DAVIDS Remembrancer.

THIS Psalme, as appeareth by the Occasion. whole tenour of it, was composed by the Prophet DAVID during the time of some grieuous and tedious temporall affliction; and that ac­companied also (as may seeme) with some spirituall desertion.

And it may well for the subiect matter of it be Matter. tearmed

[...] Sicut Psal. 38. [...] DAVIDS Remembrancer; as being penned by him for this end, to put God in minde of him, and of his present forlorne and di­stressed estate.

[Page 2]The Psalme consisteth of three principall Parts. Parts 3.

There is first Vers. 1, 2. a grieuous complaint of his pre­sent Part 1. condition; propounded by way of expostu­lation; Complaint.

• 1.
  Vers. 1.
  In regard of God; who seemed not to re­gard him.
• 2.
  Vers. 2.
  In regard of himselfe, by meanes thereof driuen to his shifts, and in a manner at his wits end.
• 3.
  Vers. 2.
  In regard of his aduersaries; who tooke occasion thereby to triumph and insult ouer him.

There is secondly Vers. 3, 4. an humble suit and request Part 2. commenced by him to God, and conceiued in three distinct parts, answering the three branches of his former complaint. For 1. Vers. 3. Hee requesteth Request. God that he would Respice, refertur ad, Usque quo a­vertis faciem? Ex­audi, ad, Usque quo obliuisceris? Aug. in Psal. 12. Behold and heare; that hee would vouchsafe to regard him, and turne his face againe towards him, and not send him away, inau­dita querelà, vnheard and vnanswered.

2. He addeth some Reasons why he desireth and requireth God thus to heare and regard him. Reasons 2.

[...]. Vers. 3. In regard of himselfe, that hee sleepe not in Reason 1. death: not meant, as some thinke, of De somno peccati. Ruffin. in Psal. 12. In peccato. Aug. in Psal. 12. & contr. advers. leg. l. 1. c. 11. Cassiod. & Remig. & ex [...]que Lom­bard. De somno pec­cati qui ducit ad mortem. Acacius Caesar. quaest collect. 4. apud Hieron. epist▪ [...]d Miner. & Alex. sleeping in Sinne; though 1. Thess. 5. 6, 7. Ephes. 5. [...] 1 Cor. 15. 34. Sinne in Scripture be oft compa­red to Sleepe; no [...], as others, Theodoret. & E [...]thym. of the [...]eath of griefe and despaire; though that be said too to be a kinde of Death; and Gen. 27. 46. Io [...] 3. 20, 21. Eccles 7. 28. maketh a mans life oft no better, yea more bitter than Death: nor yet as others. Cùm [...] peccato, quod est ad mortem irrevocabiliter perseveratur. Bern. in Cant. 52. Ne poenitentiam [...] mortem differens, dormiam cum morte peccati in inferno. Hugo Card. in Psal. 1 [...]. of dying eternally, of being euerlastingly damned: but [Page 3] Iun. Calvin. &c. Vide Drus. lib. 3. quaest. 27. & H [...]res­bach. in Psal. of temporall death, (that is vsually tearmed 1 Cor. 15. 6, 51. Iohn 11. 11, 14. a Sleepe; and is nothing indeed but Ti [...]. Quid mors est? Somnus est consue­to longior. Chrysost­ad pop. Antioch. de imag. serm. 5. a Sleepe longer than vsuall; yea in some sort Ier. 51. 39. Nobis cùm semel occidit brevis lux, Nox est perpetua una dormi­enda. Ca [...]ull. epig. 5. Quicunque nasci­mur, brevi post lu­mine Aeternus im­pedit sopor. Ben. Lamprid. a perpetuall Sleepe, because to continue Iob 7. 9, 10. & 14. 12. as long as the world la­steth:) that Iob 10. 20, 21. Psal 39. 13. hee might not die in this distressed Reason 2. and discomfortable estate.

2. Vers. 4. In regard of his malicious and euill affected Aduersaries; Psal. 38. 16. that they might not haue longer or further cause of joy and triumph in his ouerthrow, as hauing now without all helpe or hope of reco­uery, gotten the vpper hand of him.

