WHich words have dependance upon the Verse next before, wherein St. Paul tels us, that lest he should have beene exalted a­bove measure through abundance of Reve­lations, there was given unto him a thorne in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him.

[Page 2]Now for this thing, what thing? Why this thorn in the flesh which did grieve him, this messenger of Satan which did buffet him, he besought the Lord thrice that it might de­part from him.

So then the cause of his earnest prayer was the thorne in his flesh, the Messenger of Sa­tan; and the occasion of that thorne in his flesh, that messenger of Satan, was the abun­dance of Visions and Revelations from the Lord: no Apostle had so many, none so great.

But the greater the favour of God was to him herein, the greater was his danger of falling into spiritual pride, & superexaltation of himself; the most dangerous sin that the child of God can fal into Indeed Gods grace & our humblenesse of minde should go to­gether; and the greater the graces are which wee receive from God, the more humble must wee bee in our selves; and me more humbly ought we to walke with our God This is the coherence of the Text.

[Page 3]The parts in gene­rall are two.

• The first is St. Pauls petition un­to God, in the former verse, For this, thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
• The second is Gods answer un­to St. Paul, in the words follow­ing, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse.

The pe­tition consists of these five branches

• 1. The first was the cause of his complaint, non calceus urget, it was not his shooe that did wring him, no smal matter that did trou­ble him, but something that went to his very heart, whatsoever it was; propter quod, for this thing.
• 2. The second was the reme­dy or meanes that he used against this thing that did so trouble him, and that was prayer, Propter quod rogavi, for this thing I besought.
• 3. The third was the earnest­nesse or importunity of his prayer, he gave not over untill he had an [Page 4]answer, propter quod rogaviter, for this thing I prayed thrice.
• 4. The fourth was the Physi­tian upon whom he called to help him, and that was God himselfe, no other could doe it, propter quod ter rogavi Dominum, for this thing I besought the Lord thrice.
• 5. The last was the end of his petition, the thing that he did de­sire, and that was that he might be freed from that which did so af­flict him, propter quod rogavi Domi­num ter ut discederet à me, for this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

[Page 5]In the an­swer I observe these 3. particu­lars.

1. First the effect of Gods an­swer, it was a denyall, hee prayed that the thorne which stucke so fast in his flesh might bee pluckt out, that the messenger of Satan which buffeted him, might depart from him; but it would not bee; he must bee content to endure it: and this appeares upon the whole answer.

2. Secondly, Gods divine ayd against the thing that did so trou­ble the Apostle, to make him able to encounter the same, and in the end to master it.

Wherein we have both the na­ture of this ayd, what kinde of ayd it was, it was his grace, gratia mea, my grace.

And also the measure and effi­cacy thereof, there was e­nough of it, and it was po­werfull, sufficit tibi, it is suffici­ent for thee.

You see then God denyed the A­postle that thing which he prayed for, but he gave him another, and a better thing which hee did not pray for, and that was his grace.

3. The reason both of Gods denyall, to remove that which troubled him; and also of his hea­venly ayd against the thing wher­of [Page 6]he did complaine, expressed by God himselfe in a maxime, or fa­mous sentence in Divinity; which reason is drawne from Gods course or way which hee takes with his servants in his wisdome, and in his mercy, both for his owne glory, and mans eternall good. Nam virtus mea in infirmita­te perficitur, for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse.

These are the severall parts and Branches of the Text, and of all these in their order, And first of Saint Pauls Petition to God, and therein I begin with the cause of his com­plaint, propter quod, for this thing.

What this thing was in generall that trou­bled this Apostle, he tells us in the verse next before my Text, wherein hee describes it two wayes: First, by a metaphor or figu­rative phrase, in respect of the paine and an­guish it caused, calling it stimulum in carne, a thorne in his flesh.

[Page 7]The word in Greeke is not [...], a small sharp goad, or prick, against many whereof Saint Paul kickt before his conversion, Acts the ninth, ver. five, but [...], which Tertullian calls sudem, o­thers palum praeacutum, a sharpe stake or point of a speare, vel aliquid acuminatum, or any thing that hath a long shar pe end, which sticking in a mans body, causeth an intollerable paine.

Secondly, he describes it plainely in respect of the Author, framer or contriver of it, and so hee calls it Angelum Satanae, the Messenger of Satan, which did buffet him, for God permitted Satan so to doe.

Now two things are certaine here; one, that it was Satans vexation by Gods permission; the other, that it did daily afflict him to the very heart.

So then you see it was no briar, no prickle, no nor no thorne, no small thing, that so troubled the Apostle, but a great matter indeed; but be­cause our English translations call it a thorne in in the flesh; and because we have not a better word in English to expresse it, I will call it still by that name.

[Page 8]But now what this thing, this thorne in the flesh was in particular, thats all the doubt indeed, and this is—dignus vindice nodus. And here I must confesse I am fallen among thornes, even the various opinions of Divines concerning this thing, which pluck me this way and that way, so that I can sconer finde an entrance in, then a passage out.

Some Divines draw this thorne in the flesh, of which Saint Paul complaines, as farre as from Adams loynes, and say it was originall concupi­scence, which the Apostle calls l [...]gem in carne, a law in his flesh, in his members, Rom. 7.

But this conceit is too farre fetcht; for first, Originall sinne is generall to all the Regenerate; but Saint Paul complaines here of some speciall thing which happened only to himselfe.

Againe, Saint Paul knew very well that Ori­ginall sinne could not possibly depart from him, as long as he lived in this world, Rom. 7. but hee prayed earnestly that this thing might depart from him.

Other Divines, with most of the Latine In­terpreters, affirme, that this thing which so trou­bled the Apostle was some sore disease or infir­mity [Page 9]of his body, as a continuall head ach, or paine in his stomacke, or the gout, or the stone, or some such griefe which daily afflicted him.

But this is not likely, for Saint Paul doth not complaine in any of his Epistles of any disease or infirmity of his body besides this; such a mala­dy would have beene a great impediment to him in the preaching of Gods word, & planting of the Gospell of Christ in all Countries, which hee could never have done, if he had been continual­ly tormented with any such infirmity of the body.

The Greeke Fathers, with many moderne Writers affirme, that this thing, which Saint Paul praied might depart from him, was his adversaries in generall, as Hymeneus and Philetus, whom Satan stirred up against him with contu­melies and persecutions to hinder the preaching of the Gospel; but especially and particularly that pestilent adversary of his Alexander the Cop­persmith, who did him much evill, and of whom he complaines, 2 Tim. 4. and he bids Tumothy to beware of him also; for saith the Apostle, Hee hath greatly withstood our words.

It is true indeed, this Alexander was one of Sa­tans [Page 10]messengers, and his reproaches were Satans buffettings, but he and the rest of the adversaries of the Gospel, were Thornes without his flesh, but Saint Paul complaines here of some Thorne in his flesh, some internall affliction that came closer to him.

But other Divines are of opinion that God did permit some evill Angell of Satan to vex and tor­ment the body of this blessed Apostle, as he did permit Satan to vex and torment the body of ho­ly Iob, and that this Angell of Satan did buffet St. Paul as one man would buffer another, and be­stowed many a blacke and blue marke upon him.

Like as Saint Ierome was paid with many a sore blow in an exstasie, for reading Cicero more then the Bible, when he heard a voice saying un­to him, Ciceronianus es, non Christianus, thou art a Ciceronian, thou art no Christian, as Saint Ie­rome reporteth of himselfe in an Epistle to En­stochius.

But now, although this seeme to be the plain literall sense of the words, yet I cannot beleeve that Saint Paul was thus bodily afflicted with a­ny evill spirit by fits, for then he would never [Page 11]have called it stimulum in carne, a thorne so deeply fastned in his flesh; besides, if it had beene so, the most heroicall Spirit of this Apostle, which was so far above all the buffettings of Men and Divels, would not have complained of such a thing, but rather have gloried in it.

All the Romanists both old and new are not ashamed to affirme that this thing which so trou­bled the Apostle, was Stimulus libidinis, a tempta­tion and provocation of carnall lust, which Sa­tan stirred up in the flesh, and in his fancy, by such meanes as he knew very well would doe it, a­gainst which he did keep his body under, 1 Cor. 9 for if it had beene any thing else but this, Saint Paul would have told us plainly what it had beene; but now it being a thing whereof hee was ashamed, he covered it modestly under the metaphor of a Thorne in his flesh. So Bellarmine in his 2. Booke de Monachis, cap 3.

But Erasmus rightly cals this impurum inter­pretamentum, an impure interpretation, and won­ders that any learned and honest Divine should goe about to cast such filth upon the face of Saint Paul, then aged, and very much broken with the labours of his Ministery, and to entertaine [Page 12]so unworthy a conceit of so chaste and holy an Apostle.

Againe, Saint Paul had the gift of chastity; I would to God all men were as I my selfe am, but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that, 1 Cor. 7. where was then this urging lust?

