [Page 66]he will serve you and them; Confider whe­ther you be able to keep the Law in every point, and so restore your own state, some are at the Doctrin of Perfection, but they make void the Gospel and Christ, and will as the young Man, mi [...]s perfection in one thing at least, one thing will be wanting, and he that fails in one Point is guilty of all, and will bring the curse of the breach of the whole Law upon him. Confider that by nature you are the Children of wrath, and Transgressors from the Womb, and how soon may the curse of this state be ex­ecuted? Wherefore I conclude all with the repetition of the promise again to you, Isa. 25.6, 7, 8. And, I beseech you heed it well, and take hold of it for your good. And in this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make a Feast to all People, a Feast of fat things, a Feast of Wine on the Lees, of fat things full of marrow, and he will destroy in this Moun­tain the face of the covering cast over all People, and the Vail that is spread over all Nations, and he will swallow up death in vi­ctory, and the Lord God will wipe all teares from all Faces, and the rebuke of his People shall he take from all the Earth, for the Lord hath spoken it; and let me add, his heart and soul is in it, Jer. 3 [...].41. What is the Vail that covereth all Nations? Ans. The Vail of natural corruption, the Body of Death, as the Apostle here calleth it; and as this [Page 67]Prophet in this place calls it—Death, and saith, it shall be swallowed up in victory; yea, he hath engaged to wipe all teares, from all Mourners eyes, who sigh and take on, as this Apostle, because of their wretch­ed condition, and to give them victory over the body of this death, and the triumphs of this great victory, in this World, or in the World to come. Comfort your selves all ye that groan under the Body of Death, with these words.

SERIOUS CONSIDERATIONS OF DEATH.
Being A SERMON ON Isaiah 57.1. The righteous Man perisheth, and no Man layeth it to heart, and merciful Men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken a­way from the evil to come.

THe general Mortality of Man-kind, and the Holy Use that should be made thereof, by all the living, are the two principal things of this verse. Death takes away the wicked, and doubtless the wicked and others too, should lay this to [Page 70]heart; for Death is no partial Visitor, if it fetch off one wicked Man, and send him to his place, it will fetch down another; nothing is more naturally the wages of wickedness, than death; and yet no worse enemy to any wicked Man, than death; therefore one wicked Man should be start­led much, at the death of another.

But Death sometimes taketh away all Men, and then all Men, bad and good, should be much moved, then all should lay to heart this, i.e. should be sensible of their sin, and the displeasure of God, and spee­dily, make peace with him, by repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, that so present evils, and also future presaged by present strokes, may be turned away; which thing, this People could not be stirred up unto, which was the reason of the complaint of this Prophet: he preach­ed the Funerals of the dead, the best dead, to the living good and bad, but no man laid it to heart: that is, not held themselves deeply concerned, to look about them, to search their Souls, to set House and Heart in order to die, but kept on every one in his wonted pace of sin, and wickedness, and formality in Religion, and so fell most of them in the common calamity.

The Doctrines which may be observed in these words, are these. First, That God [Page 71]sometimes by common calamity taketh away the good as well as the bad: Moses and Aa­ron, as well as the mixed Multitude, which murmured, Did the Lord take off, and would not let them come in to the good Land.— The righteous Man perisheth, as if the Pro­phet had said, the Lord strikes more mor­tally than any one is well aware, he plucks up the stakes in the Hedg, he pulls down the Pillars of the whole Nation, and yet Men do not fear, that all will fall about their Ears. Hence it is that another Pro­phet, calls upon the best People to look a­bout them, and to labour to be much better, yet gives them but a may be for their safety. Seek meekness all ye meek of the Earth, ye which have wrought his judgments, seek meek­ness, seek righteousness, it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's wrath. As if the Prophet had said, I cannot ensure the life of the best Man, because God sometimes de­stroyeth the righteous with the wicked, for ends best known to himself. This should make us all fear and tremble much in this dying Day, and to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure, and to be getting Oyl into our Lamps, yea and to keep them trim'd, and to stand guirt, and ready to go in with the Bride-groom, if call'd at Mid-night, by the destroying An­gel that is now abroad.

A Second Doctrin that may be observed in these words, is this, That gracious Men and merciful are the likeliest to scape best, in times of common calamity The Prophet seems to note it in these words of my Text, as very severe Justice, that gracious and merciful Men should not be distinguished from others, in the Day of evil.—The righ­teous Man perisheth, and merciful Men are taken away. As if the Prophet had said, now the Lord is very angry indeed, that he will not spare such as these, which are so precious in his eye, if any be. Noah a righ­teous Man, was preserved from the Flood. And Lot a righteous Man, preserved and plucked out of Sodom, and had there been Ten righteous more, the Cities might have been saved for their sake, as the Ship full of Passengers for Paul's sake. And Ebedmelech the Black more, a merciful Man, was saved from the destructions which destroyed Je­rusalem, and so was Jeremiah. This should incite all People, as they love their lives in this dying day, to labour after grace, and to be merciful Men and Women, yea boun­tiful in this day of want, for such as are rea­dy to yield themselves thus to the Scepter of Christ, and to follow him fully, with all they have and are, will certainly scape best; such as yield all to the Lord, will save all, if any do. You that become of prophane, righteous and holy Men, you take the like­liest [Page 73]way, I know, to escape well in this mortal time; If you get not your lives, you will get your Souls for a Prey, no Plague shall come nigh that, thus are you lodged safe in the Promise, as soon as you become gracious, and break off from your wicked ways, by repentance. And you that are gracious and godly, think on't, as you love your lives in this day of mortality shew your Faith by your Works, abound in this gift also of mercifulness, many that are able and carry the Bag, are abroad and I fear have carr [...]ed the Bag with them; you that are here, had need be the more merciful, Man's poor will starve else. Surely such as are ready to preserve the lives of others, God will preserve their lives.

A Third Doctrin, that may be observed in these words, is this, That times of general security, under present lesser punishments, are of very evil presage. If when God's Judg­ments are in the Earth, righteous Men and merciful be taken away, and none lay these drops of the storms to heart, it fore-rells surely that the Storm will come, and fall hard, and Thunder, and Hall much. Surely some great Evils are at Door, when little ones are made light of: though I cannot call the taking away of one righteous Man in this day, nor the taking away of one merciful Man or Woman in this day, a little [Page 74]punishment.Dictum cum vulgo. I speak after you, if lesser Rods make no Body feel, great ones surely are a making.—Righteous Men are ta­ken away, and none consider, that they are taken from great Evil to come.

Sometimes with a foolish Virgins slum­ber, the good become bad in this, that they lay not GOD's dealings to heart as they should, but let Death, like a Moth, stilly take away one, and then another, and make no noise in Heaven about it; good People are much in a hurry with this World, one about his Farm, and another about his Mer­chandise, and whilst running here and there, hither and thither, the King of Syria is gone, the matters which should have been close kept to the heart, are slipt away out of the mind, and made no use of. And such a temper among the Lord's People, as well as others, is a sure fore-runner of some rou­fing Judgment at Door, that may well awa­ken every Body: the Storm begins to come in among you Citizens now, I hope you will be awake anon, the Plague hath kept in the out-parts a good while, O that we in the in-parts within these Walls, had been well awake then, and laid matters to heart then as we should!

The Doctrin which I would stand on, is this, That general Mortality should be gene­rally laid to heart. Mortal strokes upon all, [Page 75]good as well as bad, should much affect all good and bad. The Strokes of God in this Pro­phet's time, when he spake the words of my Text, began to be general, God spared not righteous nor wicked, and God thus pro­miscuously smiting, the Prophet was trou­bled, that Men were no more affected, as well he might. From whence I observe, That general Mortality, should be generally laid to heart. No Man, high or low, good or bad, but should much lay to heart all the strokes of God, which bring death, that great blow to Man's Beeing. Mortality by Plague, Sword, Famine, or any other way, or by any other Disease, should be well con­sidered, and well made use of, especially if it reach the righteous, as well as others. The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but Prophesie? Amos 3.8. Nature teacheth this in all Crea­tures, that when such Creatures of prey are abroad, which they know they are in dan­ger of to be preyed upon, to dread and tremble, and to take all care they can, to shun them, and to save themselves. The Prophet Mica, who Prophesied in the same time with Isaiah, which so complained in my Text, complaineth just like him, and almost in the same words, Mica 7.2. The good Man is perished out of the Earth, and there is none upright among Men they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every Man his bro­ther [Page 76]with a Net, &c. As if the Prophet had said, Good men perish out of the Earth, and this is so far from being laid to heart, and lookt upon as any judgment, that all vio­lences are used to take away the rest, every one lieth in wait for blood, yea the blood of his Brother, as Cain lay in wait for his Brothers blood, And where will this end? And by this grief of this Prophet, I gather that general Mortality, the perishing of good Men, and the perishing of others, by violences, and murders, and such like, ought much to affect the living, and not the lives of all sorts to be taken away, and made no more of, than of Dogs, or Hogs, by the death of which there is an advantage. By this Prophet Isaiah, we may see this Doctrin again confirmed, that general strokes should generally affect, Isa. 64 9 10, 11. Be not wrath very soon, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever, behold, we bessech thee, we are all thy People. Thy holy Cities are a Wil­derness Zion is a Wilderness, Jerusalem a de­solation, the holy and beautiful House our Fa­thers worshipped thee is burnt with Fire, and all our pleasant things laid wast. The Pro­phet [...]n these words speaketh prophetically, and beholdeth and representeth that which was to be as done, namely the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem, and that state, Persons and things, one and all, and how doth he speak of this general Mortality of [Page 77]Persons and things, good and bad, high and low? Doth he speak of it slightly? O no, but with much complaint, and strong cry, and bemoans to God. Be not wrath very sore, O Lord, be not angry for ever, Zion is a Desolation, Jerusalem a Wilderness, &c. In these Desolations, as you know by the Scripture, there was Death by Plague, Sword and Famine; then I conclude, that general Mortality, should be generally laid to heart, for the Prophet did thus complain to God, to affect all Men, that they might so complain to God, as he did, how sadly matters went amongst them. Take one Scri­pture more Lam. 1.6. And from the Daugh­ter of Zion, all her beauty is departed, her Princes are become like Harts, that can finde no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the Pursuer. This Prophet layeth to heart particularly the distresses of Princes, and great Men; and alass, what are all these, to the distresses, and death of the righteous, and holy, and merciful Men; which proves that we should lay to heart the common strokes of God, as the Sword and Pestilence take away one as well as a­nother, bad and good, high and low.

I will prove this Point more particularly and distinctly to you. First, We are to lay to heart Mortality by the Pestilence. I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner [Page 78]of Aegypt, your Horses have I taken away, and have made the stink of your Camps to come up into your Nosthrils, and so killed you with Plagues, and Diseases, attending the Sword, and yet ye have not returned to me, Amos 4.10. that is, you have not laid things to heart throughly, to be ashamed of your evil ways, and to turn from them. The death of Men, nay the death of Horses, (as such deaths not long since were amongst them) we are to lay to heart, and so to lay to heart, as to prepare to meet God: then the death of good Men by the Pestilence we are surely to lay to heart. From above hath he sent a Fire into my Bones, and it pre­vailed against them, he hath made me desolate and faint all the day, Lam. 1.13. The Pro­phet in these words, as in all the rest, per­sonateth the state of the People generally, and much laid to heart GOD's immediate strokes upon the Persons of Men, by many mortal fierce Diseases, without sparing any, —From above hath he sent Fire into my Bones, and it hath prevailed, &c.

Secondly, Mortality by Famine is to be laid to heart. The Prophet Joel speaketh of this stroke, which indeed is great. — The Land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate Wilderness, and no­thing shall escape them, speaking of Vermin so devouring all Man's Provision, Joel 2.3. [Page 79]at the 12th. vers. of this Chapter the Pro­phet telleth us what effect this should have. Therefore now also saith the Lord, turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, weep­ing, and with mourning, rent your hearts, and not your Garments, for he is gracious, who knoweth if he will return and repent. By which of these strokes either Pestilence or Famine, the godly were taken away, no Man can say; for, by Pestilence, Famine, and Sword, did the Lord contend with that People; That he contended with them by Famine, the Prophet Joel, and also the Pro­phet Jeremiah testifieth, They have sowen Wheat, and shall reap Thorns, they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit (thus doth the Prophet, poscere aciem, bid battel) and ye shall be ashamed of your revenue, be­cause of the fierce anger of the Lord, Jer. 12. 13. But most plain in Ezek. c. 4. & 5. Where the Prophet is commanded to make Bread with Beans and Fitches, and to eat this by weight, and to mix dung with it. And must this be laid to heart? Yes, much: How can any do otherwise? Thus saith the Lord, smite with the Hand, and stamp with the Foot, and say, alass for all the evil abomi­nations of the House of Israel, for they shall fall by the Sword, by the Famine, and by the Pestilence, Ezek. 6.11. Then they fell by all these, and then it is probable that the righteous fell by all these, as others; then [Page 80]we should lay to heart Mortality by all these; we should smite with the Hand, and stamp with the Foot, and say alass. What great abom nations have caused all these great Judgments? God's temporal strokes and judgments, which kill and slaughter all sorts, should much be laid to heart by all sorts.

But you will say,Q. What is it to lay to heart, the mortal strokes of GOD in a Nation?

I answer, A. It is to be deeply sensible of the cause, as it may be in our selves, or in the Nation wherein we live. Observe how the Lord counselleth Ezekiel to carry it, in the day of their dreadful misery.— Thus saith the Lord, smite with thine Hand, and stamp with thy Foot, and say alass for all the evil abominations of the Land of Israel: He doth not barely bid him to say, alass for all the evil punishments of the Land, as Sword, Pestilence, and Famine, but alass for all the wickedness of the Land, which hath caused these. He that is far off shall fall by the Pe­stilence, and he that is neer shall fall by the Sword, and he that remains, and is besieged shall die by Famine, Ezek. 6.11.12. So that to lay to heart mortal strokes in a Nation, is to be deeply affected with the cause of them, in our selves, or in others.

If you ask me further, where we have found out causes in our selves, 2 and in others quos accidam? as Salust saith,

To whom shall I turn and prostrate my self? and say, I have sinn'd,Q. and done this evil abomination?

Answ. To God, in the Name of Christ.A. Therefore thus saith the Lord, turn you even unto me, with all your heart and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, Joel 2.12. And to do this forth-with, presently without all delay or else to be sure it is not turning to the Lord with all the heart. To lay to heart God's willing Discipline, is to be full of deep sorrow for sin in our selves, and others as the proper causes of all sorts of deaths, and deaths of all sorts of Per­sons, good and bad, and to turn from these to the Lord, and to believe on Christ, that the Lord for his sake will be pacified, and turn away all his displeasure, and not make us a reproach unto the Heathen, as it is in that Chapter, Joel 2.17.

Having thus proved and opened the Doctrin, I will shew you in the next Place,Ʋses. what Use may be made of it. First, This Point is profitable to teach. If we are to be deeply sensible of temporal strokes, such as refer to the death of our bodies, then much more are we to be sensible of spiri­tual [Page 82]strokes, and eternal strokes, which re­fer to the death of our Souls. I will send a Famine, not of Bread, but of hearing the Word of the Lord. And they shall wander from Sea to Sea, and from the North to the East, they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord, and shall not finde it, Amos 8.11, 12. How diligently we get the Bills of Mortality now, and being come up to Thousands, O how we lift up our hands, but who brings in Weekly Bills of our Death of Souls, by the Famine of the Word, of hearing the Word of the Lord, in City and Country? A great deal of do seems to be, about the death of Bodies, but ah Lord, how many Thousand, Thousand Souls, have perished in this City, and in these Nations, in a few years past, for want of hearing the Word of the Lord, that is able to save the Soul! Be not wrath very soar, see, behold, we are thy People, Zion is a Wilderness, Jerusalem a Desolation, and all our pleasant things are scattered, Will the Lord refrain for these things? Herein the Prophet seems to be toucht to the quick, that Zion and Jerusalem was desolate, and all these Soul-pleasant things were spoiled, whereby Souls starved and perished, and Soul-Famine, and Pestilence was made, a Famine of hearing the Word of the Lord, that whither soever they went, from one City to another, from one Sea to another, [Page 83]'twas all alike; This, this the Prophet laid deeply to heart, and so should we; I urge it by way of proportion, if we should deep­ly lay to heart bodily death, then much more Soul-death and destruction. A fide ex­orbitans, puniendus, saith the Civilian, such as play the wanton, from the truth, must be punished answerably. We have been, and yet still are, a fide exorbitantes, such as play the unruly Persons from the truth, Children of Belial, which cannot bear Christ's Yoke, full of Soul-itch for ano­ther Gospel, and being thus lewd in spi­rituals, answerably in spiritual liberties and enjoyments hath God punished us; it is not a little peril unto us, that we meet now, al­though the hand of God affright such, as would be looking after us; This, this we should deeply lay to heart, that the Bread for our Souls fails, from the House of our God. The strokes of God, and the strokes of Men together, affright away the Pastors, and so the Pastures of your Souls, and yet all this but the just punishment of much spiritual wantonness and exorbitancy.

2 Secondly, If temporal strokes which re­fer to the death of the body, should be laid much to heart, then Eternal strokes, which make the everlasting destruction of the Soul, should be deeply laid to heart much more. Such a stroke as that, Isai. 63.17. [Page 84] O Lord, Why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways? and hardened our hearts from thy fear? and such as that, Prov. 17.10. A reproof entereth more into a wise Man, than an hundred stripes into a Fool. Some Mens hearts are by the inward strokes of GOD made Judgment-proof, that Plague, Famine and Sword, all the Ten Plagues that were inflicted on Pharaoh, and Ten more to them, will not stir them, nor turn them, no more than they stopped or turned him, nor yet so much. And what do you see in this day, done on the hearts of Men by the hand of God abroad, now, of Sword, Famine, and Pestilence? Do these enter the hearts of Men? This speaks that Eternal strokes, ju­dicial wrath upon the Soul is abroad, fit­ing Men for Eternal death much, of which I fear the most of us, are little aware. O Juresalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered thee, as a Hen her Chicken, and thou wouldst not, but now they are hid from thine Eyes. This was a Soul-mortal, and an Eter­nal stroke, and how Christ laid it to heart! how he sighed and wept! O Jerusalem. And if our Gospel be hid, it is hid unto them that perish, saith the Apostle; and how long hath th [...]s stroke been, upon the Souls of most Assemblies in these Nations, and else where! the Power of the Gospel hid, and a spurious efficacy gone forth in the place thereof, faithful Labourers fishing all night, [Page 85]and can catch nothing, scarce covert a Soul, and unfaithful Labourers, such as come not in by the Door, but come in their own name, these pervert many, yea, though they come with never so damnable Do­ctrines, if denying the Lord that bought them, yet flockt after. O give me leave to tell you, in this day of God's sore Visita­tion, Hinc illae lachrymae, these are Soul-Plagues, which have brought our Bodily-Plagues; these are Soul mortal and eternal strokes, because we have not received the truth in the love of it, and no Man of us have laid these to heart, as we should. Spi­ritual Plagues and Judgments, have swept away Souls by thousands all the Nations o­ver, many years together, and who of us have laid this Mortality to heart, as we should? See how the Prophet Isaiah layeth to heart spiritual strokes, Isa. 24.16, 17. My leanness, my leanness, the treacherous dea­ler hath dealt treacherously, yea the treache­rous dealer hath dealt very treacherously, fear, and the snare, and the Pit are upon thee. Trea­chery, swearing, for swearing, thus in spi­ritual matters, as Judas who betrayed Christ, and as much as in him lay, the Bodies and Souls of all Man-kind, such treacherous dealers were the Jews, which the Prophets much bewailed, as great, spiritual and eter­nal strokes, and so should we, as we see these on any Nation, for these things are written [Page 86]for our learning, that we should follow the foot-steps of the Flock. It were well we that live in these last and worst times of the World, could with the Prophet for like things, sigh and say, My leanness, that we could sigh our selves lean this day before the Lord, because of hypocrisie, treachery, and all Soul-villany, and spiritual wicked­ness; and the hypocrisie and treachery of our own hearts, greatest of all, and O how should we sigh and lament our selves lean for this, ere the Plague sweep us away.