And there is thirdly Vers. 5. a cheerefull and a com­fortable Part 3. Conclusion. Conclusion, wherein as recollecting him­selfe, and controlling the voice of sense with the voice of Faith;

• 1.
  Pr [...]fitetur.
  He professeth his trust and confidence in God.
• 2.
  Pollicetur. Branch 3.
  Hee promiseth himselfe assured helpe and deliuerance from God.
• And 3.
  Paciscitur.
  He praiseth God for it, as if alreadie he had receiued it:
  [...]. Vides animum bene sperantem? Petit, & prius quam acceperit, tanquam qui accepisset, gratias agit. Chrysost. in Psal. 12. Contra quam Bern. in Cant. 10. Gr [...]tiarum actio beneficium non praecedit, sed sequitur.
  See the picture of an hopefull heart, saith Chrysostome, he craueth aid of God, and be­fore he haue it, he renders thankes for it, as if alreadie he had it.

And thus haue you the Summe and Substance of the Psalme, with the seuerall parts of it. Branch 1.

To returne to the first Branch of his Complaint, which I purpose only to insist on. Branch 2.

[Page 4]First, for the Manner of it, or Phrase it is con­ceiued Manner. in; there are foure seuerall Readings, though Readings 4. in effect for sense and substance much the same.

For 1. Some reade the words of the former Reading 1. Part, without stop or stay, as one continued sen­tence; Graec. Sept. Lat. Vulgat. Ang. Genev. Reg. Bibl. Calvin. alij. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, for euer? But they both neglect the pause in the He­brew; and beside make no very good sense.

2. Others make a pause, but a pause misplaced; Reading 2. and they thus reade them; Usquequo, Do­mine, oblivisceris me? In finem? Re­mig. in Psal. 12. Erit hoc usque quo in aeternum? Hugo Card. ibid. Sic Va­tabl. & Leo Iudae. How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget mee? For euer? As elsewhere, Psal. 74. 10. How long, O God, shall the Aduersary reproach? shall the enemie blaspheme thy Name for euer? But the pause here in the Originall, is after Domine; not after Obliuisceris.

3. Others placing the pause aright, reade the words as an Aposiopesis, that is, a broken or imper­fect Reading 3. sentence, not vnfit to expresse passion. Quousque, Do­mine? subaudi, non intueberis? oblivis­ceris mei in aeter­num? Iun. Qu [...] ­usque, Domine? How long, O Lord? As if he had said; How long will it be ere thou minde me? In aeternum obliuisceris? Wilt thou neuer againe thinke on mee? How long wilt thou hide thy face away from me? And the like we may find in diuers other places; Psal. 79. 5. How long, O Lord? wilt thou be angrie for euer? Shall thy iealousie burne like fire? And, Psal. 89. 46. How long, Lord? Wilt thou hide thy face for euer? Shall thy wrath burne like fire? Yea the very selfe-same Aposiopesis appa­rantly, where he saith; Psal. 6. 3. But thou, O Lord, how long? And, Psal. 90. 13. Returne, O Lord: how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy seruants: As also of [...] Ier. 13. 2. Apoc. 6. 10. elsewhere.

4. It may well be read by way of Reduplicati­on, Reading 4. [Page 5] Per epimonen re­petendo ingeminat. Cassiod. (a forme very fit also to expresse the vehement affection of a soule surcharged with sorrow, and pincht in with paine;) enclosing the middle part of the Verse within a Parenthesis: How long, O Lord? (wilt thou neuer remember me?) how long, (I say) wilt thou hide thy face away from me? And the like Reduplication is found also elsewhere, where hee saith, Psal. 94. 3. How long shall the wicked, O Lord? How long (I say) shall the wicked exult?

Either of the two latter may well stand with the Context of the words in the Originall.

Secondly, For the Matter and substance of it: Matter.

1. There are two things complained of: Substance.

1. That God had forgotten him.

2. That he had hid his face away from him. Both Nec oblivio, nec aversio cadit in De­um. Remig. in hunc Psal. Neutrum De' reverâ facit, sed more nostro Scrip­tura loquitur. Aug. & Ruffin. in hunc locum. Per [...] de Deo perinde ac de ho­mine loquitur. Hu­manū siquidem ob­livisci, & faciem ab eo quem oderis a­vertere. Muscul. humanitûs dicta, spoken by way of resemblance from the manner of men, and the one going a de­gree beyond the other. Gravius est aver­sionem faciei, quam oblivionem sentire. Muscul in hunc loc. It is more to hide his face from him, than not to remember him.