But if the Apostle here had beene troubled with any such temptation, he knew a very easie and an honest remedy against it, even the same which he gave to others in the like case, Mar­riage.

What shall we say then? what thing was this that did so trouble him? Why certainly in the judgement of the most orthodox Divines, who goe to the very roote of my Text, it was some terior of Satan, some internall and spiritu­all temptation in his soule, and a very sore one whatsoever it was.

And when St. Paul saith it was in carne, in his flesh, he means in the outward man, in the unre­ [...]te part of the soule, as in the seventh to [...]

[Page 13]Although a continuall temptation or afflicti­on in the conscience, may also be said to be in the flesh, per modum redundantia & participationis, by way of participation and redundancy, because the flesh in such a case becomes pale and wan, and pines away.

The best conjecture of all is this, that God did permit Satan to present alwaies before the conscience of this Apostle his former blasphe­mies, persecutions and cruelties against Christ and his Church, and to ring alwaies in his eares that voice, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Gods purpose herein being to keepe Saint Paul from spirituall pride with which he might easily have swolne through the abundance of Revelations of the Lord; but Satans pollicy herein was to weaken and shake the Apostles confidence in Christ.

But this thorne is hid so deep in the flesh that I will search after it no further, but content my self with Saint Austines docta ignorantia, learned igno­rance in this, who ingeniously confesseth that he knew not particularly what this thing was which so troubled this Apostle, but sure he was, [Page 14]it was some sore temptation or other affliction; and in this all Divines agree.

You see then here, that an Apostle, and such an Apostle as Saint Paul was, and after so many Visions and Revelations of the Lord, had a thorne in the flesh given him, a sore affliction from God; and no marvell, for the better the man, the sharper and the deeper the thorne: it must be so.

As the Church of God in generall, so every childe of God in his Church, is sicut lilium inter spinas, as a lilly among thornes 2. Cant. 2. the thornes of troubles and afflictions.

Non decet sub spinoso capite membrum esse delica­tum, saith Saint Bernard, he is not worthy to be a member of the mysticall body of Christ, upon whose glorious head was platted a crowne of many thornes for the sinnes of other men, who cannot endure the pricking of one thorne, some light affliction, if not for his Saviours sake, yet for his owne sinnes.

Hath our blessed Saviour dranke so deepe of the cup of afflictions before us, and for us, and shall we be unwilling to pledge him a little, to [Page 15]sip after him in the same cup? Qui erat sine flagi­tio, non erat sine flagello.

Since God spared not his owne and onely be­gotten Sonne who was without all spot of sin, but delivered him up for us all, shall wee who are but his adopted sonnes, and altogether sin­full, thinke to escape without any chastisement at all? No, no, the Lord chasteneth every Son whom he receiveth, and therefore qui non est in numero flagellatorum, non est in numero filiorum, saith St. Austin, He that is without chastisement is a bastard, and not a son, Heb. 12.8.

Give me the man, saith St. Ambrose, that was never troubled with any thorne of temptation or affliction, and I will presently conclude, that that man is not the child of God; for every childe of God must have something, one affliction or other to humble him, and to bring him home to God, in which he must take pleasure, and re­joyce as St. Paul did.

We must not thinke to goe à deliciis ad delicias, saith St. Ierom, immediately from the pleasures of this world, to the joyes of the next: The chil­dren of Israel went not through gardens of flo­wers, and Paradises of fruits, but through un­couth [Page 16]deserts to the land of Candan; this was a type of our pilgrimage through the afflictions of this world to the heavenly Canaan.

Afflictions are the infallible arguments and to kens of Gods favour unto us; and therefore one who had beene a great while without any affliction, said in his Prayer to God, ergóne Domi­ne non sun dignus qui patiar, is it so Lord, and I so much out of thy favour that I am not worthy of affliction?

What a large Catalogue doth St. Paul reckon up of his afflictions in the eleventh Chapter of this Epistle, In stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft: Of the Iewes five times re­ceived I forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwracke, a night and a day have I beene in the deepe; in journying often, in perills of waters, in perills of robbers, in pe­rills by mine owne Countrimen, in perills by the Hea­then, in perills in the City, in perills in the wildernesse, in perills in the sea, in perills among false brethren, in wearinesse and painfulnesse, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and naked­nesse. I am almost out of breath in rehearsing them, and yet the Apostle was never out of breath in enduring them.

[Page 17]But here was his comfort, and here is ours also: All the afflictions of the servants of God, they are but stimuli, the prickings of thornes, they are but colaphi the buffettings causing shame and smart onely, they are but [...] the gentle pu­nisnments of a loving father: We are troubled, but not altogether distressed, perplexed, but not in despaire, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast downe but not destroi­ed, 2 Cor. 4.8.9.

O welcome then, yea thrice welcome to our soules these bitter sweets, loving chastisements, gentle corrections, indulgent visitations, plea­sant crosses, comfortable sorrowes, wholesome calamities, profitable miseries, sanctifying distres­ses, refining troubles, joyfull temptations, glori­ous trialls, blessed revilings, happy curses, ho­nourable reproaches, all light and momentary afflictions, which worke for us a farre more ex­ceeding and eternall weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4.17.

By these we are humbled, and seeke right early unto our God.

By these we are put in remembrance to sor­row for our sinnea past.

By these wee become more carefull of our waies hereafter.

[Page 18]By these Gods graces are exercised in us, and our patience, our faith and our love are tried.

By these wee are weaned from the pleasures and vanities of this life.

By these wee are prepared and fitted for the world to come.

By these our desires are inflamed to be dissol­ved and to be with Christ.

By these we are encouraged to embrace death with both our armes: and therefore David said unto God, I know that of very faithfulnesse, that is in thy faithfull love to methou hast caused me to be troubled, Psal. 119. verse 75.

I have been the longer upon this first branch, the thing which troubled the Apostle, because it is the thing upon which the whole frame of my Text doth turne, I will therefore be the shorter in the rest.

But what did the Apostle here when the thorne of affliction began to vex him? Why, he went presently to his prayers, the onely [...] or soveraigne medicine to draw out the thorne of any temptation or affliction what­soever. For this thing rogavi I besought, which is the second branch of the petition, and [Page 19]comes in the next place to bee handled.

Is any man afflicted, let him pray, this was St. Iames his precept in the fifth Chapter of his E­pistle, verse 13. and this was Davids practice, In my distresse I called upon the Lord, and com­plained unto my God, Psal. 18. yea God him­selfe saies, wee will be sure to pray unto him when we are in trouble, whatsoever wee doe at other times; For in their affliction they will seek me early, Hos. 5.15.

We use to make prayer the last remedy and refuge onely in our extremities, when all other meanes faile, then to our prayers, but it ought to be the first too, for God is a very present helpe in trouble, saith David, Psal. 46.1. other helpes are not alwaies at hand, but Gods helpe is.

But will not God helpe us without our prai­ers? No, and why so? First, because prayer is a part of the worship and service of God, which we owe unto him: The great men of the world will not bestow their favours, nor grant delive­rances untill they bee petitioned, and shall the great God of heaven and earth bestow his bles­sings and shew his mercy upon us without our praiers? Secondly, because our praiers shew our [Page 20]confidence in Gods power and providence, in his mercy and love: A father can give his belo­ved son all that he wants without his praiers, but he will not, because he delights to have him sue to him.

Yea but Gods decrees are immutable, and his will is unchangeable, how then can our praiers incline him this way or that way? Thus indeed have wicked wits reasoned against praier; but it is a true and a well known rule, subordinata non pugnant inter se, things which are subordinate are not contrary one to the other; and such are Gods decrees and our prayers, as God hath or­dained the end, so hath he ordained the meanes; now Gods purposes are not hindred by our praiers, but rather executed, and our praiers are as it were the midwives to deliver them, and the second causes and meanes to effect his decrees; Christ knew that all those things which hee prayed for would be granted before he prayed; but yet he prayed for them.

But now as our prayers in affliction must be fervent, so must they bee frequent too, and therefore the Apostle prayed often, ter, thrice, [Page 21]that this thing, this affliction might depart from him; which is the third branch of this Petition.

A medicine must be often applied, otherwise it will not worke the cure; here is a certaine number for an uncertaine, thrice for often, as ter beatus, thrice happy, is very happy, so when the Apostle said here, ter rogavi, I prayed thrice, he meanes often, or very much, importunately, e­ven untill the Lord answered him.

Is thy praier denied the first and the second time? why then, it is very likely thou hast made some fault in thy prayer: Yee aske and receive not, because ye aske amisse, saith St. Iames, Iames 4.3. go to it therefore the third time, and by often praying thou shalt finde out the error of thy prayer.

If God heare thee not in thine affliction at the first and second knocke, it is to prove thy pati­ence, thy faith and thy love: Ostium Coeli forsitan proptere [...] clausum est ut ta fortiùs pulses, Heaven gate is therefore perhaps shut that thou maist knocke the longer and the lowder, give not over knocking then untill the doore be opened.