2 The next Use of this Point may be for Reproof, and it may reprove two sorts. 1. Such as are sensible of nothing. 2. Such as are sensible of nothing to purpose. 1 First, This may reprove such as are sensible of nothing, or nothing sensible. Temporal strokes are thick, God and Man upon us, Pestilence at home, War abroad, God and Man killing and slaughtering us, one at Sea, 'tother at land, Is not this general Mortality? God shoots his Arrows every where, and how great is his dread fallen upon us! In what Street of this poor City can one walk, but dead Corps and Ghosts walk; In what Fields about this City can one walk, where death also doth not walk, and as God's Bailiff, seize and arrest, and carry away, to the great Bar above, and to the Judge of all the World, to receive all [Page 87]that they have done here in the Body, good or bad? At what corner of this City, can we that live abroad creep in, and not be met and saluted with trains of dead Corps, carrying to the Grave, to new Church­yards, and New-exchanges, old Burying-places being over-fatted and glutted, and Corps inhumanely crowding one another out of their Places, before the time; and among all these sad salutations, some righ­teous Men, and merciful Men and Women taken away, and we can tell their names, and where they lived, and so ends the story till the next Bill of Mortality come out, with more taken away, and then they put out the talk of the other, and this is our laying of matters to heart, which is rather a laying them to our Heads and Tongues, than to our Hearts: What change do all your New-exchanges make? He that was a Drunkard, is so still: He that was an A­dulterer, is so still: And he that was an Hy­pocrite, and a Formalist, is so still. They that were malicious to the righteous Man, and to the merciful Man, are so still. Is it not at our peril even now, to meet to Preach and Pray, as we do at this time? And have not righteous and merciful once, been hunted from Praying, even in this Plague-time? And is not this our laying to heart general Mortality? May not God well take those home to himself, of whom [Page 88]we are so weary? Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the Robbers? Did not the Lord, He, against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his Law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of Battel, and hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not, and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart, Isa. 42.25. So it may be said of us, the hand of the Lord slayeth us round about, heaps upon heaps, and we walk as if we knew nothing, as if it nothing concerned us. Who smites upon his thigh, saying, What have I done, to ca [...]se all this? What is that wickedness in my heart, by which I have slain so many, and so good People, righteous and merciful ones? Lord have mercy upon us, is put up now at next Door, it is now right over a­gainst me, saith another; but, Lord have mercy upon me, what have I yet in my heart amiss, that hath brought the wrath of God so nigh me, to stare me in the Face? I will scatter them (saith the Lord) among the Heathen, whom neither they nor their Fa­thers have known, and I will send a Sword after them, till I have consumed them, and observe what follows, Were they moved with this soar threat? Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider ye, and call for the mourn­ing Women, that they may come, and send for cunning Women that they may come, and let [Page 89]them make hast, and take up a wailing, Jer. 9.17, 18. As if the Prophet had said, un­less you send for some artificial mourning, here will be no mourning at all, for all that God hath threatned or executed, every ones heart is so dead and stone-hard; and just so it is now with the most of us, that cer­tainly the Plague of the heart, is much more numerous, than the Plague upon our Bodies. If any ask, as Livy in another case. Quin ad hoc accingeris? But why do not People gird themselves to this thing, no more? Truly I know not; 'tis all the Plague.

2 Secondly, Such are to be reproved, who lay things to heart a little, but nothing to purpose; as when the Plague is come neer them, or when they meet the white Rod, and the black followers upon Neighbours, nay, upon strangers shoulders; for fear the dead should infect their living Friends, then they stand and stare, and lift up their Eyes and Hands, O what a doleful sight is this! and others concerned for their Relations, weep a while, and wring their hands.—No Mother lost such a Child. But as for sin the cause of all this, Who cries out of this? Who turns from this? Or, who enquires after Christ, to take hold of him, to make his peace with God, that these mortal quar­rels might cease? How many converts by [Page 90]the Plague, can ye shew me? By swearing and lying, and killing and stealing, and com­mitting adultery, Men break out, and blood toucheth blood, therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall lan­guish with the Beast of the Field, and the Fowl of Heaven, and Fishes of the Sea; yet let no Man strive nor reprove another, for the People are as they that strive with the Priest, therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the Prophet shall fall with thee in the Night, Hos. 4.3, 4. The Dutch Notes are worth your perusal, upon these words. The fowl­est sinners were committed by great ones, and if any offered to reprove these, and seek to bring them to the sense of their evil ways, they were sure to be silenced, and o­therwise punished, so far were that People, from laying any thing to heart. They strove with the Priest, i. e. scorned his reproofs, stopt his mouth, imprisoned, banished, kill­ed all that opposed, and this was their lay­ing to heart God's dealings with them; the end was answerable, they all ranks high and low, perished by the wrath of GOD and common judgment; and, so shall we, or any People who tread in their steps: or else, why are such Scriptures written? A little laying to heart of late hath seemed to be, by commanding Fire to be made in all Streets, and this, and this I fear, is as I have said, a little sense of God's hand, and [Page 91]to very little purpose. It must be other Bon-fires to purge the Heavens, to clear the highest Heavens. Whose heart is a fire as a righteous man, as righteous Lot, vexed with the unclean conversation of the wick­ed? Who sighs and cries for his own wick­edness, and the wickedness of the Land, and turneth from the evil of his way, and look­eth to him that fires the Prayers and Offer­ings of his People, by his sweet Incense and Intercession? Bad men, and good men die daily, and is this Preaching only turned in­to prating for an Hour, by all you that pass by? Such is dead, and 'tother is dying, &c. And is here all? One of the Cardinals ha­ving a great Bishoprick in Germany in Lu­ther's days, confessed that the Mass was not void of its faults, that the Courts of Rome were corrupted, that a general reformation of the Priests and Friers was necessary, but that the poor rascal Monk Luther should begin all that, he thought intollerable, and answerably set against him; so the Men of this Age will confess that there are many things amiss in all ranks, but that such poor rascals should reprove them in their Ser­mons and lives; this, this is now not to be endured, Prisons are too good for such, and the Cure is worse than the Disease. And this is all the sense that these wise men have of matters amiss, which is little sense, but to no purpose.

Ʋse 3 Let us make use of this Doctrine in the next Place, to try our selves by it. Are you such as lay to heart the hand of God now, the taking away of righteous and wicked, merciful and un-merciful Men? In most Houses are dead Bodies, if not yet in every House, as in Aegypt; In your Houses it may be are, or have been, dead Bodies, and now some dying; Are ye sensible what dead Souls ye have, and how hard to be raised from the dead? How much alive to evil quickly; but as Nabal, as dead-hear [...]ed as a stone to all good, to the great good, Christ, and to the embracing of him. Some are well, and yet still offering their hand to the Physician, saith Seneca, their hearts be­ing like a Pond after a storm, a long while trembling. Some are not Soul well, the Plague of a hard heart being on them, and their sores and swellings daily to be seen without searching for, and yet never offer their Pulse to any to feel them, but judge themselves well, and their state good, which confidence is carnal, and an evident token of an impenitent and insensible heart.

If ye say that ye have no calamity in your Families, nor Death in your Houses, yet Death is much in the dwellings of many o­thers; How do ye lay this to heart? God doth whip some upon others backs, and this is tender mercy, and should be the more [Page 93]melting, and abasing, and drawing to Christ, as Cords of great love; Is it thus with you? How the Prophet Jeremiah was affected with the calamity of others, especially as he saw it did no good upon their Souls, which was an evident token, how well it wrought upon his Soul; though others smarted, yet he laid to heart, and profited. My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very heart, my heart maketh a noise in me, I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my Soul, the sound of the trumpet, and the alarum of War. Destruction upon destruction is cryed, for the whole Land is spoiled, sud­denly are my Tents spoiled, and my Curtains in a moment; How long shall I see the Stan­dard, and hear the sound of the Trumpet? for my People is foolish, they have not known me, they are sottish Children, they have no un­derstanding, they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge, Jer. 4.19, 20. Let us apply these words to our selves, do not we lie in such an ill frame of Spirit? Are not our hearts (though God's hand be so heavy) still sottish and sensless of all that whereby we have provoked God, to do all this against us? Very wise and quick to see the Moat in others Eyes, and to lay the blame at others doors. You will say, so did Jeremiah, in this Scripture which you have quoted. I answer, That the Prophet did see provocations abroad, it is true, but that it [Page 94]was not without looking well to his own heart; see Jer. 12.1, 2, 3. Righteous art thou O Lord, when I plead with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments. Where­fore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Where­fore are all they happy, which deal very trea­cherously? Thou hast planted them, yea they have taken root, they grow, yea they bring forth fruit, thou art neer in their mouths, and far from their Reins; but, thou O Lord know­est me, and seen me, and tryed my heart to­wards thee, pull them out like Sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the Day of slaughter. As if he had said, thou knowest right well that I have frailties and infirmi­ties many, yet thou also knowest that I be­wail them, and in all things I endeavour to approve my self to thee by thy help, and would do nothing to provoke thee in this Day. Can we thus approve our selves to GOD now?

Ʋse 4 Let the last Use of this Doctrine be for Exhortation. Be sensible, and lay to heart this mortal time, and this dying day, the many thousands of all sorts, good and bad, which now are swept away. Let it not be said, that the Graves are wide open, Hell is wide open, but our hearts are still fast shut. Righteous and merciful Men, as well as profane drunken covetous Nabals are taken away, but none lay to heart one or [Page 95]the other. If the Prophets charge in my Text, should be found a true charge against us, alass for us! we are all dead Men and Women, and no escaping. Wherefore stir up your selves, weep not for the dead, but weep for your selves, saying alass, alass, what have I done? How do I live, that so many die where I dwell? Do not I infect the Pa­rish? my Family? this City? And be close home in these Queries, and in these Heart-smitings; for surely, if we did judge our selves as we should, every one in truth, we should not thus continually be judged of the Lord. The Bells tole and ring in your ears, every Morning and Evening, but is there nothing else sounds in your Ears? No A­chan, no accursed thing that yet your hearts hide and cleave so fast to? And will not yet, though thus affrighted, part with? A dreadful sound is in his ears, Job 15.21 in prosperity the Destroyer shall come upon him, said Eliphaz to Job, he speaks to Job, as to a worldly Man, catcht in his worldly ways. You have had worldly ways, and tumblings all over the World you Citizens, and now you are at leisure, and quiet, Do you not hear some dreadful sound, in your ears of sin, in this and in that? you have complained for want of leisure, now you have leisure, pray lissen well now to your consciences, what dread­ful reports they are ready to make at the great Bat above against you, O lay these [Page 96]to heart well, for these have slain you and us now, in all that is dear, and will slay yet all the remnant, unless we all repent. The Prophet Elija by killing two Captains and their Fifties, brought the third Captain up­on his knees, and to humble himself, whe­ther in truth I know not, but he saved his life by it, and the lives of his Fifty men. O that Christ by killing so many Thousands, so many Eight Thousands, and so many Five Thousands, might bring the rest upon their knees indeed to him; he got his life, and we should get our lives and our Souls; and so would the Plague, as a Plague not come nigh our dwelling.

2 Secondly, Let me exhort you to lay to heart the import of these general strokes, that one and all are so cut off, wicked and righteous. These kind of general strokes do import, that we all have sinn'd, and have much provoked God, one as well as ano­ther. Righteous Men, and merciful Men, have not been so holy and righteous, and so merciful as we should. Behold, the Days come, saith the Lord, That I will punish the circumcised with the uncircumcised. Aegypt and Juda, and so puts them together, and then Edom and Ammon, and Moab and Is­rael, with them which are in the uttermost parts of the Earth, For all these Nations are uncircumcised in Flesh, and all the House of [Page 97]Israel are uncircumcised in heart, Jer. 9.25.26. Some Men are outwardly and openly stark naught, and the best of us it seems are not so good at heart as we should be; this let us lay to heart all of us. Or else the import of this general mortality is, that God means to harden the hearts of some much, by slaying the good as well as the bad, that they who have no mind to repent and change their courses, may be confirmed and encouraged in them, in as much as they see, that they escape as well as others, and live as long as others. The World is draw­ing on apace to Atheisme, and the provi­dence of God seems to rock the Cradle. The Idolater and the sincere worshiper, the superstitious and the truly tender consci­ence; Nabal and the merciful Abigail, all die promiscuously; Why, who can tell now which to prefer to follow? That one may think his Religion as good as the other, the the Papist and Protestant both die of the Plague; and that the ceremoneist may think as well of his way, as the strict Non-confor­mist, they both die of the Plague, and this is a Plague indeed to some; this is raining snares upon Men, which are willing to slum­ber in their own ways. Some are afraid to be over-righteous, and over-strict, and the judgments of God falling so promiscuously, will make such very temperate in their Re­ligion; If this be the import of God's de­stroying [Page 98]righteous and wicked, to harden slight and loose Professors, we had need look well to it, who profess the Gospel, that we be very substantial and real, and that we be not catcht with this snare of judging by outward appearance, but look to the Word, what that requires. This snare the Prophet Malachy speaks of, Mal. 2.17. Ye have wearied the Lord with your words, and yet ye say, wherein have we wearied him? When ye say that every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord; or, Where is the God of judgment? Surely the Lord likes our good fellowship, and all the latitudes we use, and carnal contents and pleasures, as well as their rigid strict self-denying con­versation, or else he would not spare us as much or more than he doth them; lay to heart this import of GOD's promiscuous dealing above all, how God hardens sinners in their sins by such dealings.

Or Thirdly, and Lastly, This promiscu­ous dealing of God imports, that which my Text here tells us, that there are greater e­vils to come, which God takes the righte­ous from, and this should be much laid to heart indeed, according to the very letter of my Text. So was Josia by a less judgment, taken from a greater. A praesenti praesumitur, circa futura, saith the Civilian. From pre­sent things, we may presume concerning fu­ture. [Page 99]If Lot be warned and pulled out of Sodom, there is surely some great and fear­ful storm a coming. If God snatch his Peo­ple, as he did Josia, in hast (as it were) to Heaven, we may say with this Prophet in my Text, they are taken from the evil to come. Lay to heart therefore the hand of God, that it slayes so generally one and all; and lay to heart the import of it, that it boads some greater evil to come. There be Serpents which have heads in their tails, called Amphisbaenae. This stroke of God ta­king away righteous and wicked, hath a head in the tail of it, that will make worse work, than this head which is now fore-most, and yet how many doth this fore-most head now smite and slay! and how mortal and tre­mendous is this fore-head!

Thirdly, Be exhorted to lay to heart this, that you may be the next cut off, who ever you be, seeing the slaughter men in this day spare none, young nor old, rich nor poor, close Lanes, nor open Streets, righteous nor wicked▪ What should we all then say to our selves, but this, surely I may be next the mark which God will hit. What a trade the Cof­fin-makers, and Grave-makers now have? And Hell answerably doubly inlargeth it self, as you do now seek out for new Church Yards; and should not we smite on our breasts, and say, O the wonderful mercy and [Page 100]power, and patience of the Lord, that none of all these have been employed about me yet! That so many thousands should be gone before, and so many thousands more draw­ing on, and drawing after, and I yet not one of these; O magnified be the rich and Soveraign mercy of God! Am I more righ­teous, more merciful, more useful with my Talent than such, and such that are gone? O no: not worthy to be named in the Day with them, and yet that I should be left, and they taken, that they should have their turn, their over-turn before me!

When I say, lay to heart, that you may be next, I mean more than one thing, the ad­miring of GOD's mercy, that you are yet spared; I mean this also, lay to heart your state, whether you be ready. 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 very heavily laid the yoke. And thou saidst, I shall be a Lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it, Isa. 47.6, 7. Many parts of the Christian World are given into the hands of Men, and they do with them at their pleasure, and yet are secure, and consider not the end of such ways, that it will be bitterness at last. I have nothing to do with such but with you. [Page 101]Are not you yet in some ways which are not good, and yet promise peace to your selves in them, yea though GOD's slaughter-men and Fellers be come up to London, The Plague was first at South­hampton▪ and at other Countrey-Towns, be­fore it came to London. yea come up to your Doors; and not say rather to your selves, I had need look about me, I am likely to be next. And what if the Fel­lers fell me? Whither will the Tree fall when it falleth? Will not the fall of it be very great? If the righteous scarcely escape now, if the merciful Man scarcely escape now, Am I likely to escape?

Motives to press you thus to lay to heart these things, are these. First, 1 Is this in my Text, How few do lay matters to heart now, either the matters of his works or words, rods or escapes, righteous Men & mer­ciful Men, rich Men and poor Men, the Judge and the honourable, &c. are taken away, and yet none lay this to heart; If the Prophet had said few lay things to heart. I would have kept his phrase, but because he saith none, I am but too justly lead to say so too. Mortality and deadness of Bodies is not yet so general, as mortality and dead­ness of Souls. Zion stretcheth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort, the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adver­saries should be round about him, Jerusalem is as a menstruous Woman amongst them. Lam. 1.17. We the Lord's People (as in every [Page 100] [...] [Page 101] [...] [Page 102]Age) have adversaries round about, the righteous Man and the merciful Man hath adversaries enough; But, who of the World, nay, who of our selves, lay this to heart?

2 A Second Motive to press you to lay to heart these times, is also in the Text. Lay to heart present Rods, or it will be an ill presage upon us, that worse things, Seven times worse are at Door. If we be yet sense­less, and walk contrary, surely we shall be punished Seven times more; 'tis an ill pre­sage, as to the whole Nation, that God may be laying an Axe to the Root of all. My heritage is to me as a speckled Bird, the Birds round about are against her, assemble all ye Beasts of the Field, come to devour, they have made it desolate, and it being desolate mourn­eth to me, the whole Land is made desolate, be­cause no man layeth it to heart, Jer. 12.9, 10, 11. This Text sheweth us the evil to come, which my Text speaks but darkly of. Ge­neral insensibility foretelleth general ruine. A poor speckled People, are most Prote­stant Churches at this Day, and greater spots me-thinks we get still, by gadding to change our way, which I fear are not the spots of his People. For these things, Plague and Sword, and Famine have desolated much the Protestant Countreys, Cities and Nations, and we seem now to be drawing after: For these things these Nations mourn, that is, the welfare of many mournes, but [Page 103]Persons are still insensible. The City being desolate, it mourns, and the Land being de­solate, it mourneth; but we are jovial, and drink Wine in Bowls, and stretch our selves on our Beds of Ivory, and chant to the sound of the Viol, &c. which presageth worse still to come, than yet we feel. You have by your insensible sottish carriage un­der all the dealings of God, made great Graves for a great many good Men, and good things, and you will make a greater for all the rest that remain, and rowl a stone upon the mouth of it, that the whole City may be desolate, the whole Land be deso­late, and no remedy; If ye do not lay things to heart.

3 A Third Motive is this, lay to heart pre­sent mortal strokes, or else you will be sur­prised with those that are to come, else the evils approaching, will justly overtake you unawares. You will (as the fool) be sing­ing a requiem to your souls, Soul take thine ease and be quiet; thou hast got a good Air to dwell in, and all Neighbours about us be well yet, there is not one sick of the Plague in all the Parish; and thou hast got an ex­cellent receit against the Plague, such and such used it all the last great Plague, and were all well, on some such Lees will you settle, and so be surprised with God's Visi­tation. I will visit them that are setled upon [Page 104]their Lees, saith the Lord; and a Visitation when People are thus secure, will be a Plague with a vengeance, to Soul and Body, an Eternal Plague, that by dying you will die. This Plague is spoken of, Isa. 29.9. Stay your selves and wonder, cry ye out and cry, they are druncken, but not with Wine, they stagger, but not with strong drink, for the Lord hath poured cut upon the Spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, your Prophets and Rulers, the Seers hath he covered, and the vi­sion of all is become unto you as the wonder of a Book that is sealed. I am afraid that this is the Plague of the Plague that is upon us. A spirit of deep sleep is poured upon all ranks, wherefore cry out, and cry if ye can, ye handful, which are here this day, yet in the Land of the living, that ye with all the rest be not surprised, with the Evil that is yet to come.

4 Fourthly, You are the Men and Women which have seen afflictions, as the Prophet Jeremy said, I am the Man that have seen affliction by the Rod of his wrath, Lam. 3.1. You have not only read the Bills, but you have been at the Burials, you have been of the Mourners that have gone about the Streets: You have seen the black trains of dead Corses, going by Sixes and Tens to their long home, therefore your eyes should affect and afflict your hearts; Alass, if we [Page 105]here in the midst of so many Thousand deaths, be Soul-dead, and lay nothing to heart, how is it likely that they in the Country, which see none of these Sermons, should be deeply affected. They have scarce­ly the Word to quicken them in many pla­ces, and you have the Word and the Rod, and the Marks of the Rod upon your Bo­dies, and upon the Bodies of yours, the Marks of the Lord Jesus wrath, you that have such feeling Sermons, and not feel, how will this be cryed out upon! GOD that is come so neer to judge, you that have been so neer the Grave, if not Hell, that have dwelt in Golgotha, among nothing but Tombes, Graves, Sculs, and lean walking Ghostes for so many Moneths this Year, when others have been out of the sight and hearing of all these things, if you weep not to them, 'tis very unlikely that they will weep unto you.

Finally, This duty of laying to heart the promiscuous mortal strokes of God, is a duty, wherein God will help you, and suc­ceed you, therefore up, and be at it. God hath promised to take away the heart of stone, and to give a heart of Flesh: and that with weeping, and supplication he will lead us: And therefore we should wait upon the Word in these his ways, because he will meet us, and assist us in the work of this [Page 106]day. And God will not only assist, but ac­cept and prosper this work of humiliation. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: God doth surely hear all bemoaning penitent sinners, and makes a book of remembrance. They which go forth weeping, sowing precious seed, shall doubtless return with rejoycing, bringing their sheaves with them. And then will you be called the repairers of breaches, and the restorers of Pathes to dwell in. I conclude all with the saying of one— Ʋt valet quisque accipiat. Let every one weigh well what hath been said, and receive these things as he seeth good, and live in this dying day as he should, or as he will.

THE DESCRIPTION OF A FRIEND.
Being A SERMON ON Prov. 17.17. A Friend loveth at all times, and a Brother is born for adversity.

THe condition of the Lords People is very necessitous and yet like to be much more, it may not be ther­fore now unseasonable to Preach unto you the Do­ctrine of neighbourly love, that we may be stirred up to become helpsul one to ano­ther, as the state of times doth, or shall call for at our hands.