Genes. 40. 23. & 41. 9. Hinc qu [...]stio apud Senecam, an obliti ingrati sint dicendi▪ de bene [...]. lib. 3. cap. 4, 5. Wee may out of vnmindfulnesse sometime forget one, whom wee wish otherwise well vnto: but when we doe wittingly and willingly Esai. 58. 7. & 53. 3. [...]; Dion. Chrysost. orat. 38. turne or hide our face away from him, it is a signe that either we hate and abhorre him, or at least desire not to minde or remember him. In oblivione remissio est bene­volentiae & curae, in avers [...]e faciei indignatie & odium. Muscul. There is an implica­tion of bare neglect in the one; an intimation of anger and indignation, of displeasure and euill will in the other.

[Page 6]For God therefore to forget DAVID, not to minde him, or looke after him, is much! If his eie be neuer so little once off vs, the spirituall aduersa­rie is readie presently to seize on vs, Aeriae potestates tanquam milvi cir­cumvolitant, ut pul­lum infirmum abri­piant. Aug. in Psal. 62. & in Psal. 90. as the Kite on the Chicke, if the Hen looke not carefully after it.

But for God, DAVIDS Psal. 4. 6, 7. & 18. 18. & 73. 25. [...]. Theophyl. ep. 30. ex Homer. O­dyss. [...]. only ioy and stay, to turne his face away from him, that hee may not minde him, as if Psal. 27. 9. in anger and euill-will towards him, he had cast off all care of him, yea were resol­ued to reiect him, and were willing to expose him to the will of those that would Psal. 38. 16. reioyce in his ruine: this is much more. There is an vnmindful­nesse of him implied in the former; an euill minde▪ towards him implied in the latter.

And surely, if Psal. 30. 5. in the fauour of God there be life; yea Psal. 63. 3. his fauour is better than life it selfe: then vn­doubtedly [...]. Theophyl. epist. 37. such apprehension of his disfauour and displeasure must needs be as death, yea more bitter than death it selfe to the soule so deserted.

2. Both these are further aggrauated by the cir­cumstance of time; the long continuance of either. Circumstance

• 1. For the time past; he had beene long in this estate already.
• 2. For the time to come; it was vncertaine how long it would last.

Now for God Esai. 54. 8. Psal. 30. 5. for an instant to be angry with some of his, and to hide his face from them, cannot be but most [...]. Theophyl. ep. 37. [...] Idem epist. 24. Nam fruendis voluptatibus crescit carendi delor. Plin. epist. 5. l. 8. E [...], Tum est tormentum carere divit [...]js, cùm illas iam senseris. Sen con [...]rov. 6. heauy to those that haue formerly [Page 7] enioyed it, and beene before in his fauour: (for In carcere natus ac nutritus puer, de matris suae anxieta­te miratur. Bern. de diuers. 12. as for others; those, we say, that were neuer out of hell, thinke there is no other heauen.) The least frowne of his face, or bending of his browes, is a very hell it selfe to such: Psal. 30. 7. Thou turnedst but thy face away, saith DAVID, and I was troubled.

But to haue it last and continue so for a long time together, what a daunting and dismaying must it needs be to that soule, that shall esteeme it selfe in a manner to lie so long in hell, and to haue in some sort an hell so long here out of hell, where it had a kinde of heauen before?

And yet further againe, though this heauy and disconsolate estate should last long, and were yet to last farre longer; yet if there were some certaine stint of time set how long it should last; the eye of the soule being fixed vpon that terme, it would be some comfort to consider how the time wore away. But where the eie of the minde meeteth with no obiect to stint it, but (as it is with persons distressed at Sea in a thicke fog, that haue rowed and wrought long till their hearts ake againe, and beaten to and fro, but can descry no shore; or as it is Quib' cruciatus & ad finem per tor­ment a proper at, & sine fine deficiens durat. Ita fit mi­seris mors sine mor­te, finis sine fine, defectus sine defe­ctu: quia & mors vivit, & [...]nis sem­per incipit, & defi­cere desectus ne [...]cit. Greg. mor. l. 9. c. 47. with those that are in hell, whose torments haue no stint, but are boundlesse and endlesse) it is as farre from an end still, for ought it can descry, as at first; it hath lasted thus long, and Psal. 74. 9. it is vncer­taine how long longer it may last: This is that that might breake an heart of stone or steele, that might enforce the forlorne soule to sinke downe vnder the heauy burden and vnsupportable weight of it, ouerwhelmed with horror, and swallowed vp with [Page 8] despaire, were there not somewhat else (euen Psal. 37. 24. an hand of God himselfe) to support and vphold it.