[Page 22] Magna beneficia magnis precibus sunt comparanda, great blessings are not to bee obtained but with importunate prayers.

Did the unrighteous Judge in the Gospell yeeld at last to the importunate prayer of the wi­dow? And shall not the righteous Judge of hea­ven and earth, thinke ye, yeeld to the importu­nate prayers of his owne deare servants in their afflictions?

The Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force: what force? Why the force of prayer, & haec vis Deo grata, saith Tertullian, and this violence is most pleasing unto Go [...] ▪

Vincunt invincibilem ligant omnipotentem, our frequent and importunate prayers overcame him that is invincible, and binde him who is omni­potent.

But if our love and obedience to God can­not excite us to this frequency of prayer, yet I am sure the thorne of affliction will urge us to call often upon the Lord, who is our onely refuge in time of trouble, rogavi Dominum, I prayed unto the Lord, &c. which is the first branch of this Petition.

[Page 23]We have neither precept nor practice in all the canonicall Scriptures for praying to any other in heaven but onely unto the Lord. Whom have I in heaven but thee, said David, Psal. 73.25. but the Papists are not of Davids Religion in this point, for they have their St. Franc is and St. Ben­net, and thousands more in heaven, whom they pray unto besides the Lord, nay they have almost for every severall kinde of evill a severall Saint; they pray unto their Saint Apollonia against the toothach, to their Saint Petronella against a fever, to their Saint Roch against the plague, to their Saint Liberius against the stone, to their Saint Ni­cholas against a tempest at sea, to their St. Leonard against bonds and imprisonment, and to other Saints against the like evills, as Cornelius a lapide, one of their owne writers, is not ashamed to confesse in his Commentaries upon the second Chapter of Saint Pauls Epistle to the Hebrewes. He must bee a good Arithmetician that can rec­kon up the names of all their Saints, upon whom they cal when they are in any trouble or danger, thus they dishonour God, and rob him of his worship by their superstitious invocation of Saints departed, who cannot hear nor help them.

[Page 24]That same cantlike argument of the Roma­nists, that we must not, or we should not presume to goe immediately to a King with our petiti­ons, but we must first make our way by a Master of Requests or by a favourite, doth not deserve a scholarlike answer; for God is is every where, and his ears are open to our prayers, and he knoweth the thoughts of our hearts long before they are thought, and hee hath no other Master of Re­quests, but the Spirit it selfe to make intercession for us, no other favourite to present out praiers but his deare Son and our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, who is our Advocate at the right hand of God. And so I come to the end of Saint Pauls Petition, which was, that the thing which did so trouble him might goe away from him, Vt discederet à me, that it might depart from me.

Afflictions in themselves are unpleasing and contrary to our nature; and therefore in them­selves not to be wished for or desired, but to bee borne with patience, comfortand joy, when God sends them, as being profitable for us.

As medicines in physicke which are made of corrected poysons are very good for us, and [Page 25]therefore we are willing to take them, but wee would not have them stay with us, but when they have done their worke, we would have them depart from us, it is even so with our afflictions.

But in the meane time, although these thornes of affliction be not presently pluckt out, these messengers of Satan doe not straight way depart from us, yet they shall never make us despaire of Gods goodnesse and mercy, neither shall they vex us for ever.

Accepit diabolus tentandi licentiam sed non accepit subruendi capiam, saith Saint Ambrose, although Satan have leave to tempt us, yet he hath not po­wer to overcome us, for there shall no temptati­on [...] affliction take us, but such as is common to man, humane and moderate, so indulgent is God to his children, for God is faithfull, and will not suffer us to be tempted or afflicted above that we are able to beare, but when the temptati­on is at the highest, when the affliction is at the worst, God will make an issue that we may es­cape, 1 Cor. 10.13. The bush that Moses saw, burned, but was not consumed, Exod. 3. The ship wherein Christ and his Disciples were was [Page 26]covered with waves, but yet it did not sinke, Matth. 8. And when Peter was walking upon the sea, and ready to be drowned, then Christ put forth his hand and saved him, Matth. 14. God suffereth his servants many times to come to the very brinke of destruction, and then hee delivereth them.

Dejicit ut erigat, vulnerat ut sanet, ut pressura ver [...]tur in gratiam & afflictio in coronam, God hath to the us, but he will heale us, he hath smit­ten us, but he will binde us up againe, Hosea 6.1.

I have seene in my experience divers of the servants of God, sometimes by the violence of a fever, sometimes by the dampe of melancholy, and sometimes by Satans temptations brought even to the gates of hell, who have reasoned ve­ry eloquently and strongly against their owne salvation, and that for many daies together, even to the approaching of death; (and upon persons in the like case, we must take heed we doe not passe any rash judgement, but impute their despai­ring speeches unto the distemper of their brains, or unto the sway of their temptations, and not unto the desertion of grace:) And yet in the end how have they been raised up again, how have [Page 27]they been restored, according to the words of the Psalmist, in the multitude of the sorrowes which I had in my heart, thy comforts have refreshed my soule, Psal. 94.19. I have done with Saint Pauls petition, I come to Gods answer, which is my second generall part. And therein I observed first Gods deniall.

Saint Paul had an answer to his Petition after many prayers, and in it a deniall; and this did not a little satisfie him that hee had an answer, though it were a deniall. For many times the long and perhaps endlesse expectation of an an­swer is more grievous then a deniall. Et dixit mihi, and he said unto me.

But how God did answer Saint Paul here, whether immediately by himselfe, or mediately by an Angel, whether by Vision or Revelation, whether by lively speech, or by the secret inspi­ration of his blessed Spirit, Saint Paul hath not told us here, and therefore we must not bee cu­rious to inquire.

It is enough for us to know that God did an­swer the Apostles, but as for the manner of the answer it is not for us to dispute it.

[Page 28]Well then the answer for the effect thereof was a deniall; the Apostle prayed often that the thorne of affliction which did so trouble him might be pluckt out, but it would not be; but yet he shall have an antidote against the anguish thereof, My grace is sufficient for thee.

A naturall man would marvell that St. Pauls complaint, being so lamentable, and his desire so reasonable, God should deny the importu­nate prayers of his owne servant, an Apostle, and give him a repulse.

Exauditur diabolus petens Iobum tentandum, & non exauditur Paulus petens stimulum removendum, saith Saint Austin, Satan desired leave of God to tempt Iob, and it was presently granted him, the Apostle prayed often to God that the meslenger of Satan might depart from him, and it was de­nied him, this seems to be a strange thing: but yet neither did S. Paul displease God with his praier, neither was God unmercifull to him in his deni­all; for although God did not grant St. Paul that thing which he prayed for, yet he granted him a better thing which he prayed not for; and this is Gods fashion many times to his owne children. Non semper exaudit nos ad voluntatē nostram, sed sem­per [Page 29]exaudit nos ad utilitatem nostram, saith S. Austin, God doth not alwaies heare us according to our wills, but he doth alwaies heare us for our good.

A father denieth a knife to his young childe, because he knowes he may quickly hurt himself therewith, and yet he denies it him in love.

God is our Physitian, and he will not give us cold drinke when wee are sicke of an ague, though we beg never so much for it. Coelestis medicus non facit voluntatem, ut faciat sanitatem, our heavenly Physitian will not doe alwaies that which pleaseth us, but which helpeth us. I have done with the deniall. I come now to the divine aid which God gave Saint Paul against the thing which did so trouble him, wherein the first thing I observed, is the nature and quality there­of, it was his Grace, Gratia mea, my Grace is sufficient for thee.

This life begins and ends in Grace, the other begins in Glory, but never ends: Grace is the preparation to Glory, and Glory is the reward of Grace, but let us see what Grace of God this was whereof the Lord spake unto the Apostle, for there is a twofold Grace of God.

First, there is Gratia Dei extra nos, the Grace of [Page 30]God without us, even in God himselfe, which is the eternall love and favour of God where­by he loved us and elected us in Christ Jesus un­to eternall life before the foundation of the world was laid, Ephes. 1. And here by the way I cannot but observe the ungracious dealings of the Romish Schoolemen with this grace of God, which is the fountain of all our happinesse, they never discusse nor handle it at large in their disputations, they onely name it and so away, we never finde them magnifying this grace of God as they ought to doe; whats the reason? Because it makes against their proud doctrines of election for good workes foreseene, and of justification by good workes done.

Now some Divines understand the answer of God here of this grace of God, which if a man have, he is safe enough from the hurt and danger of all temptations and afflictions whatsoever: Deus meus & omnia, saith Saint Austin, give me the love and favour of my God, and I have all things: But now although this grace of God be here first meant, yet this grace alone is not here meant.