The nature of friend [...]hip, and the use [Page 108]thereof in distressed conditions, are the two main things of this Verse to be lookt into. The nature of friendship, is to love, — A friend loveth, &c. Love is as much the formality of a friend, as rationality of a Man. Humane nature begets a kind of Kindred between all Man-kind, which state supposeth love. — Cum natura quandam cognationem inter homines constituat, alterum alteri insidiari nefas est, saith the Civilian. Whereas nature makes a certain Kindred between Men, for one to betray another, is most wicked. Now, if nature make a kind of Kindred, and so consequently love, much more friendship makes a kind of Kindred, yea neer Kindred, a brother. A friend is, as my Text saith, a brother, as a very neer Kins­man, or as a neerest Kinsman. And you may as well say a brother, is a brother with­out love, as say a friend is a friend without love.

A friend loveth, &c. that is, purely. Pure love is that which springeth from pure Principles, which are two, love to GOD, and love to Man, as some way or other bearing his Image, either by Creation or Re­generation, and so not upon any self-ac­count. Thus David loved Saul, and was much pleased with the Men of Jabesh Gilead that buried Saul, and much offended with the Amalechite that killed him, although he was his great and implacable Enemy. And [Page 109]thus Jonathan loved David, although David dethroned him. Jonathan was grieved that his Father had done David shame, so Jonathan arose from the Table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the Moneth, for he was grieved for David, because his Fa­ther had done him shame, I Sam. 20.34. A friend loveth a friend upon his honour, as he would be found answering the will of God, and the Creatures true good, and for no bribe of applause or profit.

The Men of Israel were angry with the Men of Judah, for stealing David home from his exile without them. And the Men of Juda made this ingenuous reply. The King is neer of Kin to us, Wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? Have we eat­en at all of the King's cost? Or hath he gi­ven us any gift? 2 Sam. 19.42. Have we (as if they had said) any self-end in our kindness to David, but shewing pure love, as such a neer Relation requires.

The love of sympathy is pure love. The Iron moveth to the Load-stone, not from knowledge, consequently not from design, but from some hidden similitude in proper­ty between them, which is as love in ratio­nal Creatures, and from the hand of the first mover, which inclines this Creature to that, as pleaseth him; and no more else can [Page 110]be said, of the matters of friendship, no gifts, nor this, nor that make it: We love not yours but you, saith the Apostle.

2 Secondly, A friend loveth, &c. that is re­ally, not in word only, but in deed, as the Apostle saith. And David said to Abiathar, I knew how it would be, when Doeg the Edo­mite was there, I have occasioned the death of all these Persons of thy Fathers house, abide thou with me, fear not, for he that seeketh thy life, seeketh my life, but with me thou shalt be in safety, I Sam. 22.23. I will take care of thy life and livelihood, as of my own, as of he had said. A friend is alter ego, another self. Hushai is called David's friend, and he made David's case and condition his own, and adventured himself far, as far as his life, and laid down his life for his friend.

Beasts love one another, and will fight for one another to the death, whose friend­ship is but a love of sympathy. There are in England 9725 Parishes, how many thou­sand Souls may be in these Parishes? If I should be asked by Men in Place, what is true friendship to all these Souls? I would answer, To love them really: What is that? I answer, To love them in words and in deeds, to do as he we read of, (in the Acts of the Apostles,) He loved our Nation, and built us a Synagogue, to pro­vide able and faithful Preachers for every [Page 111]Parish through these Kingdomes, that is, to love their Souls, and to feed them, and so to love their Bodies, who are in want, and to feed them, and to cloath them, my mean­ing is▪ to set good Ministers and good Ma­gistrates over them, this were to love real­ly, and so to be a true friend to the Nation, and to all in it. To give titles of honour and complements, this is not that which fil­leth up the definition of friendship. Can­not a City, and all Places study plaucibility of carriage, and must this by and by be cal­led friendship?

But as Absalom said to Hushai that stuck not to him in his distress, Is this thy kind­ness to thy friend? to talk and to give goodly complements? Why wentest thou not-with thy friend? 2 Sam. 16.7. A poor Widdow, a Ministers poor Widdow (of which there be many now) complained to the Prophet Elisha, and he became a friend to her, what was that? Answ. He loved her really. And Elisha said to the Widdow of the Prophet. — What shall I do for thee? 2 Kings 4.2. and did do for her to purpose, as much as her condition needed. Set her out of debt, and gave her and hers wherewith to live upon. Pliny tells us of a Sea that doth, Ac­cipere amnem in rotam sed non recipit. That is, takes in such a River, but doth not con­naturalise it self with it, doth not incorpo­rate it as with other waters, but as it goeth [Page 112]in, so it goes out: And just so do we open our Doors, and Gates of our Houses and Towns, and accipere, take in poor Ministers and poor People, but do not recipere, re­ceive them, i. e. welcome in, with — What shall I do for you and for yours? and make their wants as our own, and mingle tears, and sighs, and cares, and travels, and spirits, and purses with them.

Thirdly, A friend loveth, &c. that is, strongly or unexpressibly. 3 I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan, very pleasant hast thou been unto me, thy love to me was [won­derful] passing the love of Women, 2 Sam. 1.26. Niphla from Pala, it signifies (saith the Critick) high and hidden, such as Man's power cannot reach nor perform, nor rea­son attain unto. Used Exod. 33.16. For wherein shall it be known here, that I and thy People have found favour in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy People from all the Peo­ple that are upon the Face of the Earth.— Separated, this is the word, that is, so shall we be a People above all expression, admi­red, and beloved, and honoured, &c. So did Jonathan honour and esteem David, be­yond all expression. And such is the love of a friend it should seem, as set forth to us by the Word.

There is a Hauke which they call acci­piter [Page 113]humipeta, because it lies hovering over Mice and little Vermin on the Earth, and petty small Birds, as they peep in Hedges and Furrowes, and useth not to soar and seek any noble and great Game, as some o­ther kind of stately Hawkes do: So there is a love of Man to Man, attended with some small realities of action, giving some small Mony as one goeth the Streets, and broken meat from the Table, and such like little low things, of kindnesses and love, which may well be spared, and no prejudice; but this kind of love, though it hath a rea­lity in it, and doth good, and would there were more of this in these times, yet it doth not denominate the Person, which so doth a friend, according to the sense of my Text, and yet he is a friend in a large sense, or ra­ther in a little sense.

A friend is a Man of a noble Spirit, that soares high and far, to fetch the biggest and best prey, to feed and supply want. Hence it is that one compares friendship, to mar­riage; because friendly love is stronger than that, which runs in any other Chan­nel.

Now how wonderful for strength! and how unexpressable for pleasure and plea­santness! Is marriage love? as we have some signature of it through Solomon's love-Song, where the word Friend is used, to ex­press Marriage-love, and the highest love [Page 114]which passeth between Man-kind. — His Mouth is most sweet, yea he is altogether love­ly: This is my beloved, and this is my [friend] O Daughter of Jerusalem, Cant. 5.16. And proportionable to such a great love, is all industry and expence to help and bless with the best and most precious things. As A­raunah brought friendships like a Prince to David, and yet but a friend and a stranger, a Gentile. And the wise Men of the East, what Presents they made to Joseph and Mary, and their Child, or else they had had no­thing to flee with all into Aegypt to save their lives. And our Saviour who was La­zarus's friend, how he sighed and groaned to make a Resurrection of Him, so that standers by beholding his carriage, his sigh­ing, his weeping over Lazarus Grave, said, Behold how he loved him! which is written, that we might have a right pourtraiture of a friend, So Christ called Lazarus — Our friend Lazarus is dead. And Martha which was Christ's friend, What a deal of care, and how taken up to provide all that possi­ble could be for Christ, and thought she could never provide what was good e­nough.

And so Pharaoh, when he became a friend to Joseph, he thought he could never do e­nough for him, he set him up next to him­self, over all his own Nation and Relati­ons. And so the Persian Emperor advan­ced [Page 115] Daniel and Mordecai. A friend is a fa­vourite, and a favourite is a signet set on the heart, by the finger of God, than which, What is of more estcem?

At such a great and unexpressableness of love, as the true form of a friend, pointeth that Scripture, Deut. 13.6. And observe well the words, at what a height a friend is put, even by the Lord himself, in some sense it should seem, above all relations. If thy brother, the Son of thy Mother, or thy Son or thy Daughter, or the Wife of thy bosome, or thy Friend, which is as thy own Soul; entice thee. The meaning of all these high ex­pressions, is, that the love of a friend is ve­ry strong, unexpressable, no relation, nor thing in this World, dear enough, nor full enough almost to express it. A Brother, a Son, a Daughter, a Wife, yea ones own Soul; a Friend is as neer, as dear, as any of these, and being brought in in the close, when he had named all neer Relations.— Or thy Friend which is as thine own Soul; he would seem to give preheminence of love to a friend, and set him, as Pharaoh did Jo­seph, next indeed to his own Soul and Life. And if of due there go such a deep Channel of love to the Creature, O! what an Ocean of love is due to Christ our good friend.

4 Fourthly, A friend loveth thus, as I have before-said and loveth thus, not for a spurt [Page 116]and away,G [...]colam­padi [...]s & Capito: Their friendship lasted as long as they lived. but he loveth thus — at all times. A friend loveth [at all times.] Cum dives eris plures numerabis amicos! Whilst we need no friends, we shall have more than a good many.

But the love of friendship, is as the mo­tion of the Sun, all the year, and in all weathers, Winter and Summer. Brutes love one another, only whilst together, and whilst they see one another, but when parted, they utterly forget one another; and thus do most love, which sheweth it to be short of the love of friendship.

A friend loveth at all times, when sick, and when well, when poor as when rich, when absent as when present, when dead as when alive. And Naomi said unto her daugh­ter in Law, blessed be he of the Lord who hath not left off his kindness to the living, and to the dead, Ruth 2.20. yea, or any that are of him, as David did Mephibosheth, the Son of Jonathan, He shall eat at my Table, and be as mine own Children. And Jonathan said to David go in peace, for as much as we have sworn both of us in the Name of the Lord, say­ing, the Lord be between me and thee, and be­tween my seed and thy seed for ever, 1 Sam. 20.42.

The love of friendship hath a kind of Eternity in it, a for ever: The Lord be be­tween my Seed and thy Seed for ever: 'Tis a love like the love of God, a kindness like [Page 117]the kindness of God, as David expresseth it, that lasteth to the Third and Fourth Gene­ration. Is there any of the House of Saul that I may shew the kindness of God to him? that is, an everlasting love, 2 Sam. 9.3.

'Tis noted by Historians of Queen Eli­zabeth, that as she reformed corrupt Reli­gion, so corrupt Coin. There is nothing so corrupt in these last days as love, both towards God and towards Man, as appears by the instability thereof towards both, which involveth both Tables of the Law, and so all Religion; and this is above all powers to reform, but God.

Fifthly, and Finally, A friend loveth at all times, that is, most tenderly and com­passionately, and especially in adversity; which is the meaning of this significant and emphatical expression, which follow­eth — And a Brother is born for adversity. The reading should be, saith some,—And he is born a Brother in adversity, that is, through his exceeding tender compassion, he become as the neerest natural relation, and so is by his tender love, and tryed love, born and brought forth, as it were a new neer Kinsman, on purpose created of God, to serve the poor Creature in this strait; as a Creature new made, and now made, which what a great honour it is to him, to whom God giveth a merciful heart? he is as a Creature then extraordinarily and [Page 118]purposely born, for such a great and ac­ceptable service.

Abimelech the Priest loved David at all times, but most especially when David was at a plunge, when he and his followers were ready to starve for want of bread, then he gave them the Shew-bread, which was the Bread out of his own mouth, beside the ha­zard he ran in it, of his life; and did not only give him hallowed bread on which the Priests lived, but observe how he takes his life in his hand, and speaks for David to Saul, to blunt the edge of his fury against him. And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the Kings Son in Law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honou­rable in thy House? 1 Sam. 22.14. Did not his most tender and natural affection, beget him, and render him rather a bro­ther, than a friend to David in this strait?

The like instance is Ittai the Gittite, an alien. Return saith David to him, why shouldst thou go up and down with me, seeing I go whi­ther I may? 2 Sam. 15.20. And Ittai an­swered the King and said, as the Lord liveth, and as my Lord the King liveth, in what place my Lord the King shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. What Brother, or what Child, or Father, could more tenderly and naturally have spo­ken and done? Had not his friendly affe­ction [Page 119]begotten him a neer Kinsman, a Bro­ther to David in his adversity?

Plato endeavoured that meum and tuum, mine and thine, might not be heard of, in that Common-wealth wherein he was.

And this was the friendship of the Pri­mitive Churches and Christian World, with­out which they could not have subsisted un­der such bloody Persecutions. And the mul­titude of them that believed were of one heart and of one foul, neither said any of them that ought which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common, and so with great pow­er gave the Apostles witness, Act 4.32.

The Historian saith, that Queen Eliza­beth commanded the whole Ocean, and laid out all to the support of the Protestant In­terest, against the Papists every where. By this tender and friendly love to the poor persecuted Protestants, she was (in that sea­son of the Churches adversity) born a Si­ster, or a Mother in Israel, as Debora is cal­led for like reason.

Ʋse Learn from hence these things: First, That friendship is more than complement, a how do you, vain visits, frothy, foolish di­versions, as carrying to Stage-Playes, which make calamity return more heavy, when Persons are gone, which know to fhew no better friendship. And Joab fell to the ground [Page 120]on his Face, and thanked the King, and said, now I know that I have found grace in the sight of my Lord the King, in that the King hath fulfilled the request of his Servant: 2 Sam. 14.22. Absalom was a banished Man, and Joab was his hearty friend, and he did not understand Court-complements; But, when things were done that might fully an­swer the distresses of his friend, there he understood it. Now (saith he) I know that I have found favour, now thou hast fulfill­ed my requests, and done things that may fully relieve the distressed. Joab was born a Brother, as it were to Absalom in his ad­versity by his friendly love, and this writ­ten doubtless by the Holy Ghost, to let us know that friendship had much more than slight service in it; It hath much, and through following and serving distressed causes and conditions, till Petitions with God and Men be granted, and some thing to purpose done, that will arise to full relief.

The Heathen when they would make one another believe, that there was more than words in what they said, would use to cite their strong god Hercules, as their Author—Ʋt de Hercule accepimus, as we have heard from Hercules; therefore sure­ly it will be accomplished. A friend is a distressed Man's Hercules. My friend hath said, he will take care for me in this, and in [Page 121]that distress, therefore surely it will be done, he will never cease petitioning God and Man, he will never rest Night nor Day, till he hath done some thing, and some thing to some purpose to relieve my distress.

We have found a friend no where so de­ficient, as where it hath been supposed to be most abundant, saith Seneca. Some have all their best gifts in their tongue, these are unfit to make friends, and yet the forward­est to pretend it.

Mephibosheth which had not dressed his Feet from the day that David fled, till he returned, and came so undressed to meet him, is a fit Reproof of Complemental friendship.

2 Secondly, Learn from this Description of a Friend, that a Friend is a rare Jewel. If we have hit the Description of a Friend rightly, we doubt we shall not easily finde the Person. All of you have conspired against me this day, and there is none that sheweth me, that my Son hath made a League with the Son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my Son hath stirred up My Servant against Me: 1 Sam. 22.8.

To him that is afflicted pitty should be shewed by his friend, yea by any body, by an Enemy, but ye do nothing but play the censorious Persons against me, said Job. And [Page 122]truly in great distresses, this is the Vinegar, Gall and Wormwood, which even Friends give, in stead of Cordials, in stead of com­passions, and pains, and expence to make relief. A great many severe enquiries.

How did he come into such want? sure­ly he is an ill husband, he did not follow his business: How did he come into all this trouble? Surely he was a busie body, he medled with that which he needed not have done: His Wife and Children go too fine. A thousand holes are pickt in the Man's Coat quickly; and the reason, because so poor, and needeth some to help him, and none of these holes found in his coat whilst it had a good nap upon it, as long as he had no need of friends. So that they that go for Friends are the worst of Enemies, and afflict in stead of comfort, and more afflict than an Enemy would do.

And yet alass this is commonly the friend­ship of this World, yea of such too much whom God hath called out of this World, and off of this World; which is, as if one should see a Man or Woman in the Field, and bleeding to death, and should spend nis time in curious enquiries how it came, and who did it, and why would he go that way alone, and be out so late, and never do any thing to stay the Man's bleeding, or do any thing to save his life.

All People almost make distress and ca­lamity the subject of censure, and not the object of compassion and friendship.

Either it is thus, or else it is, I will shew kindness to Hanun, as his Father shew'd kind­ness to me, 2 Sam. 10. I will invite such, for they invited me, and I will visit such, for they visited me, and these kind of Friends there be, and few at any higher rate.

A Samaritan is a rare Man, who though a stranger, and upon no account in the World, but as the wounded Man needed him, fell in with him unasked, and gave him a full relief, and what is more needed, put that upon my account, said this stranger. And now, saith Christ, which is the neigh­bour and friend? Such a Neighbour now, and Friend, I fear, is hard to be found.

A Friend, saith Seneca, is not only rare in a House, but in an Age. Aliter de amore atque est accipis, saith one.—Thou thinkest otherwise of love than it is; and so we think otherwise of friendship than it is; we think it a slight cheap cold business, and so think that the World is full of friends and friend­ships, till we come to want a Friend.

We think they are friends, which serve us as the Welsh—Witch served Teolin the Second Prince of North-Wales, who told him that he should ride through London with a Crown upon his Head, and this was to comfort him; whereupon he [...] [...]o [Page 124]be vexatious to the borderers of England, till at last he was in Battel overthrown, and his Head cut off, and fixed on a stake, and adorned with a Paper Crown, and was by a Horse man carried triumphantly through London.

And, if People do but put some pleasing foolish things in our Heads, and flatter us, this is for your honour, and 'tother thing much for your interest, though never so de­structive, these are friends, and embraced, and prefered. And so do this and do that, and ye shall have a living, and any thing that I can do for you: and so the friend­ship hath some ill condition in it, which to be embraced, might outwardly advance per­adventure, but inwardly cast down certain­ly; yet these which put these Paper-crowns upon our Heads, would be accounted great friends, and so they are to an ill Interest.

Learn that the Providence of GOD is much to be reverenced, for he makes friends, and most an end of strangers, and others fail us, on whom our expectation most is, that we may the more reverence GOD and his Providence.

Jeremiah's Kindred failed him, and God raised up Ebedmelech, and Ahikam, and both at such times, that surely Jeremiah had o­therwise lost his life: he had been starved to death, had it not been for Ebedmelech. [Page 125]—My Lord the King, these Men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the Prophet, whom they have cast into the Dun­geon, and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is, for there is no more bread in the City, Jer. 38.9. which kindness of his God will reward, see Jer. 39.16. By which it is evident he had starved, had it not been for the friendship of this stranger. And he had been hanged, or beheaded, or some sud­den violent death done to him by Jehojakim, had not the hand of Ahikam been with and for Jeremiah. For the King at the same time, had fetcht Ʋriah out of Aegypt, a Prophet who prophesied the same that Je­remiah did, and slew him with the Sword.— Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam was with Jeremiah to save him, Jer. 26.24. It is brought in with a nevertheless, to shew the admirable Providence of God, who did raise up this friend, to stick so close to a poor helpless Man.

And the poor Criple which had lain at the Pool long, of a Disease of 38 Years, and then he had lain till he had perished in likelihood, but that Christ came there, and became a friend to him, to shew us, that the Providence of God is much to be reveren­ced, for he brings forth Brethren for ad­versity, he creates a Brother for the day of adversity.

David was a stranger to his Brethren, and an alien unto his Mothers Children, Psal. 69.8. And yet well known to Gittai a stran­ger, that would live when he did, and die when he did, and this questionless, that Da­vid might see the Man of God's providence and special care, and remember it.

For had we our reliefs still, from such as are some way engaged to be helpful, either as some way related, or as some way by our kindness to them obliged to us, it would make us take our escapes in danger, our supplies and helps in straits, more slightly, and forgetfully.

Course usually are the kindnesses of neer relations, sometimes as Reeds they run in­to our hands, and so far from being merci­ful, that they are unjust.

As Joseph's Brethren to him, and God had a Soveraign hand in all that, that he might raise Brethren to Joseph himself, yea that he might make Joseph a better Brother in adversity to them, than they had been to him.

The last Use of this Point is for Exhorta­tion, Do you become such friends, Brethren, for this Day of Adversity. Be pittiful, be kindly affectioned, be tender-hearted, be cloathed with humility and bowels, stoop and wash the Saints Feet, yea to pull thine Enemies Oxe out of the Ditch, and to lift up his Beast, if fallen down under his bur­den, [Page 127]though thy cruel heart would pass him by. But as for me when they were sick, my cloathing was Sackcloath, I humbled my soul with fasting, and my Prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved my self, as though he had been my friend, or brother, I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his Mother, I was rewarded evil for all this good. Psal. 35.12, 13, 14.

If ye be friends to friends, What singu­lar thing do ye? Be friends to strangers, yea to the poor and friendless; such as whose Persons you do not know, only their cases are well known; yea be friends to ene­mies, yea though illy requited: So was Da­vid, so was, and so is Christ to Thousands and Millions every Day, among which it may be you are some. They lacked not any thing, in the first Church of the Gospel, Act. 4.34. They fulfilled the Law of bro­therhood; If you become friends, you be­come brethren, upon such brethren, born for such extremities.