And yet was this, as we see here, DAVIDS estate at the present. He complaineth that God had for­gotten him, yea he had hid his face from him: this discomfortable estate had lasted long with him alreadie, and it was vncertaine yet how long it would last.

Whence obserue we this Instruction, that Gods Doctrine. Church and dearest Children are oft in that case, what for outward afflictions, what for inward desertions, that both in the sight of others, and to their owne sense and feeling, God seemeth to haue reiected them, and not to regard them.

Aliorum judicio. Calvin. in Psal. 13. Sic Esai. 53. 4. In the sight, I say, of others: for so say the pro­phane proud, oppressing and pursuing the poore; Psal. 10. 11. God hath forgotten them; hee hath hidden away his face, and will neuer more looke after them. And DA­VIDS enemies of him, (if he were Author of that Psalme;) Psal. 71. 11. God hath forsaken him; let vs pursue him, and seize on him: for there is none to deliuer him.

Yea to Exsensu proprio. Calvin. in Psal. 13. their owne sense and feeling. For so Si­on Galat. 4. 26. the Mother of the faithfull complaineth; Esai. 49. 14. The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me. So the Children of the Church, and those no [...]. ba­stardly brood Maith. 12. 39. neither, but such as continued firme vnto God, and faithfull with him, complaine also, That Psal. 44. 17, 18, 24. though they had not forgotten God, nor dealt disloyally with him; yet God had forgotten them and hid his face away from them. So DAVID, 1 Sam. 13. 14. a man after Gods owne heart, and (as his name soundeth) [Page 9] the Lords Darling, or [...] amasiu [...] vel amabilis. Unde Dido Poenis. Inde & Salomon the beloued of the Lord, yet maketh grieuous complaints often-times vn­to God, and in holy manner debateth the mat­ter, and expostulateth with God, both here and [...] 2 Sam. 12. 25. elsewhere: Psal. 42. 9. I will say to God my rocke; Why hast thou forgotten mee? And, Psal. 88. 5, 14. Lord, why reiectest thou my soule, and hidest thy face away from me? I am like to the dead, that lie slaine in the graue; that are cut off from thine hand, and thou remembrest no more.

Yea not Psal. 22. 1, 8. DAVID alone as a Type of him; but the only begotten of God himselfe, Coloss. 1. 13. Ephes. 1. 6. Matth. 3. 17. his Sonne of Loue, as hee termeth him, his dearest Darling, (though Rom. 8. 32. O quantum dilectꝰ, pro quo filius ipse, aut non dilectus, aut saltem neglectus? Bern▪ de temp. Vide & Salvian. de pr [...] ­vid. l. 4. he thought him not too deare for vs) when he was on the Crosse, not in his enemies eies and account only, Matth. 27. 43. that twitted him with his trust in God, who seemed then not to regard him, but to his owne sense and feeling too, seemed neg­lected and forgotten, as by that bitter and lamen­table complaint that hee then made, appeareth; Matth. 27. 46. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken mee? And if it were so with Christ, Psal. 110. 1. Matth. 21. 45. DAVIDS Lord; no maruell if the like also sometime befell DAVID: if this betided the head, no maruell if it betide the bodie too: If it were sometime the state of the Psal. 2. 8. Iohn 1. 14. natiue Son, that had neuer beene other; no maruell if it be the state oft of adopted Sonnes, of such as haue Galat. 4. 6. of Seruants been made Sonnes, of such as haue from Bond-slaues beene aduanced to that honour.