Secondly, there is Gratia dei intra nos, the grace [Page 31]of God within us, as all the gifts of Gods holy Spirit in us which are truly called Gods graces, because they are the fruits and effects of that eter­nall Grace, the love and favour of God towards in Christ; now of this grace also infused into the soule of a Christian man is the answer of God here to the Apostle, as that by which he was to wrastle with, and in the end to overcome the thing that did so trouble him; of this grace, Saint Peter speaketh, We are kept by the power of God unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. What power? Why the power of this grace: and from what are we kept? Why from the hurt of all temptations and afflictions whatsoever; this grace was St. Pauls token in all his Epistles which he writ al­waies with his owne hand, 2 Thes. 3.17.

This is the pretious jewell and ornament of the soul of man, and as the soule is the life of the body, so this grace is the life of the soule.

This stirreth us up to all goodnesse, and re­straineth us from evill; this keepes us from pride in prosperity, and from despaire in adversity, this supports us against all temptations, and comforts us in all woe and distresse, this makes all our weake endeavour acceptable with God, and [Page 32]without this all our best actions are but splendida peccata, glittering sins.

It is not the grace of the body that can doe us any good, for it is but vanity, nor the grace of the world that can helpe us, for it is deceitfull, faith Salomon, Prov. 31.30. and in the end will de­ceive her greatest favourites. All the grace of the world is not able to keep a man from the least fit of an ague, much lesse from a fore temptation or affliction, and when a man lyes upon his death bed, and Satan begins to tempt him, what good can all the grace of the world then do him?

With this grace of God we are equall to the Angels of God in heaven; but without this grace we are worse then Toads and Serpents, and the worst of all Gods creatures, yea we are as bad, if not worse then the Divells in hell: although we make never so faire a shew in the world: O then, let us pray for this grace which no chance can dispoile us of, which no man, no creature can take from us, which never faileth us, but continueth with us for ever, Psal. 103. For whom God loveth, hee loveth unto the end, Ioh. 13. And so I come to the measure and effi­cacy of this grace, sufficit tibi, it is sufficient for thee.

[Page 33]Sufficiency is a word of mediocrity betweene two extreames, want and abundance; for where there is sufficient, there is neither too much nor too little.

And here we may admire the wisdome of God, who is liberimum agens, a most free agent, & doth not worke like a naturall agent, the sunne shines, the fire burnes, the water moistens, quoad ultimam sphaeram activitatis, according to their ut­termost abilities to bring forth their effects; but God giveth his grace unto every one of us accor­ding to the measure of the gift of Christ, as see­meth best unto himselfe, Eph. 4.7. bestowing such a proportion of Grace upon all, as is suffici­ent for all.

For with God is an ocean of grace, there is grace enough for you, and for me, and for us all, and for as many worlds of men as God can make.

And God doth give unto every one of his ser­vants that sufficiency of his grace whereby they shal be able to overcome all temptations and af­flictions, and save their owne soules.

Wherefore then let us not murmure against God, if we attaine not unto that abundance of [Page 34]grace wherewith the Apostles, and many other Servants of God have beene endued above us; they have had the plentifull showrs of Gods gra­ces; but we will be content with the dew of his grace; they have had the full sheaves of Gods graces, but we will bee glad of the gleanings of his grace; they have had the rich banquet of Gods graces, but we will thinke our selves hap­py, if we may have but the crummes of his grace; for if we have but sufficiency of grace here, wee shall have abundance of glory hereafter.

It is with Grace as it was with Manna, hee that hath much, hath nothing over, and he that hath little, hath no lacke, because hee hath that which is sufficient for him.

And every grace of God that is sufficient, is also effectuall, and the efficacy of grace is from it self, not from the wil of man; & therefore God in his answer here unto Saint Paul, doth not say, gratia mea sufficit tecum, my grace is sufficient with thee, but gratia mea sufficit tibi, my grace is sufficient for thee; for we are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing that is good, but our suffici­ency is of God, 2 Cor. 3.5. and therefore we must take heed we doe not part stakes between Gods [Page 35]grace and mans will, as the Papists doe, but wee must ascribe all this sufficiency to the grace of God, for it is he which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, Philip. 2.1 [...].

And therefore let us be covetous after nothing but this sufficient grace of God, let us pray that we may have grace enough, and then we shall have all things enough. It is a true maxime in Divinity, there is nothing that can suffice the heart of man, but onely Gods grace; where shall you finde the man that saith truly and from his heart he hath enough: When he hath a house he saith, O that I had a little land to it: And when he hath that: He saith, O that I had a Lord­ship to it, and when he hath that, he saith, O that I had the Mannor that is next to it, or this Office, or that Honour, or one thing or other more; and still as the world growes upon him, his desires grow upon the world, his enough changeth alwaies, every yeare, nay every day, nay every houre he thinkes upon another enough; but let a man have grace enough, and he hath all things enough, for Gods grace is alsufficient.

This sufficient grace makes a penny seeme to be as big as a shilling, a cottage seem to bee as [Page 36]faire as a Pallace, a prison seeme to be as large as a Country, want seeme to be abundance, and no­thing to bee all things: This sufficient grace makes us rich in poverty, patient in adversity, strong in weaknesse, merry in affliction, and hopefull in despaire.

And this grace is sufficient for us against all the assaults of the world, the flesh and the divell, a­gainst all troubles and afflictions whatsoever: and although God could let his sufficient grace overcome all our temptations, all our afflicti­ons at first in a moment, yet he will not have it so, for God will have his graces to be exercised in us, tolle pugnam & non erit victoria, tolle victo­riam & non erit corona, saith Saint Ambrose, if there were no conflict betweene our temptations, and Gods grace, there would be no victory, and if no victory, no price: sometimes Amaleck, that is af­flictions and temptations prevaile, and some­times Israel, that is grace prevaileth.

But in the end grace alwayes hath the upper hand, and we are more then conquerors through him that loved us, Rom. 8.37.

[Page 37]Be not then dismaid, O thou Christian soule, whosoever thou art, be not disquieted within thy selfe, because thou art fallen into a sore tempta­tion, because thou art under an heavy affliction! what, wouldest thou be better then St. Paul?

Vide Apostolum patientem & noli te facere desperan­tem, saith Saint Austin, behold the Apostle suffe­ring, and despaire not; nay behold Christ him­selfe, who was tempted and afflicted, that hee might succour us when we are tempted and af­flicted, Heb. 2.18. let us behold him then with a lively faith and sure confidence, and hee will so succour us with his sufficient grace, Vt nec caro cum omnibus oblectamentis, nec mundus cum omnibus tormentis, nec Diabolus cum omnibus tentamentis, &c. as Saint Bernard speakes, that neither the flesh with all her allurements, nor the world with all its persecutions, nor the Divell with all his temp­tations shall ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I should now proceed to the third particular I observed in Gods answer, which is the reason, For my power is made perfect in weaknesse: but I [Page 38]know I have already overspent my time, and your patience; and therefore I will leave it to the next opportunity. In the mean time let us com­mend that which hath beene spoken unto the blessing of Almighty God our heavenly Father, &c.

THe coherence of these words with the former, is this, Saint Paul was troubled with a sore temptation, or some other affliction whatsoever it was, and he prayed often unto God that it might goe away from him: For this thing I be­sought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me.

[Page 40]Unto this Petition God gave him an answer, And he said unto me; and in this answer a loving deniall (for the Apostles good) of that which hee prayed for, but he gave him a better thing which he prayed not for, and that was his hea­venly aid to make him able to encounter, and in the end to overcome the thing that did so af­flict him, My grace is sufficient for thee.

So farre I have already preached unto you up­on this Text, and of that which I have delive­red here, I will repeat nothing; for I love not to say that twice in the same place, and in the same auditory, which perhaps was not worth the hearing once.

I proceed now according to my promise, to finish that which is behinde, and to handle the reason which God gives, why the thing must not depart from him which did so trouble him, and why he must wrastle with it to master it: Nam virtus mea in infirmitate perficitur, for my po­wer is made perfect in weaknesse.

And let no man doubt of the truth of this rea­son, [Page 41]for God himselfe hath said it with his owne mouth, as the Apostle tells us; and it is a truth, not of a meane or ordinary matter, but of a very high point indeed, of a famous maxime or sen­tence in Divinity, full of deep and divine myste­ries, wherein you may behold the way which God hath alwayes taken, and doth still take with men, especially with his Church, and in this way of God you shall see his Wisdome and his. Goodnesse, both for his owne glory and mans eternall blisse.

The Axiome here is generall, it is of power in generall, and it is of weaknesse in generall, but of whose power doth the Text speake? Why certainly of Gods, for mans power is not per­fected in weaknesse, as by and by you shall hear, and therefore the vulgar Latin translation is defective here, which leaves out the pronoune mea; and reads onely thus, Virtus in infirmitate perficitur, for power is made perfect in weak­nesse, whereas the Greeke Text hath the pro­noune also [...], my power is made perfect in weaknesse.

[Page 42]And of whose weaknes doth God here speak? Why certainly of mans, and of the creatures; for there can bee no weaknesse in God. Well then you see I must handle this power in generall, and this weaknesse in generall. But when I come to that particular kinde of weaknesse under which Saint Paul did labour here, then I will apply that particular kinde of the power of God which is proper for the same, that you may see how Gods power was perfected in the Apostles weaknes.