And if ye take the name of friend, re­member that you are created Brethren in the day of adversity, and fulfill the Law of your adopted and chosen relation. Let not the distressed want, if you can help them; I cannot exhort you yet to sell to be merci­ful, but I would I could first exhort you to buy some thing here and there, that you might be substantial friends to many in di­stress, [Page 128]Ministers and others, Ministers Wi­dows and others, the Widows and the Fa­therless, and the oppressed, and the oppres­sed and ruined in many Towns and Places, who are eaten up with Vermin, and have no helper, no friend.

But one saith he will help, and he will be a friend, and he eats the flesh; and another he saith, give him but a good Fee, and he will help, and he will be a friend, and he takes the poor Carcase that is best, and he picks the bones; and of these friends there are great store, but few such as my Text de­scribeth, for which I fear the Land mourn­eth, and much more will.

Be friends to the distressed be so simply. Is there any of the House of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God to him, 2 Sam. 9.3. And Ziba that Wretch said, Jonathan hath yet a Son that is lame of his Feet; and would not so much as give his Name, nor put the least word of respect, as if he would have insinuated to David, that this Criple was not worth the looking after, by such a Man of honour as David. And such self-seeking Wretches, great Men have at their elbows, which keep them from becoming simple and sincere friends. For simple friendship is to look after Criples, and beggers, blind, and lame, and halt, as Christ doth. To invite them to our Table, which have scarce no­thing to eat at their own Table, who to be [Page 129]sure cannot invite us again; and to be Legs to the lame, and Eyes to the blind, &c. But these are so unthankful, that who can have any heart to do any thing for them? I an­swer, Such whose hearts are simple, and who as David shew simple friendship, they will look upon Criples as Criples, and blind as blind, lame and blind in their Souls, as well as in their Bodies; and, if you would have People be thankful, be simple in your kind­ness, let them see that you do not seek theirs in the least but them, every way the relief of them. Mephibosheth was never like to make a Man of use to attend upon David, to honour his Table; this had been rather to have sought a friendship, than to have shewed one. It is a Custome amongst the Turkes, not to believe a Christian's, or a Jew's complaint against a Turk, without a Turk's witness too, and that is the reason, why in such Cases Justice is much corrup­ted, and so little to be had; I only allude to this: The cases and conditions of many oppressed poor and mean ones is such, that unless they can get such and such as are great to witness to their cause, and own them, and stick to them, their own com­plaints will not be believed nor heard; not indeed will any take it in hand, unless they see that which may be good self-encourage­ment, and advantage; so that falleth out to be true, which that great Statesman ob­served [Page 130]in his Days.—The rich have many friends, not only one friend, of which the poor would be glad, but many friends, and the Poor is hated of his own Neighbour, Prov. 14.20. And, Prov. 19.4. Wealth maketh many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbour. When ye see a gold Ring on a Man's Finger, there you take him up, and his cause is good, as Absalom said, and ye do but want one well to plead it, and I will do it, and I will do it: and what a many friends the wealthy Man, and the Man with the Gold Ring, and long Hair hath! but a poor Man that hath but one Ewe Lamb, as Nathan's Parables, is, but a little estate left, and that in danger to be all taken a­way too, who strives to plead this Persons case? and to own, and to cleave to such a helpless one? Wherefore I exhort, be sim­ple in your friendship, as purely born for adversity.

Secondly, Be tender and strong friends, that is, not in word only, but in deed, and in the greatest actions, and labours, and deeds, which distresses need to relieve them. What a friend Barzillai was to David in his distress, against Absalom beyond Jor­dan, How brought he him all Provisions for Himself and Followers, which David much remembred, because it was so season­able. And what a friend was Obadia to the [Page 131]Lord's Prophets, when the violence of A­hab and Jessabel was great, who hid them by Fifties in a Cave, when it must needs be with the peril of his life. And our Saviour seems to grant such a strength in friendship, as to lay down the life for a friend. Joh. 15.13. Greater love hath no Man than this, that a Man lay down his life for his friends. Our Saviour seems to grant such a height in the love of friendship. And the Apostle saith, we ought to lay down our life for a brother. And a friend is a created Brother of our own Creation, and created of purpose for a plunge. Therefore it will be lovely, to get all the heights of true friendship in this evil Day, because distresses and plunges are so high, and hard, and great. Nothing less almost will relieve some poor distressed People, unless we do much expose our selves as Obadia, and the Brethren which rescued Paul out of the Tumult, when he was knockt down, and all thought he was dead. And Rizpah the Daughter of Aiah took Sack-cloth, and spread it for her upon the Rock, from the begining of Harvest till Water drop­ped upon them, and suffered neither the Birds of the Air to rest on them, by Day, nor the Beasts of the Field by Night, 2 Sam. 21.10. Rizpah made a covering over her of this Sack-cloth, and sate under it day and night, with those dead Corpses of Saul's Family, which friendship was very strong, and ten­der [Page 132]and painful, and David took it won­derful well at her hands. And if she did so watch with the dead, that no violence might be done by Birds, or Beasts;It was strong friendship in him, which said come and let us go and die with him. 'Twere well if we could watch with the living, and that we could play the friends so, to many in Prisons, and bonds, and extremities, which are not dead Corpse yet, but almost so, and many of them worse than so, that is, worse than if they were dead; my meaning is, that where distress is great, we would become great friends.—Our Rule is to covet the best gifts, to be most eminent and excellent in every Grace, and be you in this, of friendship.

3 Be thus always: And Hyram King of Tyre sent his Servants unto Solomon for he had heard that they had anointed Him King, &c. for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 1 Kings 5.1. This is the Proper­ty made of friendship in my Text—A friend loveth at all times. Had Hiram been a lo­ver of David only sometimes, and when David had no need of him, doubtless Da­vid would have been cautious of him, and not have put him among the number of his friends; but; he was always a lover of Da­vid. And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great Woman, and she constrained him to eat Bread. And so it was that as oft as he passed by, he returned in thi­ther [Page 133]to eat bread. Not once or twice coldly invited, but she constrained him, and as oft as he passed by, and that she might be sure of him always when he went that way,— She said to her Husband, behold now, I per­ceive that this is an holy Man of God, which passeth by us continually, let us make a little Chamber in the Wall, and let us set for him there a Bed, a Table, a Stool, and a Candle­stick, and it shall be when he cometh to us, that he turn in thither, 2 Kings 4.10. Friend­ship is a natural thing, and what is natural is durable. I have none that doth so natu­rally care for me, saith the Apostle Paul of Timothy. A friend becomes a Brother.— that is, naturally affected; as if flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, and 'tis suppo­sed in nature, that natural relations are na­tural always; as hand, and the foot to the head, and the head to the hand and foot are tenderly and strongly careful and affectio­nate always. Jonathan went to David in the Cave, and strengthned his hand in God, as well as when David was in favour with Saul; and that their friendship might be e­verlasting, how solemnly they swore one to another, that their friendship might run a­long from Generation to Generation, and yet Jonathan was a Brother to David by marriage, and yet he rather chose to stick and trust to the bond of solemn friendship, a Brother as made so, by becoming a friend.

Now for Motives to press you, to be­come such friends: First, This may be said; God looks for it. I was an hungry, and ye gave me no meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink, I was a stranger and ye took me not in, naked and ye cloathed me not, Mat. 25.43. I was a stranger and needed a friend, and could finde none; This complaint a­gainst Nabals at the great Day, sheweth that GOD much expecteth this, that we should be friends to such as are in distress, and have no help, nor cannot help them­selves. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him; for ye were strangers in the Land of Aegypt; ye shall not afflict Widows or Fa­therless Children. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all to 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 Widows, and your Children Fatherless, Exod. 22.21, 22, 23, 24. The reason why the Lord would not have stran­gers, nor Widows and Fatherless abused, and that he will take it so ill at our hands to do it, is, because these usually are friend­less, and have none to help them, whereas he expecteth therefore that we should (and ought to) be friends, and help these, and not do as all do, or as the most do abuse them, or at least not look after them. By which it is manifest, that God looks that we should be friends to our friendless, 'tis their [Page 135]due, and therefore the friendless may look for it too, as well as God. With hold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it, Prov. 3.27.

Many need friends in this day, therefore become friendly. And when Absalom's ser­vants came to the Woman to the House, they said, Where is Ahimaas and Jonathan? And she said, they be gone over the Brook of Wa­ter. And when they had sought and could not finde them, they returned to Jerusalem. And it came to pass after they were departed, that they came up out of the Well, and went and told King David, and said arise, and pass quickly over the Water, for thus hath Ahito­phel counselled against you, 2 Sam. 17.20, 21. Many of the Lord's People in these evil Days, need friends to hide them, the Anti­christian World is so full of Achitophels pursuing of them; be therefore as this Wo­man, friends, with your Houses, with your Estates, with your Interests. The Disciples let down Paul at a Window in a Basket: Alass, ah, and alass! the straits which many have been put to in this day, and how many may yet be, who knows then how much it is needed, that you become friends to the di­stressed. For many of us Ministers, it may be said of us, as Livy. Pastor accola ejus loci, a Pastor that dwells, hard by that Place. [Page 136]And so we are Pastors, which live by our Places, some of us, or rather indeed die by them, but cannot live in them; and more then many can do that, To live by their pla­ces, but must hide their heads one while, and wander here and there another while, to get Bread for them and theirs, and well when they seek it, if they can finde it. And not a few Ministers and others in this con­dition, how many then need friends.

Thirdly, Consider the great service that you may do for God, and for his People, this way. And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time, unto the Cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the Valley of Repha­im. And David was then in an hold, and the Garison of the Philistines was then in Bethle­hem. 2 Sam. 23.13. And Adullam was but a little from thence, and yet David's three Worthies came to him, and relieved him in the face of them all, Troop and Garison of the Philistines, and so did him the service of Threescore, or Three-Hundred Men. So one friend to a poor David in a Cave, in a Prison, one Ebedmelech to a Jeremia in a Dungeon, is worth a Thousand Courtiers with all their fine words, and a Thousand Citizens, with all their Where is he? And How doth he do? And shall we never see him again? Be kind to Barzillai, and shew favour [Page 137]to his Sons, and let them eat at thy Table, for [so] they came to me when I fled, because of Absalom thy Brother. 2 Kings 2.7. David sets them down with Emphasis, [so] they came to me: when I fled from Absalom thy Brother, who was like to have carried a­way all from me and thee too, and when few did stick to me on the other side of Jordan, where the fight was between Ab­salom and his Father, and in that side of the River, where friends were thin, and very tickle which side to take to, then did Bar­zillai and his Sons own David, and did at that strait a World of service in a little time, David puts a [so] upon it, and cites it upon his Death-bed.—For so they came unto me. One saith of Friends, that they are such Jewels, that Kings can have none, meaning no faithful friends, and yet David had one Barzillai, that did so come to him, and help him. Know your seasons, your objects, and become such friends, and there­in know your use.

4 Fourthly, You may obtain great blessings in this way, both here and hereafter. David charged Solomon that he should take Bar­zillai's Sons to Court with him, and make them to eat at his Table. The Lord built the Midwives Houses for their friendship to Moses; and what a reward did he give Ebedmelech, for his kindness and friendship [Page 138]to Jeremiah, see Jer. 39.16, 17. Jeremia hath a Prophesie on purpose from the Lord: —Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethi­ [...], [...]. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, [...] God of Israel behold I will bring my words upon this City for evil and not for good, and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee, but I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lo [...]d, and thou shalt not be delivered into the hands of the Men, of whom thou art a­fraid, for I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the Sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. What God will do with Cities and Nations of the World, in these last and most sinful times, who can tell? O how glad would ye all be, that in such a doubtful day of common dan­ger, if any could secure (and if it were) but your bare life; how much more if any could secure you and yours, your Families and E­states; and in probability Ebedmelech did share in this also, as far as any did, for the manner of God is not to give barely what he saith, but something more, and oft-times much more. And what a kindness in this World did the Lord give the Shunamite when Elisha had kindness, he gave her a Childe, and then when dead, gave him to her again, and then after that warned her of the Famine that was to be Seven Years, and willed her what to do: and then at the [Page 139]end of that time, when she returned, God so ordered in his Providence, that Gehazi telling the King the stories of the Miracles which his Master did, whilst he was telling, how he raised the Shunamite's Childe, that the Shunamitish Woman came in, and so had all her Estate again, and the profits thereof for the time that she was absent in the Fa­mine. Accrevit pectori caespes, you may get a Fence Breast-high, against all danger; yea Head-high, safety to your lives, to your Children, to your Estates, by becoming as the Shunamite, friends, and as Ebedmelech, friends; think of it.

2 And as you may obtain great blessings in this World, so you may obtain great bles­sings in the World to come; God doth re­ward of Grace, though not of Merit; Then shall the King say to them on the right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father; inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Founda­tion of the World, for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and ye took me in, naked and ye cloathed me, I was sick and ye visited me; I was in Prison and ye came to me: then shall the righteous answer him, Where saw we thee thus and thus? And the King shall answer, Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto the, [Page 140]Mat. 26.40. The Rule is to do good to all, but especially to such as Christ will call his Brethren at the great Day; but we may have rewards in Heaven, for being kind and friends to them which never shall come there. Hence it is that Christ else-where saith, Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting ha­bitations. He that is faithful in that which is least, is also faithful in much▪ and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much; if therefore ye have not been faithful in the un­righteous Mammon Who will commit to your trust the true treasure? Luk. 16.9, 10, 11. If you be friends with your estates, your estates will be great friends to you, your transitory riches will receive you into ever­lasting Habitations, they will make a large entrance for you into Heaven, though may be none at all for them to whom ye shew kindness, for they may be unworthy, yet ye shall in no wise lose your reward. 'Twere well if friendships would convert all, to whom they are shewed, as they may do some for ought I know; but, if they do not con­vert any, yet you shall have your reward in Heaven, your riches by being made friend­ships to the distressed, make themselves your friends, and will receive you into everlast­ing Houses. But observe what follows, If ye be unfaithful in this unrighteous man, that [Page 141]is, the riches of this World, with which▪ and for which, many make themselves un­righteous, if ye do not shew friendships, as good Stewards of a little Talent. Who will give higher gifts to you, as grace and glory? So that you may shut up Heaven, or open Heaven, as to all ends and purposes, as to grace and glory, or no grace, nor no glo­ry, as ye become friends to others, or not friends with what you have; now take your choice, shew to the distressed of this Age, that ye were born for this day to be friends to them, or else it had been better ye had never been born. The Ravens will rise in judgment against you, who did spare the Meat out of their Mouths, to feed Elijah in his distress, and became friends to him.

Finally, If we should be Friends as Brethren born for the day of the adversity of one or two, then surely we should be friends to the whole Church of God; and if we should be friends to this and that par­ticular Person, than much more to the whole Nation, and to the publick compa­ges of all. Christ needs friends, such as Abraham, who was a friend of God, and so doth his Church and People need friends, faithful friends, in this Evil Day, wherein many prove false; we are all born for this Day of adversity, to save the whole from the wrath of God, from Pestilence, Sword, [Page 142]and all the Evils which do assault us. David was troubled at the Elders of Juda, which should have been Leaders, that they were the last to bring the King to his House, 2 Sam. 19.11. So may him whom that King typified, Jesus Christ be troubled, that the great Ones put not their Neck to his yoke, but are the last which set their hands and hearts to any works of the Lord, to shew themselves friends to him, and to the Church and States in which they live. You have Ten parts in the Nation, over what infe­rior and poor Persons have, and so hath the Church and State Ten parts more in you, than in others; and therefore one of you should be Ten Friends, twenty friends in this Day, to lift up Jacob which is low▪ to relieve the Widow, the Fatherless, all the oppressed, and to see that Magistrates and Ministers faithfully keep the charge of the Lord; and so make up the breaches of the City of David, which are many, and lie in the Gap, and not make gaps and breach­es, by violence, and rage, and bad example.

GOD'S Troops Invading MAN.
Being A SERMON ON Psal. 42.7, 8: • 7. Deep calleth upon deep, at the noise of thy Water spouts: all thy Waves and thy billows are gone over me. , and • 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kind­ness in the Day time, and in the Night his Song shall be with me, and my Prayer to the God of my Life. 

GReat afflictions, and great Faith to see through them, are the two great Things considerable in these two Verses. Affli­ctions are set forth by a Metaphor, taken from the Sea, whenThe Winds raise the Seas, and take them at their backs, saith Seneca. Winds and Rains are tem­pestuous, which are God's Water-spouts a­bove; these make the Seas roar, and beat, and break to, and again, which are his Wa­ter [Page 144]spouts below; which Metaphor is to shew, the great and vast nature of affl [...]cti­ons; they are as the Abyss, or bottomless Sea, that cannot be fathomed; such are the miseries which God inflicts sometimes, upon the Sons of Men; yea upon his own Chil­dren.

2 Secondly, This Metaphor is to set forth, the numbers and troops of trials, wherewith God punisheth his sometimes; and the num­ber can as well be numbered, as the nature be fathomed: you can as well fathom the bottomless Ocean, as number the Waves and Billowes, which beat up and down in it.

3 Thirdly, This Metaphor fetcht forth the continuedness of affl [...]ction. Deep calleth up­on deep, or calleth for deep. That is, one Wave beateth up and beateth on another,Undam undaque pellit, or unda se­quax, as Virgil saith. through the Tempests which God raiseth. Afflictions unfathomable, innumerable, and very durable, fall sometimes upon the Peo­ple of God.

2 The next thing this Text sheweth to us, is, the greatness and invincibleness of faith, which is set forth unto us by the Person, faith taketh hold on in distress, and that is God. Faith leans on no Creature, high nor low, (for in great distress, What can the greatest Man do?) but God.— Yet the Lord shall, &c.

Secondly, The potency and invincible­ness [Page 145]of faith is shewed unto us, by that at­tribute in God, on which faith fastens, and that is his Soveraignty, which commands all other wheels to go. — The Lord will command his loving kindness, &c.

Thirdly, Faith in the potency and invin­cibleness of it is▪ shewed us by its excellent issues and effect which it doth produce, which are two, Prayer, and Praise, and in every dark state. — And in the Night his Song shall be with me, and my Prayer to the God of my life: in which is involved peace, and joy, and all good.

Doct. The Doctrin which I observe from these words is this, That God sometimes maketh all his Waves and Billowes to go over Men, yea good Men. The Psalmist thus complaineth, not once in my Text, but in Psal. 69.1, 2. Save me, O God, for the Waters are come into my Soul; I sink in deep Mire, where there is no standing, I am come into deep Waters, where the Floods overflow me; I am weary of my crying, my throat is dried, mine eyes fail whilst I wait for my God. David was a Man after God's own heart, and yet saith he, The wa­ters are come into my Soul, and I am come in­to deep Waters, which overflow me, and I cry to God, and he lets me cry till my throat be dryed, and can obtain no answer. Else­where he speaks of himself, and others. Th [...]u sellest thy People for naught, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price, (alluding to Slaves) thou makest us a reproach to our [Page 146]Neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us; my confusion is still be­fore me, and the shame of my face hath cover­ed me, Psal. 44 12, 13, 14. There is a great distance between the Planets, they cannot dart one to another, saith Seneca. But it is not so with afflictions, these will dart, and reach one to another, when pain is on the body, it will reach unto the Soul.

1 All afflictions for kind and qualities, and all for degree and quantity, doth God some­times bring upon Man. First, All afflicti­ons for kind and quality, that is, spiritual and temporal; Spiritual afflictions GOD brings upon Men, yea upon the best Men. The loss of Ordinances. When I remember these things, I pour out my Soul, for I had gone with the Multitude to the House of God Psal. 42.4. As the loss of Ordinances: So, 2. The loss of God in Ordinances. Why are thou cast down O my Soul, &c. O my God, my Soul is cast down within me, therefore will I remember thee, from the Land of Jordan. So Job complaineth of the loss of God. The Arrows of the Lord are within me, and the poison of them drink up my Spirit, Job 6. And what a Man was he for integrity? I acknowledge my sin, and yet mine iniquity is ever before me, Psal. 51.3. Mine iniqui­ties are gone over my head, they are a heavy bu [...]den, too heavy for me to bear; my wounds stink and are corrupt through my own foolish­ness, [Page 147]Psal. 38.4, 5. A storm cannot raise it self above the Moon, much less as far as the Stars, saith the Philosopher: and yet spiritual storms raise themselves in the Soul above all, Sun, Moon, and Stars, above all the graces, gifts, and endowments the Soul hath, and eclipse and darken all. My heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me, fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horrour hath overwhel­med me, Psal. 55.4. So Haman, whilst I suf­fer thy terrors, I am distracted. And then God is gone indeed, and Sun, Moon, and Stars overwhelmed.