Which yet we are not so to vnderstand, as if Explication. God could forget any man, or as if God could [Page 10] forg [...]t ought. Oblivio in Deum­non cadit. Aug. in Psal. 9. & in Psal. 118. Conc. 15. Et Muscul. in hunc loc. Nihil Deus ignorat, nihil obliviscitur. Greg. Mor. l. 25. c. 4. Neque oblivio in Deum cadit, quia nullo modo muta­tur, neque recorda­tio quia non oblivis­citur. Aug. in Ps. 87. Obliuion is a defect, and cannot be­fall him, who is perfection it selfe. But as wee are said to forget things, when wee doe no more re­gard them, or take notice of them, or looke after them, than if we had forgotten them: Psal. 45. 11. Forget thy people and thy Fathers house, saith the Psalmist to Rharaobs Daughter; And rich men are said to forget their poore kindred and acquaintance: So Tunc meminisse dicitur Deus, quan­do facit; tunc obli­visci, quando non facit. Aug. in Psal. 87. & in sentent. Prosper. 108. Obli­visci dicitur, cum non miseretur. Hu­go Victor. de essent. divin. is God said to forget m [...]n, when he doth not respect them, when he taketh no care of them, when for good he no more regardeth them, than if he had cleane forgotten them.

Now in this manner doth God indeed forget Distinction. some; some hee seemeth to forget, though in­deed he doe not forget them.

As Ambrose saith, That Quosdam dese­rit, quosdam dese­rere videtur. Ambr. in Psal. 118. God doth wholly for­sake some: as he did Matth. 27. 5. Iudas and 2 Sam. 7. 15. Saul, whom he vtterly cast off. Some he seemeth to forsake, but he forsaketh not indeed. As our Sauiour Christ, al­beit Esai. 53. 4. God seemed to haue forsaken him, when not onely Act. 2. 23. hee left him in his cruell enemies hands, and Luke 22. 53. suffered them to worke their wils vpon him, but euen 2 Cor. 5. 21. Esai. 53. 6, 10. powred out his owne heauie wrath and indignation vpon him; and he complained therefore as before, That Mark. 15. 34. his God had forsaken him; yet was he not indeed then for­saken, but euen then Hebr. 5. 7. heard and helpt; Iohn 16. 32. nor was he euer left alone; but though Matth. 26. 56. his Disci­ples all forsooke him▪ and fled from him; yet his Fa­ther forsooke him not, but abode euer with him: And DAVID, though Psal. 22. 1. he complain sometime in the same termes that our Sauiour did; yet else­where [Page 11] Psal. 31. 22. he acknowledgeth that how soeuer he had said in his haste, (in the heat of temptation,) that he was cast out of Gods sight, yet euen then did God heare him, and grant his requests.

In like manner, some God thus forgetteth in­deed. (As Hosh. 8. 14. they forget him; so hee forgetteth them.) Hosh. 1. 6. Call the Childe Loruchamah, saith God to Hoshea; for I will haue no more mercie on the house of Israel; but (as the Vulgar Latine hath it) Oblivione obli­viscar. Vulg. tan­quā esset à [...] dextra. quum sit à [...] nistra. I will vtterly forget them: or rather (after the Originall) Ut omninò con­donem. Iun. & Li­vel. Sed prorsus tollam eos. Leo Iud. à facie scil. meâ. Vatabl. I will neuer forgiue them: but Hosh. 4. 6, 9. be­cause they haue forgotten the Law of their God, I will forget them; when I haue visited their waies on them, and rewarded them for their deeds. Minatur & me­moriam damn ando­rum, & oblivi [...]nē damnatorū. Ruffin. in Hose. God threatneth, (saith Ruffine) both to remember to damne them, and to forget euer to shew mercy vpon them, when he hath once condemned them. Some he seemeth to forget, when he doth not. Deus benos non negligit, cum negli­git. Nec oblivisci­tur, sed quasi obli­viscitur. Ruffin. in Psal. Hee neg­lecteth not the godly, no not when hee neglecteth them: Yea, Obscuris super nos dispositionibus Deus saepe unde nos aesti­matur deserere, inde nos recipit; & unde nos recipere credi­tur, inde derelin­quit: ut plaerunque hoc fiat gratiâ quod ira dicitur; & hoc aliquando ira sit, quod gratia putatur. Gregor. mor. l. 5. c. 5. hee remembreth them then best, when he seemeth least to regard them, when he seemeth most of all to forget them. Though the wicked, when he hath his will on the poore, thin­keth that Psal. 10. 11. God hath forgotten them, and doth not at all minde them; yet Psal. 9. 18. & 10. 12. the poore, saith the Psal­mist, shall not alwaies be forgotten; nor the hope of the afflicted perish for euer. But Psal. 9. 12. God when he maketh inquisition for bloud, will make it appeare then that hee remembreth them, and that hee doth not forget the poore mans complaint, nor will euer [Page 12] faile any of those that Psal. 9. 10. seeke to him and trust in him. And Esai. 49. 14. though Zion complaine that her God had forgotten her; yet the Lord telleth her, and assu­reth her that euen then Esai. 49. 15, 16. hee had her as fresh in minde, as if shee were In manibus sculpsi te. Humanitus di­ctum. Iun. written vpon his hands, and her present estate was neuer out of his eye: yea that he could no more forget her, than a woman could Question. her childe, or than the kindest and tenderest [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 31. Etsi filius minus interdum quàm de­beat filialem affe­ctum exhibuit; ma­ter tamen pro suis visceribus maternū deserere non debet, sed nec valet, affe­ctum. Bern. ep. 300. mo­ther that is the fruit of her owne wombe.