But here is a strange [...], conjuncture and mixture both of contrary words and matter; here is power, and here is weaknesse, here is Gods power, and here is mans weaknesse, both toge­ther in one subject; nay more, here is Gods po­wer made perfect in the weaknesse of man.

Doth the Sun appeare glorious in an eclipse? is it not rather, when he shineth in his strength? is the beauty and majesty of a Queene set forth in beggars rags, or vile rayment? is it not rather in a vesture of gold wrought about with divers co­lours.

Can a candle give so cleare a light to all that [Page 43]are in the house thorow a Lantern, as when it is set open upon a candlesticke? Doth a Diamond or other precious stone yeeld so proper and kindly a lustre lying bare upon a tray, or set in a wooden ring, as it doth when it is set in gold, and worne in the eare, or upon the breast? In like manner is Gods strength glorious in weak­nesse? is it not rather in might? Can his power bee increased or diminished? is not his power per [...]ct in it selfe? how then can it be perfected in the weaknes of man, or of any other creature? it is true indeed, the strength of man is made perfect in might, for as the man is, so is his strength, as the two Kings of Midian said to Gideon, and that truly, Judg. 8.21. And therefore Iulius Caesar, and Alexander the Great before him, wished for most valiant and puissant enemies to encounter with, that they might shew their warlike strength the more against their enemies power, and so make their victories the more glorious. But now con­trarily the power of God is made perfect in weaknesse. How? not essentially, for his power is ever perfect in it selfe, but occasionally, because it is illustrated, and set forth in the weaknesse of the creature, and so made knowne unto men, as [Page 44]the Apostle speaks, Rom. 9.22. As they that are tru­ly patient, are alwayes patient, but their patience is then most conspicuous and illustrious when they are in their greatest sufferings. Well then, it is a familiar custome with God to accomplish his greatest workes by the weakest instruments, and the most contemptible meanes, nay many times by contraries, as anon you shall heare.

But for the further opening of this point which I observe upon the whole frame of my text, to wit, the conjuncture of Gods power and mans weaknesse, both together, at one and the same time in the same subject, and of the perfe­cting of the one in the other, you shall see it plain­ly in Gods owne children almost thorow the whole course of their lives.

These mixtures of power and infirmity are riddles and paradoxes indeed to flesh & bloud, [Page 46]to nature reason, and a naturall man cannot understand them, because they are spiritually dis­cerned; but they are Evangelicall Axiomes, yea they are principles of Faith and Religion to us that are Christians, and they are verified in us without any contradiction at all, as you shall heare.

When wee are weake in body by reason of sicknesse, or any distresse, then are we strong in the Lord, and in the Spirit of his might unto all patience with joyfulnesse, Eph. 6.10. Colos. 1.11.

When we are poore in spirit, even in the inmost recesses of the soule to the acknowledgement of our owne unworthinesse and wickednesse, then are we rich in Faith, and then doe we make many rich in Christ, Iam. 2.5. 2 Cor. 6.10.

When wee are fooles in the opinion of the world, then are we wise in God unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3.15.

When we are miserable in enduring afflictions and reproaches, then are we happy, being thereby tried and made fit for heaven, Rev. 2.10.

When we are unknowne to the world, then are we well knowne and opproved of God and good [Page 47]men, 1 Cor. 8.3. Rom. 14.18.

When we are despised of wantons and pro­phane persons, then are we pretious and honou­rable in Gods sight, Esay 43.4. and before his holy Angells, who rejoice at our repentance, Luke 15.10. and also in the eyes of all upright and just men, Psal. 15.4.

When we are simple concerning evill, then are we prudent and wise unto that which is good, Rom. 16.19.

When we are humble in our selves before God and men, then doe we boast and glory in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ, Gal. 6.14. and also in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christs sake, in the tenth verse of this Chapter.

When we are besides our selves in any heavenly extasie or divine rapture, and contemplation of Gods goodnesse, mercy and love to us, which Saint Bernard calls sanam & sanctam quandam in­saniam, a sound and an holy kinde of madnesse, which Moses and Peter and Paul had, then are we sober in our selves and towards men, 2 Cor. 5.13.

When we must please no man by flattery or for [Page 48]our own ends, then must we please all men in all things (that are good) for their edification, that they may be saved, Rom. 15.2. 1 Cor. 10.33.

VVhen we must be carefull for nothing inordi­nately and immoderately, and with distrust, then must we provide all things, honest in the sight of men, 2 Cor. 8.21. 1 Tim. 5.8.

VVhen we have nothing of this worlds upon which we set our hearts and desires, then do we possesse all things in contentment, 2 Cor. 6.10.

VVhen we are here in earth in our persons, then are we in heaven in our conversation, Phil. 3.20.

VVhen we can doe nothing of our selves, then can wee doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth us, Phil. 4.13. what, all things in­deed that can be done? No, but all things neces­sary and fit for us to doe.

VVhen we are sorrowfull for our distresses, then doe we rejoyce in the Lord, 2 Cor. 6.10. Phil. 4.4. that is in his protection, in his favour, in his pro­mises, and in his service; yea when ye are sor­rowfull for our sinnes, then doe we rejoice in our repentance, 2 Cor. 7.10.

VVhen we are mortified in the flesh, then are [Page 49]we quickned in our mortall bodies by the Spirit, Rom. 8.11.13.

VVhen we are dead unto sinnes, then doe wee live unto righteousnesse, 1 Pet. 2.24.

VVhen we would doe evill by the suggestion of the old man, then would we doe good by the mo­tions of the new man, Rom 7.19.

VVhen we lose our lives for Christs sake and the Gospells here in this world, then doe we save them in the world to come, Marke 9.35.

VVhen we are sinners in our selves, then are we righteous before God in Christ, being justified freely by his grace, Rom. 3.24. and having the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us, Rom. 4.5.8. And so having taken a generall view of the Text, I come to a particular survey thereof, My power is made perfect in weaknesse.

The power of God is one and the same in it selfe, but it is diverse to us, in respect of the seve­rall objects, and matters wherein it doth ope­rate; and in this sense, I finde three kindes of the power of God in the Scriptures, and but three

First, there is virtus brachii the power of [Page 50]Gods arme, vvhereof vve read in the 20. Psalme, and the 6. verse, in the 51. of Esay, and the 9. and in the 27. of Ieremy, and the 5. and everywhere al­most in the Scriptures.

Secondly, there is virtus gratiae, the power of Gods grace, which Saint Paul calls in the verse next after my text, the power of Christ: of which we reade everywhere almost in the Epistles of the Apostles.

Thirdly, there is virtus gloriae, the power of Gods glory, or his glorious power, 2 Thess. 1.9. which shall be shewed in the world to come.

But the weaknesse of the creature, especially of man, is manifold, yea of infinite variety, but I may reduce all unto these three severall heads or sorts; the weaknesse of nature, the weaknesse of suf­ferings now, and the weaknesse of corruption, of consumption, and as it were of annihilation af­ter death.

Now under these three kindes of power ex­ercised by God, and under these three heads of weaknesse appearing in man, I will comprise all my ensuing meditations upon this text. And I will shew first, that the power of Gods arme is made perfect in the weaknesse of the creature in gene­rall, [Page 51]but particularly of mans nature. Secondly, that the power of Gods grace is made perfect in the weaknesse of mans sufferings here in this life. Thirdly, that the power of Gods glory is made perfect in the weaknesse of corruption, consum­ption, and annihilation, by the resurrection of the body out of the dust of the earth, unto life eter­nall. I begin with the first.

The power of Gods arme is made perfect in the weak­nesse of the creature in generall, and particularly of mans nature.

Virtus mea, &c. My power is made perfect in weaknesse.

God made man (the master-piece of all his Creation) not of any precious stone, nor of gold, or silver oare, nor of brasse, or any other metall, nor of a rocke, nor of oake, or any other tree, nor of any fruit or flower, but of vile and dull earth, yea ex pulvere terrae, of the very dust of the earth, Gen. 2.7. the basest and barrenest part of the earth. Why so? to shew his power the more in mans weaknesse, and to teach us not to glory, or to put any confidence in dust.

What miraculous things did God worke by Moses rod, a plaine sticke, a Shepheards staffe, [Page 52]which hee carried in his hand the wildernesse to rule his sheep with, which Moses afterward called virgam Dei, the rod of God, Exod. 4.20. and all this was to shew the power of Gods hand in the weaknesse of a small contemptible piece of Wood.

When the walls of the City of Jericho fell downe flat onely with the blast of the trumpets of Rams hornes, and with the shout of [...] peo­ple, Ios. 6.20. Was not the power of Gods arme shewed in weaknesse?

It had been an easie matter for Samson alone in his great strength quickly to have killed many thousands with a sword in his hand; but when hee slew a thousand men onely with the jaw bone of an Asse, which he found by chance, and all before he cast it away out of his hand, Iudg. 15.15. Then God shewed indeed the strength of his owne arme in weaknesse.