2 Secondly, Temporal afflictions doth God bring upon Men, yea upon the best of Men. How our Saviour was afflicted in Spirit, we read, his Soul was heavy to death; how he cried out and roared, because of God hide­ing himself: and as to all outward miseries and injuries, what was not inflicted on him, that Man or Devil, yea or the Justice of God could inflict? His visage was marred more than any Man's. He had no House nor home; He was in the Wilderness worried by Devils, and wild Beasts: He had no Bread, no Bed, no Friends, forsaken of all, even of all his Disciples. So Haman, how he complaineth of Bodily afflictions.— I am afflicted, and ready to die from my Youth, Psal. 88.14. He had not a well day in all his life, as we say; and yet lived in an ill [Page 148]time to be sick, namely when our Fathers were in their conflicts in Egypt, under Pha­raoh. And yet mark what he saith then, — Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, in dark­ness in the deep! thy wrath lieth hard upon me, Ps. 88.7. and thou hast afflicted me with all thy Waves, Sela. As if he had said, that it should be done thus, to and poor Creatures, such a season as this, when under the tiranny of a Foreign Enemy, let it be wonder'd at by all the Creation, Angels and Men. So He­zekiah, how afflicted outwardly with a great Army of merciless Men, insulting and be­sieging him, and no sooner that over, but sick unto death of the Plague and other in­firmities, as you may read by his complaints. —Mine Age is departed like a Shepheards Tent, it is removed, I have cut off like a Weaver, my life, he will cut me off with pining sickness, which is many thousand deaths, from Day even to Night he will make an end of me: I reckoned that as a Lion, so he will break all my bones, Isa. 38.12. Comets ap­pear in the calmest Ayr, and yet are very prodigious things: So corporal calamities break out upon Men, when in the greatest calm of ease and content. When David said, his Mountain was strong, and that he should never be removed, by and by you hear him cry out, I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the Day long, for my loins are fil [...]d with a loathsome disease, [Page 149]and there is no soundness in my flesh, I am feeble and sore broken, I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart, Psal. 38.8.

2 Secondly, As God brings all afflictions, for kind and quality, on Men, yea on good Men, that is, afflictions spiritual and tempo­ral, inward and outward, on soul and body: So he brings all afflictions for quantity and degree; that is, afflictions very great, and of long continuance, Were they not great and sore things done against Job? Whilst he was yet speaking there came another, and saith, the Fire of God is fallen from Heaven, i. e. A great Fire, and hath burnt up the Sheep, and the Servants, and I only am escaped to tell thee. Poor Job now indeed, that Fire and Brim­stone, from the Lord out of Heaven, should be rained upon him, as upon Sidom, that so he might judg himself to deserve, no better than the wicked Sodomites did; What a de­gree of high Trial, and what a great Twig in the Rod was this? Yea, God saith of the Devil, that he moved him against Job, without cause, to swallow him up, Job 2.3. that is, saith the Margent, when the Devil had nought against him, nor able to bring his own malicious designs to pass against him; yet read Satans Second Commission; So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his Foot, to the crown of his Head, and he took him a potsherd to scrape himself with­all, [Page 150]and sate down amongst the ashes; and then his friends poured Gall and Vinegar into his Cup: which altogether made his afflictions of the greatest magnitude indeed, the greatest. I think, that ever meer Man had. David tells us of the Lyon, and the young Lyon upon him, Psal. 17.12. and of such as did set their mouths against the Heavens, and bark and bite all good Per­sons and things, and therefore the Lord's People returned hither, that is, when they could get no shelter from the wicked, and Waters of a full Cup were wrung out to them, Psal 73.10. And full Cups of misery, speak the greatest punishments for degree and quantity.

2 Secondly, God brings afflictions upon Men, yea upon the best Men, as great and sharp, so of long continuance. It hath been a sharp Winter this, and of long continu­ance; so doth God make in other matters, some times. Some RiversAs Nilus that anci­ent River. had their be­ginning with the World, and so it may be will have their end, not till the World ends. And some afflictions have their beginning as soon as we, and will have no end till we have; yea, some Rods extraordinary begin with some good People, as soon almost as they begin to be, and end not till they end their lives. It is God's threat, that if all his Laws be not observed, and his glorious and fearful Name.—The Lord thy God, be fear­ed [Page 151]and reverenced, (And, who can call God his God, but God's Children?) that then he will inflict upon his People great Plagues and of long continuance, and such he did in­flict, and such he hath said in the new Test­ament also, will fall out, great troubles, and of long continuance, so long, as if he heard no Prayers, that every ones faith and patience shall faint and fail. When the Son of Man shall come, shall he finde saith upon the Earth? Like a Crane or a Swallow, so did I chatter, I did mourn as a Dove, that is, always, so the next words expound it, — Mine eyes fail with looking upward, GOD gave no answer, that his faith was quite spent; O Lord I am oppressed, and bear all the burden alone, Ʋndertake for me, lend me a hand. What shall I say, he hath spoken unto me, and himself hath done it, and there­fore it will never be undone, I shall go soft­ly all my Years in the bitterness of my soul, Isa. 38.14, 15. That God inflicts punish­ments, great punishments, and of long con­tinuance upon good People, read 1 Kings 22.27. And the King of Israel said, put this fellow in the Prison, and feed him with the bread of affliction, and the water of afflicti­on, until I come in peace. His warrant (you see) had a long date. Thus God sometime let loose wicked Men upon the best of his, to fasten their teeth, and scarce ever let go their hold, till they have pluckt out their [Page 152]throats; to lay them fast in all extremities, like Joseph, and there let them lie long till even their skin and bones rot. And as God lets Men deal thus with their body; so he lets the Devil sometimes deal thus with their Soul, worry them, and worrry them long, even all their days. 'Tis but GOD's Commission given to the Devil, and he will do it; as 'tis God's Commission given to wicked Men to torment, and then they do it, and without his Commission, a Dog could not bark or shew his teeth against any child of God. The Plowers plowed upon my back, and they made long their Furrows, Psal. 129.3. And woe is me that I remain in Meshech, and dwell in the Tents of Kedar, my soul hath too long dwelt with him that hateth peace, Psal. 120.5, 6. God excommunicated Ne­buchadnezar Seven Years, and made him a Companion for Beasts; and so sometimes he excommunicates his own People, and makes them companions (as David in Ara­bia with Black mores) with Devils, those black Fiends of the lowest Hell, and so long.

The Reasons of this Point are these: First, That God may shew his Soveraignty, I will not say h [...]s Justice. We have all sin'd, even the best Men, and therefore God may bring all afflictions and miseries upon the best. But I rather choose to say, that God may shew what an absolute Lord of all He [Page 153]is, and can set up what Man he will to be his mark to shoot at, and then take him down, and set up another. Mine iniquities are more than the hairs of my head, saith Da­vid, Psal. 40.12. Usually less than this num­ber are our afflictions when most, and ther­fore where God shews soveraignty, he also sheweth justice. Israel would none of me, Psal. 81.11. Therefore where God pronounced to Ammi, I will have none of this People, he was just as well as absolute, and perem­ptory in his will. Sometimes God smites a sinner, as Joab smote Amasia under the fist Rib, so as that he smites him not again, maketh an utter end at a blow, and no cause visible no more than in other of the Sons and Daughters of Men, and of his People: This properly we call soveraignty: Thus may be smite any one: for we have not (any one of us all) the priviledge of Antwarp▪ who have two marts lasting six weeks a­piece, during which time no Man in his Person or Goods can be arrested. No man hath such priviledge for a day, in order to God: he can arrest Person, Goods, and Life when he pleaseth, and yet in all so, that none can charge him with injustice.

Secondly, Doth thus, bring all afflictions upon Men, yea upon the best Men, to try in­tegrity. The Sea pulleth up from its bot­tom all excrements, as well in fair weather as in fowl, saith Seneca; but so doth not the [Page 154]Soul. Thou hast made a Hedge about Job, Doth he serve thee for naught? No, thou dost give him much, and so hire him to serve thee, do but take away as thou hast given to him, and he will curse thee to thy face, so saith God, all he hath is in thine hands, and then again saith, touch his Bone and his Flesh, and he will curse thee, &c. Take a­way Estate, and take away health, health and wealth, and then questionless he will for­sake such a hard Master: and yet Satan was deceived, Job held his integrity, and now Job goes for current Coin in the Lords ac­count. Hast thou considered my Servant Job, that he is a just Man and upright, &c. Though thou hast moved me against him without cause, such an instance is David. — Thou didst thrust sore at me (that is) Sa­tan, because he saith, that he thrust sore at him, that he might fall, but the Lord helped me, Psal. 118.13. God afflicts sore some­times, and then the Devil thrusts sore, to shipwrack Conscience some way or other, and thus doth God try Men sometimes, to know all that is in their heart. There is a Nursery at a great Dukes seat abroad, which is called Schola illustris. Great afflictions are the great God's Schola illustris, that in and by which, he makes the integrity of Men appear, that is, all the graces of Men in their true glory. — According to that, 1 Pet. 1.7. That the trial of your faith being [Page 155]much more precious, than that of Gold that perisheth may be found unto praise and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Barbils ta­ken among Rocks are brave Fish, and have their right colour.

Thirdly, God brings all afflictions on Men, yea on good Men, to humble and to mortify. Our Fathers were worried with all afflictions in the Wilderness forty Years together, as to prove them, so to humble them, to pull down pride and stubborness, and to make them long much for Canaan, the Land of Rest. And Job was kept at such a distance in all his conflicts as to try him, so to humble him and abase him, for his heart was too high, What good Man's heart is not? The Sacrifices of God are a bro­ken and a contrite spirit, such sacrifices in Religion God likes well, Psal. 51.17. He doth not despise low, humble, bleeding sin­ners, that is, he doth not worry and sleight to see them, because they are as Wheat ground small enough to be Bread fit for their Masters Table. David, when his bones were all broken, that is, soul and body much afflicted, then he begins to talk of a broken spirit; when our conditions are high, our spirits are so too: and to bring the one low, the Lord is forst to bring the other low too. Paul that was a high confident Man, God was fain from Heaven to fell him to the Earth, and afterward to keep him low and [Page 156]humble, was fain to let loose corruptions of nature, and buffitings of Satan, that by these thornes in his sides he might prick out and let out all the swelling windy conceits of himself, and of his own holiness, and good­ness, and usefulness, which fluttered in his heart.—Mephibosheth being a Criple, how humbly he speaks! — And he bowed himself and said, What is thy Servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead Dog as I am, 2 Sam. 9.8. So when God Criples us in all things, wherein we may be of use to him, estate, health inward and outward, and yet keeps on a secret support and kindness though not sensible, Oh how humble it makes the Man! What a dead Dog am I, that the Lord should regard me to do the least favour for me! the ground is too good to bear me. Naturali praevalet accidentale. Sometimes accidental things prevail against natural; accidental rods and punishments, prevail against Natural Corruptions and Sins.

Secondly, As God doth bring all afflicti­ons to mortify pride, so to mortify other sins, to which our natures are too too prone, to pluck up all sin by the roots well, espe­cially hypocrisie, with which we do best play with, in the matter of humiliation and mortification, and renewing faith and re­pentance, till the Lord swinge us indeed with all his Rods, and long. David, though [Page 157]a good Man, was beaten till he roared, and made to roar all the Day long, and Night and Day was God's hand heavy on him, and his moisture turned into the drought of Summer, to make him acknowledg and con­fess some special sin, which lay hid and was kept close, till a Fire was kindled in his bones, then he confessed, and spit out the sweet morsel which he tumbled in his mouth so long, Psal. 32.5. In some bad matters, we are very bad and naught, and ready to make excuses and defences, and to hide our sin this way, as Adam, 'tis but a little one, and I do not use it, it is but now and then, when I meet with such bad company. All afflictions and smart Rods are but few e­nough in these cases to make us speak out, and do out as we should, and to make such clearing our selves in these bad matters as becometh Penitents. Sometimes of the year in Ethiopia when most hot, their Silver wax­eth Lead, and no cover of any rich matter can endure saith the Historian; And tru­ly I may more fitly spiritualise it; some­times when the entisements of some sins most sutable to our nature are strong and hot through Satan's Fire-Darts, all our sil­ver becomes lead, (1) All our graces. Faith and love, and courage fails, and become cor­rupted and bribed by the sin which so easily besets; and then is God enraged, and lay­eth about him as a jealous God, and taken [Page 158]up all his Rods, and layeth them on, as with all his might, and all little enough, to kill pleasing sin and beloved sin at the Root, to dis-heart it well. He makes a great Fire, to purify well, and make the scum come all out as it should. When the Children of Ammon saw, that they stank before David, then they sent to him the Syrians, 2 Sam. 10.6. So, till a Sinner by the many punishments of God, seeth that he stinks in the Nostrils of God, he doth not raise forces against his sin as he should, (1) He doth not set hmself to repent of it, and clear and cleanse his affli­ctions throughly of it, as he should, by faith in the death of Christ. They say of the Spaw Waters broad, that they are not so pleasant as wholesome; so I may say of af­flictions, that they are not so pleasant as wholesome. Inutile per inutile perimitur.

Thirdly, As God brings afflictions upon Men, yea upon good Men, to mortify sin well! so to mortify them well to all the na­tural good things of this World, and so to make them indeed dead with Christ to all here. As the Nurse puts bitter things on her breasts, to take off the Child from the sweet milk, and put his mouth out of relish, and no other way to do it: so doth God im­bitter our conditions in this World, that so all the sweets which we have here, we may use them as if we did not, and possess them, and they not possess us and our hearts. Da­vid [Page 159]had many bitten upon his condition be­fore he could say, I have behaved my self as a weaned Child. When the World was first crucified to Paul, then at length he became crucified to the World; when God whips us in this, and whips us in that; takes away this, and takes away that, then by degrees he takes away our hearts too, and sets them upon better things, but usually good things first die from us, before we become so good as to die from them. There is no labourer in Egypt that lifts up his eyes to Heaven; they are almost angry with the Sun, it doth so scorch them: Few labourers in and after this World, do lift up their eyes to Heaven much, whilst the Sun-shine of prosperity is hot upon them, but rather angry and vexed, and cumbred with one thing or other, that the World doth not tumble in fast enough. Few in health and wealth are heavenly.— In those days was Hezekia sick unto death, Isa. 38.1. In those days; When was that? see the Chapter foregoing. Assoon as he had obtain'd that great deliverance from the Assyrian by Prayer, and all quiet, now least he should grow as David, when his War was ended, sensual and wanton, God smites him with the Plague, and bids him set his house in order, for he must die. David be­ing hunted up and down as a Partridge, and poured from Vessel to Vessel, what a Hea­venly Man is he; and when this is over, [Page 160]what a carnal Man is he! I am tossed to and fro, as the Locust; mark what follows, My Knees are weak through fasting, Psal. 109.23. When we are tossed much, then we fast and pray, and go to Heaven much up­on our Knees. We read in History of an Emperor strangled putting on his Royal Robes; nothing more choak the seeds of Grace and Heavenly life, than the prospe­rity of this World; and therefore usually, one way or other, God kills all things here, to kill us throughly to all here. The Apo­stle bids us endure hardness as good Souldi­ers. In hard states and conditions grace best thrives, and the most noble things and souls to be found.

Ʋse. 1 Learn from hence what a great God we have to do with, who can flat our conditi­ons with all miseries in a moment, as the Sea sometimes makes breaches upon the Land, and swallows up Towns and Cities, no more to be recovered. I will have mercy upon the House of Juda, and save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow nor by sword, nor by battel, by Horse nor by Horse man, Hos. 5.7. As God saves with­out bow or sword, so he can destroy with­out bow or sword, even with his own hand from Heaven many ways. Of which I will say, as one doth of Mary's being with child by the Holy Ghost. Mirari licet, rimari non licet. Such dealings of God may be won­dred [Page 161]at, but curiously search'd into they may not. It may be said of God and the Engins he useth against Men, as Hushai saith of Da­vid and his followers. Thou knowest that David and thy Father be mighty Men, and they be chaffed in their minds as a Beat robbed of her Whelps in the Field, 2 Sam. 17.8. God sometimes, when he sets upon the Sons of Men, is as fierce Creatures chased and chafed, and robbed of their young, very fierce, and so are all the Engins which he useth. How fierce was Shimei against David, and threw Stones and cursed him. God hath set him on, saith David. We are made a spectacle or Theater, saith the Margent, to Angels and to Men; and I think God hath sent us forth last for this sad service, as appointed to death and slaughter in all that is dear, 1 Cor. 4.9. It may be God hath appointed the best of Men in these last Days, to the worst of deaths and calamities, to close up a long and evil Day, and that the Pit should as it were shut its mouth upon the Christians of these last times, as the Whale upon Jonah. Which should make us tremble, and stand in awe daily, to consider what a great and ho­ly God we have to do with.

2 Secondly, Learn what need we have of grace, who are lyable to such floods of E­vils; yea of much grace. Noah moved with fear, being warned of God, prepared an Ark, [Page 162]and went into it; and where else could he have lived, in those great storms and floods which came upon the World? Surely Gods storms and waves will beat much in these last Days; If all of them may come over any Man, then all of us need an Ark, and to hast unto it; that we be in a state of favour with God by Jesus Christ. All our estates may fail us; a Fire of God from Heaven may consume them. All our Friends may fail us, yea all our hearts may fail us, Mens hearts failing them for fear. What then will be a Cordial to keep us, but the favour of God, and a state of grace, that the Lord Jesus Christ be with our Spirits? Nine se­veral times in the Ten first Verses of Pauls first Epistle to the Corinthians, is Jesus Christ named saith one, that hath well ob­served, to note who it is that is all in all in storms for a Saviour, yea indeed in all con­ditions. It is Jesus (as the same Observator saith) that is made Mel in ore, Bernard. melos in aure, Jubilum in Corde. Jesus Christ in all con­flicts is hony in the mouth,Something like that terrible Mo­narchy of the Greeks [...] b [...]fore Christ's coming in the Flesh will be be­fore his coming a­gain. harmony in our ear, a Jubile or great joy in our hearts, when all the waves and billows of afflicti­ons beat upon us, yea when these Waters come into our Souls, when Prophesie, and prosperity failed the state of the Jews, they had nothing to live upon but that promise; that the desire of all Nations should come: — The Echo, and the Pool of Bethesda, un­der [Page 163]the great Tirannies of Antiochus, and the Greek Monarchy; these were the stays of their hearts, that Christ would come, and so by faith did bear up, and he did come. Floods may, yea red Seas may break out, and we may flote in our own blood, there­fore an Ark is very needful, and that we be in it, well in it by faith; nothing but Christ can be a Jesus, a Saviour to us all, other things will but rather hasten and heighten the Floods upon us, as the more riches and honour, and the things of this World we have, the more shall we be a fit prey for e­vil times and Persons. What got the Caesars by their high advances, Nisi ut citius inter­ficerentur. Grace therefore is necessary, and speedily necessary. The Flood which swal­lowed up the first World, is called a Dart. Methusalah the Dart cometh; so I believe will the Flood of these last times surprise and come as a Dart, as a Wall swelling out, to use the Scripture expression. Actus mori­entium non possunt esse in suspenso. 'Tis the speech of them that study Nature. Death when once it begins to knock, beats down all apace, and cannot be stayed.

Learn what need we have to beg, 3 that. God would not lead us into temptation. Extremities are terrible charges. When Jona was beat upon with all God's billows, and likewise Job, how they both broke out and cursed the day wherein they were born! [Page 164]and how David in like plunge fained him­self mad, and drivel'd at Gath. A tempted Soul, with all temptations, will have much adoe to bite in blasphemy. I said in my hast all Men are lyars, yea even Samuel, which from the Lord had told him that he should be King. Some dead Mens bodies putrified turn into Serpents. See holy Ainsw. in Gen. 3.19. Truly the better we are, when over­born with temptations, we become much the worse; what Serpents and Scorpions some have become by these things, in these times, more fiery and worse than others, who yet knows what may be in their hearts as to the main, we know not. How earn­estly Christ desired that the Cup might pass, and yet was not in danger of sin as we are, how much more should we so desire, who have not a body to bear, being so crackt by sin, but much less, not such a Soul to bear trials, as Christ, being so wholly defiled and immersed, with sin. This on which I am now makes me think of David's speech to Jonathan, who as you know he loved dearly. If there be iniquity in me, slay me thy self, 1 Sam. 20.8. as if he had said, let me dye by the hand of one that loveth me, and then I shall dye but one death; but if I dye by the hand of such as hate me, I know not how many deaths I shall die. (There is a kindness in the Hang-man) nor how many sins I may commit under such cruelties and [Page 165]inhumanities. If the Cup may not pass, ye [...] beg that you may be deliver'd from the evil. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World saith Christ, but that thou shouldst deliver them from the evil. Upon this insist, that you may have the benefit of Christ's intercession, that no Wave may over-whelm any Grace, or hide the face and favour of God a moment from you. Peccatum tametsi non bonum, tamen in bonum, &c. saith Au­gustin. Sin, though it be not good, yet it may be ordered to good: So afflictions, though in themselves not good, nor joyous, yet God can order them to work about the peaceable fruit of holiness, and so to make them very good, and very joyous.

4 Learn from hence what great cause we have to be full of pitty and tender-hearted­ness one to another; and what Monsters of Man-kind they are, [...]. which are hard-hearted, close fisted, without Man-friendship, such as you read of, Psal. 69.26. They persecute him which thou hast smitten, and talk to the grief of him whom thou hast wounded, they gave me gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink Job's friends sate down by him Seven Days, and said no­thing to him, for they saw that his grief was great; and when they did speak, it had been better much they had held their peace, they did so talk to the grief of him whom God had wounded. A sore evil we are apt unto, [Page 166]when all God's billows pass over any, to have many hard things to say against them, but very few merciful deeds to do for them; May not their case become yours? May not you whole, become sick? and you rich, be­come poor? and you Londoners, may not you be driven here and there, as well as they in the Country? See therefore and take no­tice of all the lurking places of David, and see where he hideth himself, and come tell me, saith Saul to the Ziphits. 1 Sam. 23.23. You Londoners have been some lurking pla­ces for the Lord's hunted ones long; May not some Ziphits discover these lurking pla­ces, and make you run and lurk for it too, where you may? And would not you then be glad when such billows beat over you, to be pittied and shelter'd? then think how much it becomes you, to shew pitty to wounded souls, and distressed bodies, and to pour out your spirits and Purses to them whilst ye can. A storm fulfils its course in a round, and then bursts with its own vio­lence, saith Seneca; and indeed the storm which hath been in divers parts of the Country, will I believe, fulfill its course in a round, in which Circle this City will have its share; and therefore take heed that that be not true of you, which David com­plains of some when in his Cave, Psal. 142.4. I look on my right hand, and behold, but there was no man that would know me, refuge [Page 167]fail'd me, and none cared for my Soul. Seve­ral bleed in soul, and I doubt but few of you care for these bleeding sinking Souls to sup­port them, with your experiences and with your prayers. Many flee to Caves and Dens to hide here and there, and have not to put bread in the heads of them nor theirs, and few I doubt visit David in his Cave.