But why doth God, may some say, then deale thus strangely with his deare ones, and by see­ming not to regard them, yea by seeming to re­iect them, suffer them to be in so wofull and rue­full an estate, that they are in a manner like per­sons vtterly forlorne for the present?

I answer: God doth this for diuers ends; whereof these are some of the principall. Answer.

First, Ad examen. to trie their sinceritie, their confidence Reasons 8. in God, their constancie with God, whether their Reason 1. hearts be sincere toward him, and vpright with him, or no; whether they will keepe constantly in Gods waies, though God seeme to neglect them, or seeke to indirect courses, because God seemeth not to regard them. 2 Chron. 32. 31. God left Heze­kiah, saith the holy Ghost, to trie him and to kn [...]w, that is, Tentat Deus ut sciat, i. ut stire nos fa [...]iat; non ut sciat ipse, quem nil latet, sine tentatione enim nemo satis probatus esse potest, sive sibi ipst, sive alij. Aug. in Gen. contr. Ma­nich. l. 1. c. 22. & de Trinit. l. 1. c. 12. & ibid. l. 3. c. 11. & in Genes. quaest. 57. & 83. quaest. 60. & in Deut. quaest. 19. & in Psal. 36. & in Psal. 58. & in Psal. 44. & de serm. Dom. in mont. l. 2. to make knowne, what was in his [...]art. And Deu. 8. 2. & 13. 3. the Lord tempteth you, saith Moses [...] the Israelites, to humble you, and to proue you, and to know what is in your heart, whether you loue him heartily, and will constantly keepe his Commande­ments [Page 13] or no. As a Father will sometimes crosse his Sonne, to trie the Childes disposition, to see how he will take it, whether he will mutter and grumble at it, and grow humorous and waiward, neglect his dutie to his Father, because his Fa­ther seemeth to neglect him, or make offer to runne away and withdraw himselfe from his Fa­thers obedience, because he seemeth to cary him­selfe harshly and roughly toward him, and to prouoke him thereunto: So doth God likewise oft-times crosse his children, and seemeth to neglect them, to trie their disposition, what met­tall they are made of, how they stand affected to­ward him: whether they will neglect God, be­cause God seemeth to neglect them, forbeare to serue him, because hee seemeth to forget them, cease to depend vpon him, because hee seemeth not to looke after them, to prouide for them, or to protect them: like [...]orams prophane Purse­uant; 2 King. 6. 33. This euill, saith hee, is of God; and why should I depend then on God any longer? Or whe­ther they will still constantly cleaue to him, though he seeme not to regard them, nor to haue any care of them; and say with Esay; Esai. 8. 17. Nec sic probatus ab offi­cio recessit. Tu, in­quit, avertis faciem tuam à me, sed eg [...] non sum aversus à te. Ruffin. in Ps. 29. Yet will I wait vpon God, though hee haue hid his face from vs, and I will looke for him though he looke not on vs; for Esai. 30. 18. they are all blessed that wait on him; and he will not faile in due time to shew mercy vnto all them, that doe so constantly wait on him. As 1 Sam. 13. 8, 10. Samuel dealt with Saul; he kept away till the last houre, to see what Saul would doe, when Samuel seemed not to keepe touch with him. So [Page 12] [...] [Page 13] [...] [Page 12] [...] [Page 13] [...] [Page 14] doth God with his Saints, and with those that be in league with him; hee withdraweth himselfe oft, and Psal. 10. 1. keepeth aloofe off for a long time to­gether, to trie what they will doe, and what cour­ses they will take, when Psal. 89. 19, 38, 39. 49. God seemeth to break with them, and to leaue them in the suds, as we say, amids many difficulties much perplexed, as it was with DAVID at this time.