VVhen Elias with his mantle divided the wa­ters of Jordan hither and thither, and made a dry vvalke for himselfe and his servant to passe tho­row the River, 2 King 2.8. and when the bones of Elizeus raised a dead man unto life againe, 2 King. 13.21. (vvhose corpse vvas cast in hast into [Page 53]the Sepulchre of the Prophet) and that as soone as ever the dead body did but touch the dead Prophets bones, did not God manifest the power of his hand in the vveaknesse of those things?

God made young Daniel and his three com­panions fairer and fatter in flesh, vvith nothing but pulse and water, then all the children of their sort were with the daily provision of the Kings meat and of his wine, Dan. 1.15.

The New Testament affords as many de­monstrations of this maxime as the Old, how that God hath perfected the power of his Arme in poore inconsiderable and contemptible things: by the touchonly of the hem of Christs garment, all diseases were perfectly cured, Matth. 14.36. nay with handkerchers that were brought from Saint Pauls body, not onely diseases, but evill spirits departed from men, Acts 19.12. nay with the very shadow of Peter passing through the streets of Jerusalem, sicke folke were healed, Acts 5.15. Nay more, God hath shewed the po­wer of his hand in the weaknesse not onely of contemptible, but also of contrary things; for Christ opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde with clay and spittle, Iohn 9.6.11. enough [Page 54]to have put out his eyes if he could have seene well before, nam lutum & sputum quid adoculum, saith Saint Austine.

And here by the way I cannot but observe how the Papists abuse and dishonour this power of Gods hand, by transferring the honour due to God, unto the weaknesse of the creature, by their grosse superst [...]tion and idolatry, in the veneration and worship of reliques; and unto their super­stition in practice, they adde error in doctrine: for they teach that there is an inherent vertue in those things wherein God once shewed the po­wer of his hand, whereas indeed there is none at all, no more then there is in a course canvasse bag, after the gold is all powred out. And unto their errour they adde imposture, for they de­ceive people with counterfeit reliques: and unto their imposture they adde filthy lucre, for the great Demetrius of Rome, and his craftsmen make great gaine by their reliques.

And unto their cursed gaine they adde their temptations of Gods power, by their superstiti­ous addresses unto their reliques, expecting mi­racles, [Page 55]and cures, and helpes from them. But I leave them with their reliques, and proceed to shew you how God hath not onely perfected the power of his arme in the weaknesse of the creatures below man, but also and especially in the weaknesse of man himselfe.

Who would ever have thought that Moses, an infant, exposed to destruction in an arke of bulrushes, should afterwards have beene the de­liverer of all Gods people? Who would ever have imagined that Ioseph being sold for a bond-slave to strange Merchants, should afterwards have beene Lord over all Aegypt? VVho would ever have believed that David, the youngest of his fathers sonnes, of whom little or no account at all was made, and therefore his father brought him not with the rest of his brethren to the sacri­fice, but left him in the field with his sheep: I say, who would ever have beleeved that hee should have beene called immediately from following the Ewes great with young, and have beene an­nointed King over Israel, and have changed his shepheards crooke for a royall Scepter? but this was the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. And we have seene by experience, that God [Page 56]hath raised up meane mens sons to be very great instruments of his glory, both in Church and Commonwealth, according to the saying of David, God raiseth the poore out of the dust, and the needy out of the dunghill, that hee may set him with Princes, even with the Princes of his people, Psal. 113.7.8.

But the power of Gods arme was then made perfect indeed, in the weaknesse of man, beyond all admiration, in the resurrection of our blessed Saviour from the dead.

Cumfactor mundi factus est in mundo, when he that made the world was made in the world, when the Potter was made of his owne clay, when he that is immense was shut up in the Virgins wombe, when the ancient of dayes was not a day old, when eternity beganne in time, when the Word was made Flesh, an infant and could not speake; when the incarnate God, God and Man in one person, did hunger and thirst, and was weary, and slept, and wept, and was sorrowfull, and suffered paines, and was crucified and dyed, and was buried; then was he Deus verè absconditus, a hidden God indeed, [Page 57]as the Prophet speakes, Esay 45.15. then was the power of his arme hidden in the weaknesse of man.

But when he rose againe from the dead, then was he declared to be the Sonne of God with power, Rom. 1.4. then was the power of his arme made perfect, manifested and openly she­wed in the weakenesse of flesh.

When Christ was dead and laid in his grave, and the stone was sealed, ne mors exire aut vita intrare possit, as Chrysologus irronically speakes of the chiefe Priests and Pharisees, least death should chance to steal out, or life happen to creep in, the Divells thought all was cock sure, they did even laugh to themselves, and dance as it were upon the Sepulchre for joy, singing their [...] and triumphant songs, surely he is now so low, that he can never rise againe; then, even then did he rise againe from the dead, and perfect the power of his arme in the greatest weaknesse of humane nature. Gemina virtus & revixit, & prae­dixit, saith Chrysologus: here was a double power, he did not onely rise from the dead, but he fore­told that he would rise.

[Page 58]It was a great power for a living man to raise a dead body to life againe, as Peter did Dorcas, Acts 9. but it was a greater power for a dead body to raise up a dead body to life, as the bones of the dead Prophet Elisha the dead man that was cast in haste, and by chance into his grave, 2 Kings 13.7. but it was the greatest power of all for a dead man to raise up himselfe unto life a­gaine, and so did Christ, and so did never any but Christ, neither shall any ever doe it againe; he onely had power to lay downe his life, and he onely had power to take it up againe, Iohn 10. and he rose againe from the dead, nunquam mori­turus never to dye any more, death hath no more dominion over him; so then I may truly say with Saint Austine, Non babuit divinitas quò se de­mitteret humiliùs neque habuit humanitas quò se at­tolleret altiùs, the Godhead could not pos­sibly descend any lower then to take the weake nature of man, and the manhood could not possibly ascend any higher, then to be united per­sonally unto the Sonne of God.

And so I come to the power of Gods Grace which is made perfect in the weaknesse of [Page 59]mans sufferings here in this life, which is my se­cond point.

Which that you may the better understand, I will shew you how the power of Gods grace is made perfect in the weaknesse of mankinde, and of the weakest of mankinde, and in the grea­test sufferings that the weake nature of man can beare; I will touch upon all the severall kindes of weaknesse vvherein the power of Gods grace is made perfect.

And first this power of Gods Grace is perfe­cted in the weaknesse of mankinde; no creature under heaven is capable of Gods Grace but only man, men made of flesh and bloud, made of dust and slime, sinfull men have this treasure of Gods Grace in vasis testaceis in earthen vessells, that the excellency of the povver may be of God and not of men, 2 Cor. 4.7. We are cophini semi­nis coelestis, the baskets vvherein the seed of Gods word is put vvhich is able to save our soules, vve are the cabinets wherein the pretious jewells of the blessed Spirit of God are kept; and what singular lights of Grace hath God made many men in the knowledge of his sacred Word in [Page 60]vvorkes of piety and charity, and in holinesse of life.

2. This power of Gods Grace is made perfect in the weaknesse of young children, for unto many of them God gave wisdome before years, and grace before discretion, and the Spirit of God before the understanding of a man: Daniel a young youth inspired by God, convinced and condemned to death, the two lust-breathing El­ders for their false witnesse against chaste Susan­na; and Samuel a younger then he, in his little coat ministred before the Lord, being girded with a linnen Ephod, unto whom the Lord re­vealed himselfe in a vision, and told the young childe what he meant to doe against old Ely the Priest, for the iniquity of his house; but chil­dren younger then these, cried in the Temple when Christ came into it, Hosanna to the sonne of David; which when the chiefe Priests and Scribes heard and saw, they said unto Christ in a mocking manner, hearest thou what these say, and Jesus replied unto them, yea, have ye never read, out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Matth. 21.15.16. which words cannot be meant of babes and [Page 61]sucklings in Christ as many Divines would have them, for it is no wonder that they being of yeares doe praise God, but they are to be un­derstood of babes and sucklings in nature, as Calvin rightly expounds, and so they agree very well with Christs answer to the mocking Priests and Scribes, as if he should have said, it is no wonder, that little children that can speake and goe up and downe doe praise God, when as out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings who cannot goe nor speake, God hath perfected his praise; but when and how this was so, I can better beleeve then understand, and more easily admire then expresse.

Thirdly, the power of Gods Grace is made perfect in the weaknesse of the weaker sex of mankinde; you shall finde in the Old Testa­ment as many holy women as men, and in the New Testament as many women beleevers, as men; and in the Church Calenders as many women Saints and Martyrs as men, who shall be renowned in the Church for their faith, ho­linesse and other Christian vertues as long as the Gospell shall be preached in the world; and [Page 62]Christ appeared first after his resurrection unto women, and by them declared his resurre­ction unto men, & dum Apostoli dubitant, faeminae credunt, saith Saint Ierome: and while the A­postles were incredulous, the women beleeved: thus hath God shewed the strength of his Grace in their infirmity, and the power of his Spirit in the weaknesse of their nature, that they should glory not in themselves; but in the grace of God, and in his mercy and goodnesse.