Learn from hence, that we should not sentence our Eternal condition, by our tem­poral. All God's Waves may pass over the best Man in this World. Christ was exer­cised with all trials and miseries in this World; was poor, was hated, was murther­ed; was inwardly tormented, his Soul was heavy to death, and in a great Agony; and so was Job; and therefore were judged hy­pocrites, and deceivers, and accursed of God. Paul, when the Vipers was on his hand, they judged him a Murtherer, and when he threw it off and had no hurt, then they would have worshipped him for a God. There is no judgment of God's love or ha­tred by the things of prosperity or adver­sity, but rather by our carriage in them. Ma­ny will say, who will shew us any good, but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance, and thou shalt put more joy into my heart, &c. Many can make no other estimate of Mans eternal felicity, but as he is so and so pro­sperous in this World. Crowns which be­girt the Sun or the Moon last not long, [Page 168]saith the Philosopher. All the Crowns and adventitious Raies of riches and honours which begirt the Saints in this World, to give light and conduct to it, by Day and by Night, they last not long, some tempest or other blows them away; and then when those painted Crowns are vanished away, to judg and censure that therefore their E­ternal Crown and Glory, is gone too, is to judg amiss of the Generation of the righ­teous. Discord in the matter of exhalations, maketh storms and tempests; so discords in the matters of God's dispensations, make storms; not discover'd in his affections to his People. Now God dispenseth riches, a­non poverty, but both with the same spirit of love. Now he dispenseth peace by his spirit to the soul; and anon terror and up­brading, and both by the same spirit of Fa­therly affection: So that storms arise from a discord in the matter of God's dispensa­tions, and not from a change in Gods love: for God is immutable and changeth not, and whom he loveth he loveth to the end.

6 Learn from hence, that the way to Hea­ven is narrow, such throngs of Miseries are on one side afflicting, and such throngs of Devils on the other side tormenting; and then within such throngs of lusts and cor­ruptions on one side, and such throngs of Gods frowns and rebukes on the other hand, so that the way for the poor soul to go to [Page 169]Heaven, between all these is very narrow. The Sea is broad enough, and yet the winds and storms may be such, as to make the pas­sage to such a Port narrow enough, and hard to hit and make. The wayes to Heaven are very spacious, and in themselves very plea­sant, but there arise so many storms, within and without, these, these make them narrow and hard to hit, and make, and walk in as we should. I am counted with them that go down into the Pit, I am as a Man that hath no strength free among the dead, like the s [...]ne that lie in the Grave, whom thou rememberest no more, as they that are cut off from thine hand, Psal. 88.4, 5. They had almost consu­med me upon Earth, but I forgat not thy Pre­cepts. Psal. 119.87. The wayes of God are broad, and large, and good, but there are so many slaying consuming evils on both sides, these, these make them narrow, and hard to hit, and to walk well in. One mis­chief almost consumes us, and then get of [...] that a little, and presently another evil worse takes hold of us, and this quite breaks us. Before we can swallow our spitle, waves beat so thick, that we know not which way to steer. The superior bodies which are fixed are pure and clear, and never change their complexion not course; If it were thus with our graces, then though storms and troubles did arise, we should see and make our way well enough, we should make [Page 170]the favour of God, Christ, and Heaven at Mid-night. But our graces change, when our conditions change; and when our bo­dies are weak, our faith is weak; when our outward condition is low, our graces are all low too, and this maketh the way of Re­ligion hard, and difficult, and narrow.

7 Learn from hence that little trials should not be made much of. At every small thing that befalls us, we do so take on, when others have all the waves of God gone o­ver them, and we have skarce one. We have a few trials and a many of mercies to sup­port us, and yet what out-cries! and others have all miseries, and skarce one mercy to support them and yet these it may be make less noise. That which Physicians call inve­terate head-ach is made by every light oc­casion, and then continueth long, and hard­ly stayed, and the Person loves to fit in the dark, is here applicable. Some their mise­ries are inveterate, and yet made and wo­ven with every trivial thing, and then there is no quieting, as if they had more afflicti­ons on them than all the Town besides, and then sit in the dark, mope here and there, and unfit themselves, and undress themselves to all business, to go in a hole; when twen­ty and twenty undergo more affliction in one Moneth, than they in many Years, yet quiet, and complain little to Men. My soul [Page 171]is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy Law, Psal. 119.109. Some, there is continually but a step between them and some mortal malady, and yet how patient, how believing, how heavenly, able to com­fort others; and others are more afraid than hurt, as we say, and fancy their case for misery more than really it is, and yet how disconsolate, how unbelieving, how froward, how troubling wife, husband, all the house! Some their cases are as sad as sad can be, like those which have a sentence of Death at the Bar, that sit like sentenced Men on the Lader, waiting when the Exe­cut oner will do his office, and this I doubt is the case of many, and some not only as to all their welfare in this World, but as to all their welfare in the World to come. And that we should make ado about this and that, when the life and soul and eternal welfare of such and such, hangs thus in doubt before them.

Learn that they have much cause to bless God, who find any calmes, and lueida inter­valla, considering what continual stormes and calamities attend our condition here. 'Tis incredible that a storm should mount as high as Mid-Heaven, and whirl it self a­mong the Spheres, which move so peace­ably and regularly; and yet it is most in­credible, if every one of us do not find [Page 172]storms assault us, in our highest graces and enjoyments. What Clouds gather still after the Rain in this Climate! What fenny, boggy places our spirits are, yielding mat­ter of storms continually, and therefore what cause have we to b [...]ess God if we have any tranquility, or health, or liberty, or soul-peace in this World. We value the favours of God as we do a Companion in the way, no longer than he rideth our way; we value the favours of God as [...]e do the paring of our na [...]ls, they have served our use, and so we throw them away. Linnen doth not receive a skarlet die, there is not a deep and fit foundation for such a noble co­lour; So it is with many Souls, they are as thin Linnen, not deep and substantial e­nough to receive a right impression of Gods favours. For pains in the Head, you must use great frictions and rubbings of the infe­rior parts of the Body to draw down. And truly discontent and unthankfulness is an e­vil in the head and heart too a slightness and misunderstanding of the great mercies of God, and to cure it, things must be rub­bed much upon the conscience, that lower Court of judging and condemning things amiss, for we are less than the least of all Gods favours.

9 Learn that we have much cause to be very Heavenly, Floods so much overflow all [Page 173]here, and all things are so oft sloted in this World, that it is necessary our Souls be much upon the Wing, and much aloft in that upper World, Procul negotiis should be the Saints Motto. Far from sin, nay far from the troublesome business and matters of this World, and much else where, to wit, in Heaven, where we say our Trea­sure is. How precious are thy thoughts unto me, how great is the sum of them when I a­wake I am still with thee Psal [...]9.18 When all Gods waves over flowed the old wicked World, the Dove flees to the Ark; so should the great and continued troubles of this world make us retreat much to Christ, and to that good and quiet place above, where he is at the right hand of his Father and we are great gainers by all our losses and troubles, if they produce a Heavenly spirit. Servus per [...]se, non est persona, sed res, & possessio Domini sui, saith the Civilian. A Servant that is under all considerations servant, ceaseth to be a Person in a sort, and is a Mans goods, and the possession of his Master. We are under all considerations the servants of God and therefore we should be as his House, and as his good and pos­session, our Souls should be swallo [...]d up in Him and in Heaven; we should not be our own in any thing, but his altogether, and attending still upon Him with all our [Page 174]thoughts, words and actions, as Servants which are not their own. Let us make a vertue of necessity; Where can we be quiet in this world, or how long? and therefore let us be much in Heaven with Christ, which is best of all.

GOD'S Troops Invading MAN.
Being A SERMON ON Psal. 42.7, 8. • 7. Deep calleth upon deep, at the noise of thy Water spouts: all thy Waves and thy Billows are gone over me. , and • 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kind­ness in the Day time, and in the Night his Song shall be with me, and my Prayer to the God of my Life. 

I Have been already on these words, and have given their sense, and have made one Observa­tion upon them, and pur­sued it to an end. Ano­ther Observation I pur­pose to make at this time, which is that I e­specially aim at, which is this, That Faith looketh thorough the darkest, and most dis­mal, [Page 176]and difficult things; All troubles (saith this Prophet) do as the Sea swallow me up, and yet the Lord maketh an escape for me, I shall have opportunity to praise him, and pray to him, as the God of my life; That is, he who hath saved my life, the life of my Soul and Body: David was as much disap­pointed from Men of all help, as exercised by God with straits and difficulties; Surely Men of lowe degree are Vanity and Men of high degree are a lie, Psal. 62 9. And yet observe how he speaks, viz. How long will you imagine mischief against a Man, You shall be slain all of you, as a tottering fence, and as a bowing wall shall ye be. When he was left in the lurch by every one, high and low, yet he saw by faith the downfall of all his enemies, yea, he saw that it was neer, and that as a swell'd rotten wall, they would soon throw down themselves, though none should touch them nor thrust them. Before your Pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a Whirl-wind, both living and in his wrath, the righteous shall joy when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, so that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth in the Earth, Psal. 58.10. What a great fear the whole Host was in, when Goliah came forth daily and insulted, and blasphemed, and yet then David by faith saw over him, yea saw his [Page 177]speedy down-fall. Then said David, thou comest to me with a Sword and with a Shield, but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the Armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied, this day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand and I will smite thee, and take thine Head from thee▪ and will give the Carcases of the Hosts of the Philistins this day to the Fowls of the Air, and to the wild Beasts of the Earth, that ye may know that there is a God in Israel, 1 Sam. 17.45 Moses saw all the fin and misery that Israel would plunge themselves into after his death, how they would wax fat, and kick, and run to new gods, and that all manner of miseries would come in upon them at this Door, and that they would bring themselves into an utter lost condition, as to all outward ap­pearance, and yet then saith he, the Lord will do like himself, The Lord will judg his People, and repent himself for his Servant, when he seeth that their power is gone, and none shut up nor left, Deut. 32.36. This great and free goodness of the Lord shall shame them, for trusting in Idols, and abu­sing such a gracious and mighty God, which is the sense of the following words. Holy Mr. Ainsworth, upon Psal. 1 [...]0.4. observes, that Coles of Fire may be kept under Juni­per ashes a whole Year together; and sure­ly there be things, if we could skill them, by which soul-heat and life, and so all the [Page 178]senses which belong to it, might be prefer­red long and very strong, not only for a Year, but always, and able to encounter all cases and conditions, though never so dark and difficult.

I will open this Point particularly to you, and shew you the truth Per Partes by Parts. Faith can look through matters temporal, though of the darkest and most difficult na­ture. 'Twas a great Flood which drowned all the VVorld, all Gods waves then passed over Man-kind indeed: And yet Noah by faith stem'd that Tide, and saw another VVorld, and his safe landing in it. 'Twas a great strait and temptation to Abraham, when called to leave his Country and Kin­dred, and to go to a Country so remote, and so wicked as Canaan was, and to live a­lone in the midst of such a People, and yet by faith he saw his way, and God before him, and that he should live then more safe than in h [...]s own Country. Likewise a great Temptation it was when God called him to offer up his only Son, and yet by faith he saw through that thick Cloud, and that God was able to raise him from the dead. It was a dark Day with David when Absalom was up against him, an: Ahitophel his VVives Grand-father, Bathshebas Grand-father, and yet turned against David to the Conspira­tors, by which the conspiracy grew strong; yet by faith he saw thorough this, and was [Page 179]quiet in the midst of this great tempest, as you may see, Psal. 3 5, 6. which was Penn'd upon that occasion. I laid me down and slept, I awakened for thou Lord sustainedst me, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of People, that have set themselves against me round a­bout. Arise O God and save me, for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the Cheek bone, thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. By which it is evident that he saw the ruine of that great Army, and his own safety in the midst of all that danger, and this by faith. The Waters of the Flood abated but one Cubit in Four Days when they began to a­bate, and yet Noah by faith knew he should see them quite down at length, though long first. And surely through his faith these wa­ters hasted away to their proper places, for in the last day they abated eleven Cubits, which abated but one in four Days before; By this which hath been said, we see, that Faith looketh through matters temporal, though never so dark and difficult.

Secondly, Faith looketh through matters spiritual, though never so dark and difficult. As the power of natural corruption, the sense of God's wrath, &c. Faith can look through the power of natural corruption, than which what is a greater Mountain, in the eye of an enlighten'd Soul? O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus [Page 180]Christ our Lord, Rom. 7.24, 25. Faith hath a strong and clear eye that can look through such a big and black Mountain, as the body of death is. Satan and corrupt nature are called the strong man and his goods, Mat. 12.29. and Christ spoils them both, and this faith seeth, when both natural corruption and Satan are at strongest. But I see another Law in my members, willing against the Law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched man, what a wretched state am I in. And who can, or who will deliver me out of this slavery? and faith answers this hard question. I thank God, Christ can and will, he that is mighty to save, on whom help for me is laid. To this may properly be added, Rom. 6.11. Likewise reckon ye your selves also to be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Faith doth reckon the body of fin dead, and all the Powers of it, because that is done by Christ's death to procure it, a Cure that never failed. What shall we then say? if God be for us, who can be against us, or what can be against us. But God be thank­ed ye were the servants of fin, but now ye have obeyed from the heart the forme of Doctrin, into which ye were delivered. Be­hold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my Mother warm me; behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in that inward [Page 181]hidden part thou shalt make me to understand wisdome, that is, experience the power of grace, for by wisdom is meant grace, Psal. 51 5.6. By wisdom is meant grace, and by knowing of wisdom, means, experiencing of grace. Which sheweth to us, that he by faith saw thorow the power of natural cor­ruption, and all the grieving operations and prevalencies of it; and that the state of his inward man which was so ungracious and which had so deceived him, and betrayed him in that matter of Ʋriah, should not­withstanding be brought to a better and a more sincere frame for time to come. Hence it is likewise that the Apostle Paul speaks of the work of Mortification as done, which yet is still but a doing as long as we are on this side Heaven, as seeing by faith, every accursed thing in his heart slain. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. That is certainly they shall. The Beasts of the Field shall honor me, the Dragons and Owles, because I give this and that in the Wilde [...]ness, Isa. 43.20. That is, Creatures by Nature as blind as Owles, and yet as confident and fiery as Dragons, these shall see and become as tame that a lit­tle Child may lead them. Jacob blessed Ru­ben that went up to his Fathers Bed, and Simeon and Levy which had been such Bre­thren in evil, and this he did by faith, saith the Author to the Hebrews; which sheweth [Page 182]that he saw thorow those corruptions, wher­with they were over-taken, the one with lightness, the other with passion and fury, and that God would change all their hearts, both of the one and of the other and make them gracious; and doubtless in his light the Children come at length to see light, and by his faith were helped to believe.

Secondly, Faith looketh thorow the sense of God's wrath, which is he darkest and most dreadful thing or all. Christ did so, and he did it by faith, when he cryed, My God, my God. &c. David's sin in the matter of Bathsheba, as much clouded his Soul as any thing and filled his soul with the sense of Gods displeasure, and yet he saw thorow that dark Cloud by faith, as you may see, 2 Sam. 12.23. But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him but he shall not return to me. By faith he saw God reconciled as to this foul business yea reconciled to the Childe that was smitten dead, or else he would not have wiped his eyes, and have said, I shall go to him, but would have con­tinued weeping and after, the death of the Child most of all, as he did for Absalom, whom he gave up for a castaway. They made the figure or the Sun upon Joshua's Tomb, to preserve the Memorial of that great Mi­racle of causing the Sun to stand still. Ther­fore also the place of his dwelling was cal­led [Page 183] Timnath Serath, or Heres, which wit [...] some Letters transpos'd, is as you should say, the sign of the Sun: upon the Tomb of a believer you may make the figure of Gods face and favour, for when he is in the belly of Hell, as Jona, yet from thence he espies a reconciled God, and his own everla­sting mercies sure, though these here be all uncertain. Wilt thou be angry with us for e­ver, wilt thou draw out thy wrath to all gene­rations? wilt thou not revive us again, that thy People may rejoyce in thee; I will hear what the Lord God will say, for he will speak peace to his People, and to his Saints, but let them not return again to folly, Psal. 85.8. The People of God were very low at this time, even as in their Graves and Tombes, and yet there is the figure of Gods counte­nance even on their Graves, they saw peace, when there was nothing but War. Who will bring me into the strong City, Who will bring me into Edom? Wilt not thou O God which hadst cast us off? and thou O Lord which didst not go forth with our Armies, Psal. 60.10.

Thirdly, Faith looks thorow matters Na­tional, as well as Personal, though never so dark and difficult. Thou will save the aff [...] ­cted People, but wilt bring down high looks, for thou wilt light my Candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness, for by thee I have ran thorow a Troop, Psal. 18.27. This Esalu [...] was made (saith the Title) when David was [Page 184]deliver'd out of the hands of all his Ene­mies, and out of the hands of Saul; so that it hath a National reference and respect. David saw thorow all National conflicts, as to the godly, that how much distressed soe­ver they were, yet that God would own them and save them. For thou wilt save the afflicted People, but wilt bring down high looks. They that seek my Soul to destroy it, shall go into the lowest parts of the Earth, they shall fall by the Sword, they shall be a portion for Foxes; but the King shall rejoyce in God, every one that sweareth by him shall glory, but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped, Psal. 63.10, 11. Noah came out of the Ark about November, the very beginning of Winter, when nothing was to be had, but what he had in the Ark for sup­port, and to begin the World withall; and yet he lookt thorow this great strait, which respected not a Nation, but the whole world, and sacrificed at the beginning of the new world, as Adam did at the beginning of the old, and so did cast all his care on Christ, who well cared for him, and for all the mat­ters in his hand, which respected the consti­tuting of this World.

If you ask me how a believer doth make such prospect and perspect? I answer, by these four things. First, By the Promise. The best Mens eyes fail in dark days, and it is well they do so, for then he betakes him­self [Page 185]to the promise, and by this Trunk be­holds afar off. A foolish or weak action fail­ing,Actione inepta suc­cumbens; recurrit ad aptam. maketh way to an action that is valid. A believers own sight failing, maketh him to have recourse to the promise, and by this he maketh prospect through all. The Title of the Fifth Psalm tells us, that it was made when the Philistines took David in Gath, mine Enemies would daily swallow me up, for they be many that fight against me; but how did he look through this Cloud? I an­swer, by the promise, as you may see, Verse the 6. In God I will praise his word, in God I will put my trust, I will not fear what Man can do, thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears in thy Bottel. In God I will praise his word, vers. 10. This word which he so much speaks of, was that which we read, 2 Sam. 23.5. By which he lookt through sin and death. These be the last words of Da­vid, although my House be not so with God, [...]et he hath made with me an everlasting Cove­nant ordered in all things and sure, for this is all my salvation, &c. that is, inward and outward, temporal and spiritual. The pro­mise is so ordered and made in all things, that in all matters whatsoever faith may see by it thorow and thorow; be it sin of what kind soever. Such sins as David committed, before or after conversion; or be it punish­ment spiritual or corporal, desertion of Soul, sickness of body, distraction and trou­bles [Page 186]in the affairs of this World; bad Fa­mily, bad Kingdom, as never any Man could have greater plunges of all sorts than he, and yet by this promise so ordered in all things, he saw still thorow all. To the pro­mise is added the Seal and Oath, to make a strong and clear sight in the darkest case; And this also David made use of, when he fought with Aram Naharaim, and Aram Zoba, Psal. 60.6. God hath spoken in his ho­liness, I will rejoyce, I will divide Sechem, and mete out the valley of Succeth, Who shall bring me into Edom, wilt not thou which hast cast us off? God hath spoken in his holiness or by his holiness, that is, hath engaged himself by oath, and surely he will not break his word, and his oath. The Church like­wise makech use of this Medium, to see clearly and strongly through trials, Psal. 89.35. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth, once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. And in what a dark case the People of God were then, we may see by the following words, — But thou hast cast us off, and abhorred, thou hast made void the Covenant of thy Servant, (this is the Prayer of the Church, urging the Covenant and Oath to David) Thou hast broken down all his hedges, all that pass by spoil him; thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his Throne down to the ground, Psal. [Page 187]89.44: Thus did the Church look thorow their dark condition, by the Promise and Oath.

Secondly, By Christ doth a believer look through all difficulties of what kind soever, inward or outward. The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine Enemies thy Foot stool. What enemies? Ans. All Enemies, inward and outward. The Psalmist by vertue of Christ saw natu­ral corruption, guilt of sin, and all Men and Devils opposing, destroyed. By the death of Christ, he saw guilt in all the Elect de­stroyed; he shall drink of the brook in the way, that is, the black Book Kedron, mean­ing that he should undergo a cursed death, and so satisfie the justice of God, and there­fore in the Person of all the Elect, lift up his head. Likewise by the life, intercession, and ministry of Christ he saw all corrupti­ons of nature destroyed in the Elect. Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, that is, by the ad­ministration of thy holy Ordinances, Thou hast the dew of thy youth, to supply them and to moisten them. Likewise by the death of Christ he saw all outward enemies vain and Devils destroyed. The Lord at thy right hand shall smite through Kings in the day of his wrath, he shall judg among the Heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead Bodies, he shall wound the heads over many Countrys, [Page 188]Psal. 110. Many things have their great­ness, not according to their nature, but ac­cording to their skill and humility, saith Se­neca; so a believer hath his greatness and honour, not according to his nature and birth from Men, but according to such a skill which God hath given to him, to make use of Christ▪ and to renounce still all in himself, and by vertue of this he is very great and mighty, and able to do all things. I can do all things through Christ, saith Paul, and so can see through all things by him. 'Twas through Christ that the Church saw through that dark state before mentioned, Psal. 87. When all that passed by spoiled, and all hedges down, Then thou spakest in a Vision, to thine holy one, and saidst I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the People, with whom mine Hand shall be established, mine Arme shall strengthen him, the enemy shall not exact upon him, nor the Sons of wickedness afflict him, and I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him: which though true of David, yet specially and principally of Christ, and him did the Church then see in David, as he by whom all their enemies inward and outward should be destroyed.

3 Thirdly, By experiences doth a believer look through all difficulties and miseries, Faith can help it self by reason. What Fa­ther, if his Child want bread, Experien­ces. will give him a [Page 189]stone? This is reason. But much more can faith help it self by experience. I am a man in authority, and I say to one man go and he goeth, and I say to another come and he com­eth, &c. This is experience, and faith is wonderful weak indeed, when it cannot thus help up it self, experiences are such sensible and such impressive things upon all powers within and without. O ye of little faith, do ye not remember the five loaves, and how many Baskets ye took up, Mat. 16. Christ takes it for granted that faith is very little and very weak indeed, when it cannot help it self by experiences, things which the Man hath had done for him in his wants. He delivered me from the Lyon and the Bear, and he will deliver me from this uncircumcised Phili­stim. The Lord, even Jesus who appeared to thee in the way, he hath sent that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, Act. 9.17. Doubtless that experience which he had of such an escape going to Damascus, advantaged his faith all his days, to look thorow, and to run thorow all the storms and perils which afterward he met withall. Some great sickness the Apostle Paul had, by the ill usage of Men who op­pressed him, and yet God preserved, and how he raised faith by experience to look thorow all evils present, and to come, see 2 Cor. 1.9, 10. We would not have you ig­norant of the troubles which happen'd unto us [Page 190]in Asia, how that we were pressed out of mea­sure, above strength, insomuch that we despair­ed ever of life, but we had the sentence of death in our selves, that we should not trust in our selves, but in God that raiseth the dead, who deliver'd us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deli­ver us. Mordecai is called Pethakia, because saith the Jews, he opened and expounded all matters; and understood 70 Languages. Experience may be called Pethakiah, it doth so interpret all Ridles, and dark matters both of the word and works of God, it ex­plains and interprets 70 and 70 Languages, if there be so many worth the interpreting; it makes a Man with ease and triumph to look thorow and over all before it, though never so dark and difficult, as David over Goliah, and Zerubabel over that great Moun­tain which was before him, and Joshuah the High Priest over sin and Satans occasions,—Is not this a brand pluckt out of the Fire.

Fourthly, By Prayer doth a believer come to this good eye-sight, to look thorow all dark and difficult matters. When I cry to thee then shall mine enemies turn back, this I know, for God is for me, Psal. 56.9. David had cry­ed to God, as one once did a little before an engagement, and he knew he should have the day, and that his enemies would turn their backs; great clearing of fight is made by prayer and tears in dark days, to see tho­row [Page 191]matters. A little wind overthrows not only Houses, but States and Kingdoms, saith Seneca. A little of this wind, I mean the pantings and prayings of God's People to Heaven, overthrows Persons and Nations indeed, and is a sure prognostick of good, to whom a praying spirit is given, and makes in the heart an assurance of good coming. My soul followeth hard after thee, thy right hand upholdeth me, (then observe what he saw) Those that seek my soul to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the Earth, Psal. 63.8, 9. Whether that were Hell, or the Grave, or both, 'twas well the Church and David were rid of them. Prayer is an Ordinance, by which the Soul goeth to Hea­ven, and then gets a new life and strength before it comes down again. Christ found the blessing of this Ordinance oft, and hath surely sanctified it to all his for the same end, to lift up their heads and hearts above all troubles. He shall cry unto me thou art my Father, my God, the Rock of my Salvation, and I will make him my first born, higher than the Kings of the Earth, Psal. 89.26. The whole course of Nature began with the motion of the Heavens, and continues still vigorous, according to the continued moti­on of them. Now as the motion of the Heavens is to the whole course of Nature, so is Prayer to all the graces of the Soul, and to the whole course and state of the [Page 192]new World; it is this that sets all graces a going, and going true and strong, let wea­ther be what it will. Hence are those perti­nent words of David. Trust in the Lord at all times; ye People pour out your hearts be­fore him, God is a refuge for us, Selah, Psal. 62.8. He maketh these subservient one to another, faith to prayer, and prayer to faith, as indeed they are. Would you trust in the Lord at all times, then pour out your souls to God: Would you pour out your souls to God, and pray alway, then trust in the Lord at all times. Hence it is that the A­postle Paul, when he had spoken at a great height of faith. Who hath delivered and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet de­liver, &c. You also helping together for us by Prayer, 2 Cor. 1.11. Prayer mounts faith upon its high places, and faith mounts pray­er, and makes one pray in his praying. Un­belief is soul-fainting, and prayer is a fetch­ing fresh life from the Fountain of Life. Have mercy upon me, O Lord consider my troubles, which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death. Psal. 13. that is, Soul and Body.

Ʋse 1 Learn from hence, that if faith looketh through the most dark and difficult things, then where faith is not, troubled People and distressed People, must needs be at a great loss, especially in great distresses, yea the truth is in every little distress, every [Page 193]little tryal will sinck them, in whom is no faith, I cannot well give the reason of it, some things contemptible are very vertual to cure great diseases, of which none are able to give a reason. Unless this, that faith twines it self with God to do for Man, and all other natural abilities bear up little, be­cause they lead not the sinner out of him­self, but to trust in some thing of the Crea­ture, and very little burdens will break the back of a meer Man, though his reason and parts, and outward helps may be many. Saul was bid to stay till Samuel came to him, and Samuel stayed but a little beyond his time, (consequently his tryal was but little) and he falls upon things and ways unlawful to his ruine. He that believes not will make hast, because he cannot see through any strait. The Philistines were neer, and thou didst not come, and therefore 'twas in vain for me to wait, so Saul reasoned within himself, and so will every Man that is desti­tute of faith. Achan having no faith could not forbear, but would be providing for himself, when as God was before them, and providing for them and protecting of them, and therefore his tryal was nothing, only his lust. 'Tis true, the issues of War are doubtful, and Casus fortuitus non est speran­dus, a doubtful case is not to be hoped; this may be good talk in humane matters, as we have to do in common bargening, but [Page 194]in divine matters as are to be confidered in order to God, it is not good so to reason; yet thus and no otherwise in all fortuitous and hazardous matters, will Men which have but meer reason; they will say there is no hope, and so fall to the use of their wits, and make hast to some evil or other, if God do not mightily prevent. Though the pro­mise be exceeding great and precious, and though there be many of them, as the A­postle Peter saith, yet a Man in whom is no faith, can see by these no relief at hand, but still a dreadful sound is in his ear, he believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, Job 15.21, 22. This stop of trade will beggar me; these crosses and losses will certainly undo me; these and these Bags will be quite emptied by and by, and then what shall I do for more? And so instead of hoping to the end, the distressed Man never hopes at all, but universally down, and thus at every straw and strait. There was a universal darkness over the World for twelve hours, then was light created in this upper hori­zon, saith a great Scholar: but where faith is not, there is a universal darkness for more than twelve hours, even all the days of the Man's life, and nothing can create light, neither the word nor works of God, but al­ways and in all cases the Man cries out, like that Rockwood (which was a great stirrer up of Persecution against the Martyrs, and be­ing [Page 195]smitten in conscience, was exhorted to seek mercy from God, and to hope therein, and all that it could do was)— All is too late, all is too late; meaning that all their good Exhortations were too late as to his case. So when faith is not, talk of what one will to support and bear up, the distressed will cry out still, all is too late, and to no pur­pose as to him.

2 Learn from hence how excellent a grace faith is, it over-ruleth all things: Invincible we may be, but un-assaulted we cannot be, saith Seneca. Assaults, how many do we meet withall in such days as those are, and what a shield is that above all shields which maketh us invincible, not to be hurt by any assault from Man, or Devil; and such a shield is faith. All Nations compass me a­bout, but in the Name of the Lord will I de­stroy them; they compass me about, yea they compass me about, but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them, Psal. 18.10, 11. And the Devil struck in with all these, so he saith, v. 13.— Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. Surely it is the Devil which thrusteth us, to make us fall. And yet against all Nations of Men, and against all Nations of Devils, Did David by faith stand? How excellent an Engin then is faith, and how invincible! when Joab fought with Edom in the Vally of Salt, he had a hard bout, as appears by [Page 196]the Psalm which David made upon that oc­casion. —Thou hast made the Earth to trem­ble, thou hast broken it, heal the breaches of it: thou hast shewed thy People hard things, thou hast made us drink the Wine of astonishment; yet observe what faith saith, in the very next words, Thou hast given a Banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth, Selah; that thy beloved may be de­livered, save with thy right hand. Thou hast given a Banner, (1.) Thou certainly wilt give a Banner, because of the truth, the certain truth; so saith the Original, and means the Promises, saith Ainsworth upon this place. And these being certain, faith is still at a certainty, and seeth beyond all evil. 'Tis thought that our Parents in Paradise knew of the good Angel, but knew not of the fall of the bad, and so took that voice in the Serpent, to be the voice of a good Angel, and so were led by him, and fell a­bout Noon, that being the eating time, and lay comfortless till Three of the Clock in the After-noon, which is called the cool of the day, and then were visited by God, and Christ revealed to them. We may have cheats put upon us in these days by Devils instead of Angels, and I fear we have too many of us; but faith heeds nothing but the certain truth, namely, the promises of God which are infallible, and so putteth no cheat upon any, nor maketh any ashamed. [Page 197]It may be distressed Persons may lie longer disconsolate than three Hours, and yet it may be no longer, for assoon as they believe they enter into rest: this gives a vision of Christ, and so of pardon, and of release from distress certainly to follow, which is rest, and so is indeed, an excellent Balsom for such an unwholsome Climate as we here live in.

3 Learn likewise from hence the necessity of faith, without this we cannot please God, nor can we be pleased with God nor in God, but he will loath us, and we shall loath him and all his ways. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of all those that diligently seek him. And he that must believe this, must have faith. Suppose that the Lord call to contend by Fire, burning and destroying, or by famine and drought, so great that is should even seem to dry up the great deep, as the Prophet useth the speech, Amos 7.4. Meaning, exceedingly scorch and wither, and kill all. Or suppose that not only Fa­mine should be, but the Sword also, yea as prevailing and as devouring a Sword as the Famin, and that God should make that good against us, which Job saith of his condition, Job 16.11. God hath delivered me to the un­godly, and turned me over into the hand of the wicked; I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder, he hath also taken me by the Neck, [Page 198]and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. Vers. 12. How neer such things may be, God knoweth; and what then, when all is gone? What shall we, or what can we live by, but by faith? Then faith is as necessary to our Souls, as life to our Bo­dies, or as our Souls to our Bodies. Elihu was sensible that Job was full of complaints of his hard condition, but alas, faith he, Brutes and Beasts when hard used, will cry and roar, but what is this of a godly Man? or what will the great God regard such car­riages? By reason of the multitude of oppres­sions, they make the oppressed to cry, they cry out by reason of the Arm of the Mighty, but none saith where is God my Maker, which gi­veth Songs in the Night, who teacheth us more than the Beasts, that is, only to roar and cry out, when we are beaten and over-burden'd; he teacheth us to believe, and to expect Songs to be given in the darkest Night. Job 35.9. The true state and life of man, is not to be shaken with tumults and distres­ses, nor be lifted up with prosperity and ease, said the Heathen, and what can poise, and even the Soul thus in all conditions but faith? by which we know how to abound, and how to want, how to be high when low, and how to be low when high; if faith have its perfect work, so will patience, and then the Soul is entire, and wanteth nothing, no though all the things of this World he wanting.

Likewise we may learn from hence, 4 that we are never gone and quite undone, till faith be gone. For loe they lie in wait for my Soul, the mighty are gathered against me; they return at Evening, they make a noise like a Dog, and go round about the City, be­hold they belch out with their mouth, Swords are in their Lips, for who saith he doth hear? But thou O Lord shalt laugh at them, thou shalt have all the Heathen in derision, because of his strength will I wait upon thee, for God is my defence, Psal. 59.9. The God of my mercy shall prevent me he shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. Things were very bad indeed, when the wicked were at this height, that they could belch out any thing, and run every where as Dogs, and tear God and Man, and yet David was not quite ru­ined. — Because of thy strength I will wait upon thee. A believer is strong enough, as long as God is strong, and wise enough, as long as God is wise, and rich enough as long as God is rich, and lively enough as long as God lives. Hanibal offered himself, to make War with the Romans without an Ar­my, saith Seneca. And truly a believer will himself make War with all enemies in the World, and without any Army, only by the strength of God, and is never at a loss for an Army, nor Counsel, nor Provisions, but saith as that Father of believers, God will provide, God will fight for you, and ye shall [Page 200]hold your peace, said Moses in a great strait. Cain was not utterly lost, when he had com­mitted murder, for so had David done. But when he rejected the offer of grace, and de­sired death as a despairing Creature. He had a most glorious offer of grace, Gen. 4.7. And if thou d [...]st well shalt thou not be ac­cepted? or certainly accepted, and though thou dost not well, yet a sin-offering lieth at the door, so it should be read saith a great Scholar, in the Languages of the Scripture.Dr. Light­foot. And this great offer of grace he despised, and so for­sook his own Mercy, and desired Death through a proud dogged spirit, having lost the honour, which was given to Abel. Now therefore let it be, that any one that fudeth me may kill me. So should these words be read, saith the same Author. And now and not till now, was Cain quite undone.

Use 2 This Doctrine in the next place may be for reproof; and it may be for reproof of unbelief upon any account whatsoever, see­ing faith looks through all matters what­ever. As for the Jebusite the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Children of Israel could not drive them out, but they dwell there to this day. Judg. 15.63. David along while after drove them out. And why could not these lame and blind be driven out? It was their unbelief. The enemy had gotten a strong Fort, and the advantage of that City Jeru­salem, and yet had they had faith they might [Page 201]have lookt thorow these Forts and Rocks of Jerusalem, and have conquer'd it, as they did Jerico and other places as strong, by faith. Their sin was the same with Rubens, Dan and Asher. Sisa [...]'s Host was great, and therefore they could not see through them, and over them. For the divisions of Ruben there were great thoughts of heart. Gilead a­bode beyond Jordan, and why did Dan abide in Ships, Ashar continued on the Sea shore, and abode in his breaches. Judg. 5.16▪17. Di­stresses are of several magnitudes but yet how great soever they be, faith should be such as to master them and look thorow them, but when it is not so, then men betake them to their selfish shifts, and every one is but for one. Why did Ashar abide in [his breacher?] 'Tis a grand evil of this time, every Man seeks his own, and stands with all he hath to make up his own breaches but as to the publick and the common calamity of others, Who hath a Heart or a Purse or a Hand? which speaks plainly our un­belief, and that we do not see through the dark Clouds which are come upon us▪ but say in our hearts, as David, I shall one time or other surely perish by this and that great tryal, and these Sons of Anack are walled up to Heaven, and no dealing with them. Necessity (saith one of the Heathen) maketh us more violent than valorous. There are a­mongst us, through many necessities, many [Page 202]violencies both inward and outward, spiri­tual and corporal, unto great hurt every way, but little true valour, that which flows from faith, which is that that doth business, as we have seen.

2 Secondly, This Scripture reproveth giving way to unbelief. We flatter our selves in our unbelief, as Jona in his passion, and in many cases very desperately, we think we do well to be unbelievers; whereas the greater the difficulties be, the more our duty is to believe. Curse ye Meros, curse ye bitterly, that they came not out in a plunge to help the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5.23. If thou think some great tryal shall encoun­ter thee, ( [...]aith Seneca) do not flinch, but comfort thy self with this, that surely thy death and suffering is of some great impor­tance Great distress is no warrant for us to make great consult with flesh and blood, but great consults with the promises, and with our own experi [...]nces, and to call much upon a cowardly and deceitful heart. Why art thou cast down O my Soul? hope in God: for, I shall yet see better things than these. If unbelief were as profitable, as it is self-pleasing, and that it would further escapes out of distresses, one might through self-love give way to it, as Men do to many gainful sins; but it doth not this, but ra­ther obstruc [...]e ca [...]s as our Fathers unbe­lief in the Wilderness upon every occasion, [Page 203]it caused God to swear against them, that they should dye in the Wilderness. It is not the giving way to unbelief, but the exciting faith, what ever the difficulty be, that is the likely way to make escape. As Caleb and Joshua said, We be well able to deal with them, for God is departed from them and they are bread for us, and this is called following of God fully, which God took well, and honou­red them with escapes from all dangers, and they enjoyed the good Land. To this agrees that, Psal. 37.40. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them, he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him, If giving way to unbelief in the least, had been pleasing to God, he would not have made the promise first to our Pa­rents, before he came to pronounce the curse upon them.

Now giving way to unbelief, consists in two things construing all things in the worst and hardest sense; our own matters towards God, and God's matters towards us. I have been a stubborn rebellious [...]retch, and surely God will never have mercy upon me; Observe Moses upon th [...]s theme. De­stroy not this People remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob look not on the stubbornness of this People, nor to thei [...] wickedness, nor to their sin, Deut 9.27. Ne respicias ad dutitiem; the hardness, that is, the [...]m [...]e [...]tency of this People, but thy Covenant with Abraham. [Page 204]And this is the great thing only to be eyed by poor guilty wretches. O sirs, such and such sins were nothing, if I could be humbled for them, but I am of a very hard heart. Be it so, yet should you believe in the word of promise, that is in that God which hath said he will give a heart of flesh. This People hath finn'd, and they cannot repent, (saith Moses) do not therefore look upon them, for there is no loveliness in them but look upon thy promise to Abraham to be a God to him and to his Seed, and what can­not a God do to mend the heart of man? Lamech having made himself guilty of Po­lygamie, reflected upon the sin of Cain, as is thought, of which Loin he was, and con­sters himself a far more guilty wretch than Cain, for that Cain had only slain one, and that only his body, but Lamech had destroy­ed many, soul and body, both by his evil ex­ample which now so generally was follow­ed in the World, and a hastner of the worlds destruction, so that if Cain was to be aven­ged seven-fold for his fin. Lamech surely for his fin was to be avenged seventy times seven fold; this is the sense of this Scri­pture, as an able Expositor judgeth. Sure I am, that thus do poor guilty wretches please themselves, to look upon all their sins, in a very multiplying glass, and to see them greater than any others, and so conclude, that if such and such despaired, I have much [Page 205]more reason, and this is no other but giving way to unbelief. The Jews observe much, how the providence of God, complyed with the fire upon the Altar, that it never went out, they say that the Rain of Heaven, though never so great, never did put it out; so we should much observe how the Lord by his Providence in his Word and Works, complies with the weakness of our faith, to strengthen and to preserve it, that it go not out, quite out; and not be severe­ly catching at every thing, to weaken and to destroy our faith, as if God's thoughts were as narrow as ours.

Secondly, Way is given to unbelief, when all wit and parts are used, to argue down faith And the Angel of the Lord did won­derously, and Manoah and his Wife looked on. But the Angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah, nor to his Wife, then he knew it was an Angel of the Lord And Manoah said to his Wife we shall surely die, because we have seen God, Judg. 13.19, 20. God sometimes doth wonderously own us in all our ways, and holdeth up our hearts ev [...]n by sense, he is so for us in every thing. Another while he seems to be as much against us, and Ma­noah that did look on and see God do won­derously, seeth him no more; and now the improsperous Man concludes that he shall die. And just thus do many, when God up­holds them not by sense, but with draws, [Page 206]and seems to be as much against them as for them, then conclude surely, God is our Ene­my and will destroy us, and all is naught. Sineca saith that there is no universal thun­der: I may say so in morals. When God doth most against wicked Men, yet some things of kindness he doth, as we see in the example of Pharaoh; And so on the other hand, there is no universal Sun shine: when God doth most for any Child of his, yet he shall have exercise and tryal enough one way or other; and therefore to argue when things do not run so stilly and calmly as they did, that therefore God doth not re­spect us, is to give way to unbelief. The peo­ple of Israel as they were espying out their way, met with many difficulties, And they turn'd, and went up the way of Bashan, and Og the King of Bashan went out against them, and all his People. And the Lord said to Moses fear not, for I will deliver him into thine hand, and all his People, and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sihon King of the Amorites, Num. 21.33. 'Tis just thus spiritually; as a tempted Christian is spying out his way to Heaven out starts some Og, some strong lust or Devil, and then is he ready to fear and despair, and mistrust all, and conclude all is naught, and will be worse and worse; which is arguing down faith from sense, and giving way to unbelief. The High Priest was train'd up against the day of expiation, [Page 207]to learn how to take up his handful of In­cense, and lay it one the Altar, and so how to order himself in every thing, and was kept in a Room of purpose separated with abstinence; so should you rather conster, that you are training up to your Priestly work by your tryals, how to take up your handful of Incense, I mean the Promises, and lay them on the Altar, Christ, and so make a sweet Saviour of rest to God, and to your Souls.