Fourthly, the power of Gods Grace is made perfect in the weaknesse of the lowest conditi­on of men, in the weaknesse of ignorance, base­nesse and poverty; there are three things which the world admires, Wisdome, Power & Riches; all which God neglected in the calling of men to the Gospell of Christ in the infancy thereof; for not many wisemen after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, were called at the first; but God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the vvise, and God chose the weak things of the vvorld to confound the mighty, and base things of the vvorld, and things which are despised, did God chuse; and things vvhich [Page 63]were not, to bring to nought things that were, that no flesh should glory in his presence. 1 Cor. 1.

Deus ab infirmioribus incaepit; and therefore Christ chose to be his Apostles, no disputing Lo­gicians, no witty Poets, no eloquent Orators, no subtlie Mathamatitians, no deep Philosophers, no wise States-man, no mighty Princes, but poore simple, and unlearned fishermen, and by them he drew whole nations of men into the net of the Church: scientia piscatorum stultam fecit scientiam Philosophorum, saith Saint Ambrose; the preaching of Christ crucified, not by great scho­lars, but by ignorant men, not with wit and elo­quence, but with simplenesse and plainnesse, not pleasing to flesh and bloud, but contrary, to nature and reason; and therby to perswade Ora­tors, and Phiosophers, and the mighty men of the world, yea the very enemies and perfecutors of Christian Religion, in the height of all their menacies, and most cruell torments, to beleive and to imbrace the Gospell of Christ, and in so short a time too, declared plainly to all the world, that the power of Gods grace was made perfect in the weaknesse of ignoance, basenesse and po­verty: [Page 64]And all this was done thus, that the con­version of the world unto Christ, might not be ascribed to the wisdome of man, but to the power of Gods grace. But there are those now, who misunderstanding this text, and other Scriptures of the like nature, affirme, that as sim­ple and ignorant men did heretofore without any learning or premeditation at all, preach and expound the mysteries of God, by the power of Gods Spirit, so simple and ignorant men may do the like now; and why? because the power of Gods Spirit is the same still that it was, and blow­eth where it listeth, and therefore may be per­fected as well in their weaknesse now, as it was in the weaknesse of others in former times; but this is no good plea, and therefore they that put the spirit to this now deceives themselves, and tempt the power of Gods blessed Spirit, for there is a great deale of difference in the times: God gave the gifts of illumination, and of know­ledge to simple and ignorant men by inspirati­on extraordinary and miraculously, in the in­fancy of the Gospel, and it was fit for those times for the reason before mentioned; but now in a fetled Church such miracles are ceased, and God [Page 65]gives divine knowledge and understanding un­to men by labour, industry and study, but God doth still make perfect the power of his grace in the weaknesse of simple and unlearned, by be­stowing upon them the spirit of regeneration and sanctification, and therfore the most simple and illiterate man alive, may beleeve as well, and as much, as the greatest Clerk in the world: and he that weareth the linnen frock may be as holy as he that is brought up in scarlet, & feedeth delicat­ly; and the mayd servant that is behind the mill, yea the beggar that imbraceth the dunghill, may bee as rich in faith and in grace, as he that sitteth in a throne of glory.

Fifthly, the power of Gods grace is made per­fect in the weaknesse of temptations: And (to apply the medicine to the malady) this was the Apostles case; God suffers his children to come many times in their temptations ad ripam, unto the very brinke of dispaire, and perdition, and then the power of his grace helps them; for God is faithfull and will not suffer us to bee tempted above our ability; but when the temptation is at the highest, then he will make a way for us to [Page 66]escape. 1 Cor. 10. God permits Satan to tempt us, and his temptations are the soarest of all; but he will not suffer him to overcome us, latrare po­test, mordere non potest, saith Saint Augustine: Hee thinkes by his temptations to breake us, and to take us, and hold us captive at his will; but in­deed hee takes himselfe in his owne Gins: The more weight is laid upon an Arch, the stronger it is; and the winds which shake the trees, makes them faster at the rootes; Satans tempta­tions like bellowes, blow and kindle that holy fire that is within our breasts, even the power of Gods grace: let us not then be afraid of tempta­tions: For qui hortatur ut pugnemus, adjuvat aut vin­camus, saith Saint Ambroose: He that incourageth us to incounter with temptations, doth and will helpe us by his grace to overcome them: Et ha­bebimus victoriam in eo quae nunquam victus est, and we shall be more then conquerours through him who for our sakes was tempted and over­come, that we in him might overcom also when we are tempted: The arrowes which are often shot against a rock, are so blunted that afterwards they can do little or no harme at all; now Christ hath so blunted all the arrowes and darts of Sa­tans [Page 67]temptations, by his resistance, that though they hit us, yet they cannot hurt us.

Sixthly, the power of Gods grace is made per­fect in the weaknesse of our humiliation for our sinnes: when a man is ashamed to lift up so much as his eies to heaven; when a man hum­bles himselfe and afflicts his soule with weeping and mourning for his sinnes; when a man de­nies himselfe and believes in his heart, and con­fesseth that he is the greatest sinner in the world; when a man judgeth himselfe not onely un­worthy of the least of all Gods mercies, but also most worthy of all the paines and torments in hell for offending God; when a man loathes himselfe in his owne sight, for the sinnes which he hath committed; when a man abhorres him­selfe and repents in dust and ashes: Yea, when a man brings himselfe downe so low, that the shadow of death rests upon his eye lids, and his speech whispers out of the dust, as it is Esay 29.4. then doth the power of Gods grace be­gin to be made perfect in him; then doth God come nigh to him to dwell with him, and to save him, for he that is on high will dwell with [Page 68]him that is of an humble and contrite spirit, to re­vive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the spirit of the contrite, to heale his sin-broken heart, and to bind up his wounds of sorrow: Esay 57.18. Psal. 143.3. And then what con­solation in Christ, what peace of conscience, what joy in the holy Ghost doth the power of Gods grace presently produce in his soule? which none can understand but hee that feeles, and none can feele but the child of God, the truely penitent sinner; Peccator de peccato dolet, & de dolore gaudet, saith Saint Augustine, the peni­tent sinner sorroweth for his sinnes, and rejoy­ceth in his repentance; unam fudi lachrimam, unam inveni consolationem, I shed one teare for my sinnes, and I found thereupon one comfort; decem fudi lachrymas, decem inveni consolationes, I shed ten teares for my sinnes, I found as many comforts for the same, & quantumcun (que) fuit pondus lachryma­rum, tantus fuit numerus consolationum, and as the weight of my teares increased for my sinnes, so the number of Gods comforts increased in my soule according to the saying of the Psalmist, In the multitude of the sorrowes (even of the sorrowes for my sinnes) which I had in my [Page 69]heart thy comforts have rejoyced my soule, Psal. 94.19.

Lastly, the power of Gods grace is made per­fect in the weaknesse of sicknesse, and of all manner of sufferings unto which the weake na­ture of man is subject; And first in the weak­nesse of sicknesse. When Iacob was sicke in his bed unto death, and ready to give up the Ghost, and when his eyes were dimme with age, that hee could not see, yet then did hee foresee, and foretell what should befall the twelve tribes of Israel in the last daies; what high and mysterious prophecies did he then deliver in the several bles­sings of his twelve Sons, and with whatstrength of words, you may reade in the 29. of Genesis.

When Iob was smitten with sore boyls from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; when he sate down among the ashes, and scraped him­selfe with a potsheard; when his skin was black and broken, and his bones were burnt with heate, when he could not swallow his spittle, and when he took his flesh in his teeth, when the poi­soned arrowes of the Almighty dranke up his spirits, and his reines were cleft asunder; when his breath was strange to his owne servants, nay [Page 70]to his owne wife when his sighes were the mu­sicke to his meate, and his rorings were powred out like water; then behold the power of Gods Grace was perfected indeed in weaknesse; then ecce Margaritae in sterquilinio, behold what in­estimable pearles were found upon the muck­hill, what an eloquent and divine Preacher Iob was upon the dunghill, what celestiall sermons did he then make of Gods power, of his provi­dence and of his Iustice? of mans misery, the shortnesse of this life, and the resurrection after death; all as full of sweet and heavenly consola­tion, as his body was then of loathsome sores.

Anima morbo affecta Deo propinqua; What An­gelicall meditations, what divine raptures, what heavenly ejaculations, what strong consolation, what powerfull exhortations, what [...] or full assurance of faith, what victories over temp­rations, what swanlike songs, what longings to be dissolved and to bee with Christ, what im­bracements of death have many heart-sick and dying Christians shewed upont heir beds and dying Christians shewed upon their beds of languishing, by the power of Gods grace even to the admiration of the standers by, according to [Page 71]the saying of David, Psal. 138.3. In the day when I cried unto the Lord he indued my soule with much strength; with what strength? but onely with the strength of grace in his soule. But questionlesse many of you that heare mee here this day have both seene these powers of Grace in them whom God hath brought low by sicknesse, and also have felt the like in your own soules when the hand of God hath beene upon you, and therefore I need not presse this point any further.