That you may not upon any account give way to unbelief, know that you cannot do so and be innocent, that is, free from sin in so doing. There are two things that are in­dispensable duties as long as we live, and that is to wait on the Lord, and to keep his way, to which the blessing is certainly fixed, and no difficulty shall make it void. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him, the Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. What is the use to be made of this? read the next words. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land, when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it, Psal. 37.32, 33, 34. There are two parts in Religion, faith and obedience; that we walk in all Gods ways, and yet not rest in this, but in Christ by faith; and this we ought in all weathers to do, and the good event of these, is certain. — God will ex­alt [Page 208]us to inherit the Land flowing with Milk and Hony. (i.e.) All good, God will give us a lift to the possession of all that he hath promised. And therefore it is to destroy all Religion, and the recompence of reward too, to give way to unbelief. They that do not wait on the Lord, will surely not keep his way, and they that do not keep his way will not be exalted to inherit the good Land. Heathenisme began at Babel; when the Hebrew Tongue was lost, at the confusion of Tongues only to one Family was God and Salvation preached. And when this was lost, Religion was lost with it, and all the Earth became strangers to God, and so lay 2203 Years, till the gift of Tongues at Zi­on began to be given, to preach the Gospel in every Language we may in this Glass see our black face at this day.) So I may say, that all transgression even unto Heathen­isme, begins at unbelief; What will not an unbeliever be drawn unto? and consequent­ly all misery begins here too; and neither the one nor the other begin to be removed, till God begin to work faith in the Soul. And therefore I say again, and say some thing more than I did, you cannot give way to unbelief, and be innocent, you cannot give way to unbelief, but you give way to all sin, and unto all misery, See Rom. 11.23. And they shall be graffed in again, if they abide not still in unbelief.

Try your selves therefore by this Point. Do you believe? Do you look tho [...] the dark matters o [...] your condit [...]o [...]? And be­hold a Woman which was diseased with an issue of blood Twelve Years came behind Christ, and touched the Hem of his Garment, for she said within her self, if I may but touch his Gar­ment I shall be wh [...]le. Mat. 7.21. What talk within your selves have you, touching your d [...]st [...]sses inward and outward where [...]n you are? If I could lean in the [...]ast on this wo [...]d of prom [...]se, surely I should enter into rest, surely I shou'd be ma [...]e whole of this wickedness, and that Running issue which hath run in my nature above Twelve Years without Cure. I will name only one Pro­mise for instance. Rom. 11.26. And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, I here shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob for this is my Covenant with them when I shall take a­way their sins. What a deal of scarlet guilt is upon the Jew! And as for natural cor­ruption, how wilfully blind, how stubborn in and their sins! and yet the Apostle Paul by vertue of the Promise, looks [...] wall, and seeth the condition of these forlorne sinners a condition remed able that 'tis [...]t Immedicabile Vul [...]us. Do you in your read­ing the Scriptures, make a stand at any pro­mise, or [...]u [...]able word to your condition, and say within your selves, O that I could [Page 210]but touch this Hem of Christ's Garment. If I could but believe in this word I should be whole, I should overcome such a sin which hath so oft overcome me, all my un­godliness both of guilt and filth would be turned away Whi [...]st Simeon he just lived, the Fire on the Altar ever burnt pleasantly, but when he dyed its force abated, saith the Jewish History. Simon the just was a great believer, and did Miracles, saith Euschius, and very Holy and Heavenly. Where faith indeed is that Heavenly Fire of love and zeal to God, will burn in the heart very bright and clear, according to that excellent speech of David, I have hoped for thy Sal­vation, and do thy Commandement, Psal. 119.166. And as faith fails, so this Heavenly Fire on the Altar goes out, so a Mans skill and his conscience to please God dye both together.

2 Secondly, Are you able to look thorow outward troubles and difficulties, and dark matters, as they lye now in these and other Nations? Can you stand on your high pla­ces, and see now beyond this thick Cloud of the Pestilence and other evils that are upon us? Can you say, O thou Enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end, or saith the mar­gent, The destructions of the Enemy are come to a perpetual end, —The [...]r Cities hast tho [...] de­stroyed. Psal. 9 6. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all that forget God, (there they will be quite out of the way) [Page 211] For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever, v. 17.18. The Ticle of this Psalm, is Muth Labben, the Death of some great Enemy, which Ainsworth saith to be Anti Christ. Anti-Christ is now more alive than ever in all the parts of Christendom, he is a man of good eyes that now can see his death and downfall and all his Cities, even Rome it self, that great City which Ruleth the Nations. The first thing that dyed in the World was Christ in the offering of our first Parents, whose skins cloathed them. And the last that dyeth in the World will be Anti-Christ, who cloatheth himself in scarlet with the skins of the Saints. Hence was Christ called a Lamb, slain from the beginning; and therefore may Anti-Christ be calle [...] a Bear or Beast slain in the end of the World: But who seeth now in this dark and dismal Hour, the death of this Monster? I remember not long since, in the days of the great Armies, then we all talkt of the downfall of Anti-Christ; But, who seeth his downfall now? There is no Rain so great that watereth the Earth above so far, Ten Foot deep, saith the Naturalist. I think the storms which have fallen of late in these parts, have soakt our Souls, and Bo­dies, and Estates, and all that is dear clear thorow, yea, our faith, and all our graces, for we can scarce look through any thing well, [Page 212]But when exhorted to trust in the Lord at all times as David saith we are ready to say as the Princes of Succoth to Gideon, are Zeba and Z [...]lmunna now in our hands, that we shou [...]d do so and so, Judg. 8.6. Who saith Although the Fig Tree shall not blossom, nei­ther f [...]uit be in the Vines th [...]ugh the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the Fields shall yield no meat, the Flocks shall be cut off from the Folds, and no Herd in the Stalls, yet will I rejoyce in the God of my Salvation Hab 3.17, 8 Yet this is no more but the proper acts o [...] faith.

If you say you do not thus believe, so as to look thorow dark cond [...]t [...]ons and things, neither spiritual nor temporal. Let me ask you do you not thu [...] sometimes? No not at any time can I thus believe. Elian com­pares Tyrants to Swine, which if a Man but touch, they cry▪ think [...]ng they shall be ki [...]led▪ Is it thus with you, when God doth but touch you in this and that? Do ye cry as if he m [...]ant to kill you in al [...]? What do you do then in your trials? throw off al [...]? David was not wont to do so, but when all things failed, to call upon his Soul to trust only in God I will [...]g in the st [...]ength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righ­teousness, even of thine only and will hope con­tinually and will yet praise thee more and more, Psal. 71.14, 15, 16. Whether the [Page 213]Gods be pleased or displeased. We must dye, said one of the Heathen: so say I, whether God be pleased or displeased with us, (to speak with reverence) we must be­lieve, as the Cananitish Woman did, when Christ called her Dog, or else we sinck and perish.

Ʋse 4 Wherefore my last Use is to exhort you to seek this grace of faith, that you may be able to believe God, because of his own Word. Job. 4.41. And so to set your Seal to his Word and Works, and by this be able to espy light in darkness, which God is most ready to give. Righteousness shall go before him, and he shall set us in the way of his steps, Psal. 85. ult. Truth shall spring out of the Earth, and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven: which words (surely) point at Christ and the Gospel, by which God trains up sinners to believe in him, to their Salvation in this World and in the World to come. God preached Christ to Adam, and taught him to take hold of him, to his temporal and eternal Salvation. Adam named his Wife Eva, or Life. And the promise is that we shall all (i.e.) Jew and Gentile, be taught of God to this thing, to glorifie the word of the Lord, that is, the essential word Christ, and the written word the Scriptures. God taught Noah to build the Ark, concerning which, [Page 214]one thing is most remarkable, that the Door into the Ark was in the lowest story, and so was under Water all the time of the Flood, which surely was done on purpose, to make and exercise faith purely in him which shut him in.

Seek faith in this height, which my Text and Doctrin spake of, (1) That you may be able in the greatest darkness, to make light and sight. The Jews in their daunces would say, Blessed be thou O my Youth, which hast not shamed my old Age, and these were called Men of Performances. Others would say, Blessed be thou my old Age, which hast gain-said my Youth, and these were called Men of repentance. Both would say, Blessed is he that hath not sin'd, and he that hath sinn'd and is pardoned. Seek such a faith, that thus you may see cause to bless God in every condition, in Youth, in Age, in sickness, in health, when down, and when risen again; when you do not sin, and when you do sin, as being able to apprehend Christ and your pardon. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is pardoned, blessed is he to whom the Lord will not impute sin, surely his Salvation is neer them that fear him, that gl [...]ry may dwell in our Land, mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other, Psal. 58.9, 10. [Page 215]What this kissing of Righteousness and Peace means, you may see, Vers. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy People, thou hast cover'd all their sin, Selah. The Psal­mist by faith saw peace in Heaven towards the Lords People, and that peace. (i e.) All good should be on Earth to them also, which keeps the heart in a ready chearful frame to serve God, and to bless him in every state, and therefore such a faith should be sought for.

3 Watch to preserve your faith, who have this grace of graces. How careful we are to preserve our eyes, and much more to preserve our lives. Faith is your best eyes, by which you are able to look out of every hill into Heaven; and faith is your best life, by this we live spiritually, and by this we have all the joy of our life, that is worth any thing. He that never saw the rejoyce­ing of drawing of Water, never saw joy in all his life, saith the Jewes; so he that ne­ver saw the joy of faith, which is called un­speakable and full of glory, never saw joy in all his life; and therefore you that have this faith, and the great and unspeakable be­nefit of it, preserve it all you can, and make no shipwrack of faith and conscience, and there you save all, though you lose all be­side. Hence it is that David begs that God would draw out his loving kindness to them [Page 216]that knew him, and his righteousness to the upright in heart, with thee is the Fountain of Life, and in thy light we shall see light, Psal. 36.9, 10. By which, he means that God would more reveal Christ to him in his word and works, for the better establishing of every grace; and thus let us p [...]nt all our days, that in his light we may see light, and have our faith and integrity preserved, for they live and dye together. He that did bring the World by the Flood in o [...]ics first Chaos, covered all with VVater, he can and is ready to bring our fa [...]len state, by Christ (the greatest piece of which is un­belief) to some degree of restoration, and bear up the Pillars thereof, faith and every grace, and all by his own hand. And he that enabled Noah in Seven Days to furnish the Ark with all Creatures for a whole Year, both for nourishment an [...] for sacr fice, to weather it in all that dark time, he can quickly inable us to store our Souls in this dark day with every grace, to weather well this evil time and to stand compleat in all the will of God.

(1) The Motives which may be used are these, your own matters are or may be suddenly very dark, most Mens sun claps in, in this hour, and every one either in point of estate or liberty, or life, begineth to walk in the Vally of the shadow of Death; it would [Page 217]be well now in such times, to have such a frame of spirit to keep up, and to fear none ill, to be able to say, as David, The Lord is my light, and my Salvation, whom shall I fear, the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid, though an Host en­camp against me, my heart shall not fear, though War should rise against me in this will I be confident, for in time of trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion, in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me, and now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about, Psal. 27.1▪ 2, 3 Many Clouds are up, and more still arising, and some are al­ready over-shadowing you; Would it not be well if you were able indeed to say thus? Though Wa [...]s be, though Famine, though Pestilence, though Imprisonment, Banish­ment, yet in all these will I be confident, over these shall I be a Conqueror, for in the times of these troubles, the Lord will hide me, and it may be now, as dark and as dis­mal as things look, shall my head be lifted up above all mine enemies round about? God promised (after the Flood was over) that Day and Night should no more cease; Gen. 8 22. which intimateth, saith one up­on that place, that during the Forty Days Rain which made the Flood, that the Day was as it were ceased and turned into Night by the great and thick Clouds, and Tem­pests which were all over the World (and [Page 218]Clouds and Darkness are usually joyned to­gether, in the Scripture-phrase.) Our Day through many Clouds and Storms is very dark, especially to some; and yet the Day may more cease, and become universally dark, that what it is to any one at this Hour for calamity, that it may be univer­sally in one sense or another. And when things are thus universally dark, that every ones day is ceased, it will look like a Dooms­day indeed; and if you cannot look tho­row the Clouds of your condition now, How will ye do then? If ye cannot run with the Foot, how will ye run with the Horse? The Jews hold, that such as made not use of the Flood, but continued in their unbelief, were punished with scalding Wa­ter in Gehinnom; And surely they that make not use of present Clouds and Storms upon their condition, to get faith to wrestle well with these, and to fit them for worse, will be scalded indeed with those Waters, which yet may overflow us. The wo Trum­pets are for the Idolatry of the Christian Empire.

2 As our own Personal matters are dark: so are the matters of the Christian World, dark in most parts, though not so generally and universally, as they may be. I will give you two Scriptures to express my self in, in this matter. The one is, Amos 5.12, 13, 14. [Page 219] For I know your manifold transgressions, and your mighty sins, they afflict the just, they take bribes, they turn aside the poor in the Gate from their right, therefore the prudent shall keep silence, for it is an evil time, hate the e­vil and love the good, establish judgment in the Gate, it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Sins are now in the Christian World mighty and manifold, oppressions of the just (surely) were never greater, and yet must be silent, must not Petition nor complain; and all this is done Ex anima, heartily, yea with great malice and rage, that reacheth up to Hea­ven. God's wrath and rage is so provoked by this, as we feel at this day, that it is doubtful who of us will escape, when he shall go on in his judgments for these things. Therefore thus saith the Lord, wailing shall be in all Streets, and they shall say in all the High-ways, alas, alas, and they shall use the Husband-man to mourning, and all Vineyards shall mourn, hate the evil, &c. It may be the Lord God will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Sinners are so mighty in the Chri­stian World, and so many, and repentance and faith so rare and scarce, hating the evil, and loving the good, &c. That judgments when they further come, Famin, Pestilence, Sword, surely they will sweep clean, that we shall have cause to use the Prophets ph [...]ase, Wailing shall be in all Streets▪ and [Page 220]they shall say in all the High-ways, alas, alas, and it may be some of us shall escape. If such as have most faith, be brought to their may be by reason of such general calamity, what will they be brought to who are whol­ly destitute of faith, when such Floods o­verflow? The other Scripture to set out the state of the Christian World at this day, is, Rev. 13.6 7. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle, and them which dwell in Heaven, and it was given unto him to make War with the Saints, and to overcome them, and power was given him over all Kin­dreds, and Tongues, and Nations, and all shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life. The Anti-Christian world is at these heights of sin, blaspheming the matters and People of God, and at Warre with them, shedding their blood, and their success it seems will be general, power will be given them over all Kindreds, Tongues and Nations; and then when there is no Nation to flee to under Heaven, when the Earth, and the Sea, and the dry Land (i e.) all places and corners of the World shall be shaken, what need will there be of faith to flee to God. In the Generations, when the Son of David cometh (say the Jewes) the Scholars of the wise shall be rare, and as for the rest of the People their eyes shall fail for sorrow, and grief, and great afflictions, and [Page 221]soar decrees shall be so renewed, that before the first is ended, the second shall come Saith others of them. In the week of Years, in the which the Son of David shall come, the first year, that shall be fulfilled, to wit, I rained upon one City, and not upon another, Amos 4. In the second year, The arrows of Famine shall be abroad: In the third year, the Fa­mine shall be so great, that Men, Women, and Children, yea good and godly Men shall die, &c. I do not make this as Scripture, but as I see a congruity in them to the Scri­ptures, they are not be slighted. Now what of all this is approaching upon the Chri­stian World, and at the Door, I know not; sure I am, faith, yea the fa [...]th of David in my Text, against such a dark hour, would do well.

Thirdly, Get faith, this faith I am treat­ing of, or else you will be of little or no use, one to another. VVhen Senachetib came into Judea, Hezekiah sets Captains of VVar over the People. And gathered them together to him in the Gate of the City▪ and spake comfortably to them, saying, Be strong and cou [...]agious, be not afraid, nor dismay'd for the King of Assyria, nor for all the Mul­titude that is with him, for there be more with us than with him, with him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our Battel. And the People rested [Page 222]themselves upon the words of Hezekiah King of Juda, 2 Chro. 32.6, 7. How wonderful useful was Hezekiah by his faith, to the whole Nation in that strait! He put a fresh life and soul into them: had he sunk, they had all sunk with him, and so the enemy and the wrath of God had justly preyed upon them all. The Arabians, if their King be sick, all fain themselves sick too, as Homines ad Jervitatem parati, saith the Hi­storian. When Persons in place are sick of unbelief, of a faint weak spirit in difficult matters, all about them, more than fain themselves sick too, they are so in earnest, and more down than ashes. And truly ones use lost, is more than the loss of ones life. What a dead living Man is a useless Man! and yet so shall we be, unless we get the faith of this Scripture I am upon in some measure, and the faith of this evil time wherein we live. The evil spies made the hearts of the People to melt. The Levites which kept the Doors were to try the offer­ings, and God will try every Man by his of­ferings, that is, by his use.

Quest. If you now ask me, How shall I obtain such a faith?

A. I answer, It is the proper adjunct of such a sta [...]e, a renewed state. The eyes of the Lord are on such as fear him, on them that hope in his mercy, Psal 33.18. The Pome-citron [Page 223]grows besides all waters, and the tast of the wood, is like the tast of the fruit, saith the Naturalist. But I cannot say so of faith, of this faith that I am upon, that it growes in every soul, though almost every one will pretend to it. This Flower growes in a Garden of Flowers, in a state renewed in knowledge, in repentance, in wounds heal­ed. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weep­ing, Psal. 6▪ 8. One cleares his eyes, to make this excellent eye-sight by contrite weeping.

2 There is a peculiar instruction from the Lord, to learn this mystery of faith, and of believing in all cases. When Isaiah saw his own sin, and the Peoples, his heart sank, Woe is me, for I am undone, saith the margent, cut off, then there flew one of the Seraphims to him, having a live Coal in his hand, which he had taken from the Altar, and he laid it on my mouth, and said this hath touched thy Lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged, Isa. 6.8, 9. How helpful the Angels may be to others in such matters I cannot tell. Consult Isa. 8 18 and per­use the Dutch Notes upon these words.— Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me. The true Emanuel, Christ, speak­eth to the Prophet in these words, and com­forts him in his suffering by his own ex­ample, and so all God's Children who are [Page 224]all lyable to like troubles. So that we are to app [...]ehend that Christ is ready in strong tryals, to g [...]ve us strong instruction, and to comfort us with the same comforts, where­with he himself, and God's Children in eve­ry Age, have been comforted, though this may be to some more, and to some less, as Christ pleaseth. I saw by Night, and behold a Man riding upon a red Horse, and he stood among the Myrtles in the bottom, Zech. 1 8. This phrase, I saw by night, signifieth (saith Interpreters) that they saw their restaura­tion, but it was but darkly, and it was by the help of him that appeared among the Myrtles in the bottom, which was Christ.

Finally, By the wickedness of the wick­ed, the People of God get up to this height of believing, to look through all the dark Clouds of their condition. Not for thy righ­teousness, or for the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou go in to possess their Land, but for the wickedness of these Nations, doth the Lord thy God drive them out before thee, and that he may perform the word which he sware to thy Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 9.5. That which is the reason of God's doing a thing, may be the reason of our faith and hope, that it shall be done. Now the very notorious wickedness of the wicked, is the reason why he cuts them off, and puts others in their place, and therefore from the wick­edness [Page 226]of the wicked, may faith be strength­ned, and helped to see their overthrow, and consequently the escape of the godly. He­zekid saw his escape, and the downfall of the enemy Senacherib, by this very thing, name­ly by their wickedness▪ their great out rage and blasphemy, and malice against God, his People, and worship at Jerusalem. And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the Gods of the People of the Earth, which were the work of the hands of Men. For this cause Hezekia the King, and the Prophet Isaiah prayed and cryed to Heaven, and the Lord sent an Angel and cut them off 2 Chro. 32.19.20. 'Tis good History to compare with this, 1 Maccabes 7.41. Nicanor carryed himself against the Lord and his People, as Sena­cherib, and abused the Priests of the Lord, and laughed at all their worship, and threat­ned, that if they did not deliver Judas Mac­cabeus into his hands, and all his Host, he would destroy the Temple, and Priests and all the People. And by his height of wickedness, the poor Jewes, saw his fall, and went to God by prayer, and urged the story of Senacherib to him, saying, O Lord when they that were sent from the King of Assyria blasphemed, thine Angell went out and smote an hundred four score and five thousand of them: even so destroy thou this Host this day, that the rest may know that he hath sp [...]ken blasphemously against thy San­ctuary, [Page 226]and judge thou him according to his wickedness. And as they prayed, so God did destroy them all, and they smote off Nica­nor's Head and right hand, and hanged them up towards Jerusalem. So let all thine E­nemies perish, O God, and so let all thy People learn to pray, and to believe.

Amen.