And this power of Gods Grace is not oney made perfect in the weaknesse of sicknesse, by also in the weaknesse of the greatest sufferings of man.

When my Father and my Mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up, saith David, Psal. 27.10. that is, when the neerest and dearest friends that we liave in this world either wil not or cannot come to helpe us, when there is no man to comfort us, then doth the power of Gods Grace begin to shew it selfe in us; no distance of place, no close prison, no disconsolate dun­geon, [Page 72]no Guard, no lockes, no iron gates can keepe the power of the blessed Spirit of God, the Comforter from us, but he will come in to us wheresoever we are; as he did unto Ionas in the belly of the Whale.

And if God shew the power of his Grace in the weaknesse of men when they suffer for their sinnes, how much more will he shew the same, when they suffer innocently and with­out cause; but above all when they suffes for Gods cause, and for the Gospells sake, as the Martyrs did, who when they heard the noise of whips and other instruments of cruelty prepa­red for them, though they heard sweet and hea­venly musicke founding in their eares, who kis­ted and imbraced the stakes, whereat they were burnt, playing with the flames and trying the power thereof beforehand; as that blessed Pro­testant Mattyr Archbishop Cranwer did, who burned his recanting hand in the fire, before his sould ascended towards heaven in the flames; who laughed bloud-thirsty Tyrants to scorne even to their faces, despising their cruel­ties [Page 73]while they were more wearied in devising new exquisite torments, and practising strange kinds of deaths upon the Martyrs, then the Mar­trys were in induring them; yea while the tor­mentors were more vexed at the patience, com­fort, courage, faith, and joy of the Martyrs, then the Martyrs were with their tortures. And what was the reason of all this? why because the power of Gods Grace was made perfect in their weaknesse, Et vilis est omnis poena ubi virtus Dei est, & gloriae culestis expectatio, and all kinds of torments, and of deaths are despised and con­temned, where the power of Gods Spiritis, and the expectation of heavenly glory. And here I pray see the difference, betweene the sufferings of Christ, and the sufferings of the Martyrs of Christ; when Christ suffered, his soule was heavy unto death; Deus subtraxit protectonem sed non dissolvit unionem, God did not dissolve the union of the divine and humane nature, but only with­drew his protection, so that hee cried out upon the Crosse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me; which was not vox desperantis the voice of one despairing, for he called him his God twice together, but vox admirantis the voice [Page 74]of one admiring that God this Father should with hold all the sweet influences of his heaven­ly assistance from him in his greatest extremity, no helpe, no ayd, no succour, no comfort at all then from heaven; but the humane nature of Christ was then left naked to it selfe: there was none to comfort me, said David, in the person of Christ, Psal. 69.21. none at all, neither man nor God, neither creature nor Creator, but Christ as man, was left alone to himselfe, and all this was done that our Saviour might fully satisfie the justice of God for our sins. But contrarily now, the Martyrs of Christ went joyfully to their deathes, because as their torments increased upon them, so the power of Gods grace in­cleased in them; and the more their sufferings did abound the more did Gods comforts super­abound in them. But if Almighty God had with­drawne the beames of his gratious assistance from them, but a little while, yea if God had but turned away his face from them, but a moment, they would not only have been troubled, as the Psalmist speaketh, but they would have trem­bled, and their knees would have smitten one a­gainst another, at the sight of an officers hal­bart, [Page 75]bart, and at the apprehension of death they would have sunke downe presently into the very gulfe of despaire.

And so I come to the third consideration of his power, which is the power of Gods glory; and this glorious power of God is made perfect in the weaknes of corruption, consumption, and as it were annihilation of bodies by the reno­vation of the creatures generally; for the creature it selfe shall be delivered from the bondage of cor­ruption into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God, Rom 8.21. but especially the glorious re­surrection of our bodies at the last day accor­ding to the working of Gods power, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe, Phil. 3. And in this weak, base, and ignominious con­dition of our bodies after death shall the power of Gods glory be made perfect; yea though our bodies make such a strange and long Pilgri­mage thorow corruption unto nothing, as S. Cyrill speakes of; though they bee devoured of fishes, and those fishes be eaten up of men, and those men be turned into dust, and that dust be scattered by the foure winds, yet god can picke [Page 76]up all our parts againe, and give every one his owne body: redhibentibus ea ignibus, & undis & alxis ferarum & lactibus piscium & ipsorum temporum propria gula, as Tertullian speakes: the fire, the sea, the bellies of wild beasts, the gutts of fishes, and times all-devouring throate it selfe shall yield up their dead againe: And doe not aske how this can be done; for this [...], how, in the workes of God is an argument of increduli­ty, as Iustine Martyr speakes; considera authorem, & tolle dubitationem, saith S. Austine, consider the glorious power of God, and this takes away all doubting.

And this glorious power of God shall be so perfected in the ignominious weake and base estate of the body after death, that it shall raise up the same numericall and individuall bodies unto life againe according to the Scriptures. I mervaile then that Durand the Schoolman upon the 4. of the sentences, the 43. and 44. distinctions should deny this numerical identity of the body in the resurrection with this bold and peremp­tory conclusion, salva reverentis omnipotentia divinae dico hoc fieri non posse; with reverence be it [Page 77]spoken to Gods omnipotency, this cannot bee done, sayth hee; wherein hee shewed not onely heresie, but also blasphemy, and for both he is condemned by the Schooles; yea by the word of God: for all those pronounes in the 19. Chap. of Iob and the 26. and 27. verses, ego ipse & non alius ut mea, are pronounes of nume­ricall identity; although the wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for my selfe, and these mine cies shall be­hold him, and not another. Againe Christ shall [...] change our vile bodies saith the Apostle, Phil. 3. now a change is not in the substance, but in the qualities, [...] saith Amphilochius, the body at the resurrection shall be the same still for substance, but not the same for qualities; nam gloriae est, non tollere, sed extollere, non interfice­resed perficere naturam, saith Gerson: this power of glory shall not destroy, but perfect nature in the resurrection; alius ero, non aliud, saith Tertul­lian, I shall be another manner of man then, but not another thing, and Christ shall make our vile bodies like unto his glorious body, [...], saith Theodoreo, like in the quality of glory, but not equall in the quantity of Glory.

[Page 78]Moreover that is called a resurrection indeed, ubi resurgit quod cecidit, saith St. Ierome, where that very numericall body doth rise againe unto life which died, as Christ did, and his resurrection is the pattern of ours. And Tertullian gives the rea­son hereof, ut integrū fiat hominis judicium, that the same flesh which hath been a companion with the soule in vertue or vice, in holinesse or wic­kednesse in this world, may be a companion with the soule either in blisse or in paine in the world to come, otherwise one body should sinne, and other body should be tormented, one body should shed its bloud for Christ, and ano­ther body should be glorified with Christ.

But after what manner shall this glorious power of God be made perfect in the weak­nesse of our vile bodies? Why in the foure ce­lestiall qualities of a glorified body, impassibi­lity, clarity, agility and spirituality, which Ter­tullian calls indumenta Angelica, Angelicall ve­stures, and Ruffinus, prerogativas carnis; the pre­rogatives of the flesh, and the Schoolemen, dotes corporis gloriosi, the indowments of a glorified body: All which foure Saint Paul [Page 79]sets downe particularly, 1 Cor. 15. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption, there is the impassibility of a glorified body, nothing can hurt it, it can suffer nothing: it is sowne in dishonour, it is raised in honour; there is the clarity of a glorified body shining as bright as the Sunne in his strength; it is sowne in weaknesse, it is raised in power, there is the a­gility of a glorified body, as swift as the minde, for where the soule would have the body to be, there shall the body presently be; it is sown a naturall body, it is raised a spirituall body; there is the spirituality of a glorified body, not that it shall be changed into a Spirit, but that it shall be conformed to the Spirit, it shall need no food or sleep to refresh it; sed quasi in Ange­licum habitum commutabitur, as Tertullian speaks, but it shall be as it were changed into an An­gelicall state and condition in all things.

Now upon this glorious power of God we build our faith and the hope of our resurrecti­on out of the weaknesse of corruption unto life eternall: Sepulchrum est uterus resurrectionis, the grave is the wombe of the resurrecti­on; [Page 80]Can a man goe into his mothers wombe and be borne againe, said Nicodemus? Yes that he may, for he shall goe into the wombe of the earth, the mother of us all, and be borne a­gaine immortall at the last day: Et quanto cor­pora nostra nunc viliora tanto futura gloriosiora, and the more weake and vile our bodies are now, the more glorious shall they be hereaf­ter: And this dust of ours shall one day bee pulvis glorificatus, glorified dust, and dust shall arise never to returne to dust any more, Amen.