Thus was Sauls hypocrisie discouered. Hee would seeme to depend on God; and 1 Sam. 28. 6, 7. sought to him in his troubles and asked aduice of him. But when God seemed to neglect him, and ga [...]e him no answer, neither by dreame, nor vision, nor by Vrim and Thummim, neither by Prophet, nor by Prie [...]t, then left he God and sought to the Sorceresse, and by the Sorceresse to Satan.

Where a question may be moued, how that is Question. true that the Holy Ghost saith else-where, that 1 Chron. 10. 14. Saul did not at all aske counsell of God. 1 Sam. 28. 6. Saul asked counsell of God, saith one place; but the Lord gaue him no answer: And, 1 Chr. 10. 13, 14. Thus died Saul in his sinne, saith another place, which he sinned, in that he asked counsell of a Witch, and asked not of God; and therefore the Lord [...]ew him.

But the answer is easie; and may be returned Solution 1. in two Rules of the Ciuill Law.

1. Fi [...]ta pro factis non habentur. That is not deemed done, that is not sincere­ly done; or Non videtur fieri, quod non legitimè fit. Reg. Iur. that is not done so as it should. God Facta haud viden­tur, facta quae sunt subdolè. accounteth that as not [...], that is not done in sinceritie. Take it b [...] [...] like: It is said of the idolatrous Heathen that were placed in Samaria, that 2 King. 32. 33. they feared the Lord, and yet serued their [Page 15] owne Idols too; and yet in the very next verse againe it is said of the very same persons, 2 King. 17. 34. Nei­ther they, nor their children feare God to this day: Non colit rem san­ctam, qui non [...]ancto colit. Salvian, de provid. l. 4. Their Feare was no feare, because no sincere feare: and so Sauls seeking to God no seeking, because no sincere seeking. Psal. 145. 18. The Lord is neere to all that call on him, but that call on him in sinceritie. And Iohn 4. 24., The true worshippers are such as worship in Spirit and Truth. But Sapiens nummu­larius Deus est: Nummum ne [...] fal­sum, ne [...] fractum recipiet. Bern. de temp [...] 109. no counterfeit coine will go for cur­rant with him.

2. Factum non di­citur quod non per­severat. That is not done, that holdeth not out, that Solution 2. keepeth not firme. Nihil dicitur fu­isse factum, quam­diu aliquid supere [...]t faciendum. There is nothing said to be done, as long as ought is yet vndone; Perseuerance is all in all. Matth. 24. 13. Apoc. 3. 10. He is faithfull indeed that holdeth out to the last. Prou. 17. 17. Verè amicus semper amat. Dr [...]s. Prov [...]. 2. cent. 1. pr. [...]6. Ve­rus amor nullu no­vit habere modum. Propert. eleg. 3. He is a true louer, that loueth euer. But [...]. Eurip. Troad. Aristot. Rhetor. l. 2. c. 21. Amavit nun­quam, jugi [...]er qui non amat. He neuer loued truly, that loueth not continually: He was neuer a true friend, that euer ceaseth to be a friend, that is not a friend alwaies, that lo­ueth not in aduersitie, as well as in prosperitie, nor is content to take part with him, whom hee seemeth to loue in either: So he neuer truly tru­sted in God, that euer ceaseth to depend vpon him, that dareth not trust God as well at sea as on land, as well in aduersitie as in prosperity, that is readie to leaue and giue ouer relying on God, so soone as God leaueth in outward shew at least to looke after him.

On the other side, thus was Iobs sinceritie ap­proued. Iob 13. 24. Why, saith he to God, doest thou hide thy face away from me? and carriest thy selfe as an enemie towards me? Surely for no other end, Iob, but to trie thy sinceritie; and to make it mani­fest [Page 16] what thou art. The Deuill slandered Iob, and traduced him, as if he had beene but an hireling, Iob 1. 9, 10, 11. one that serued God onely to serue his owne turne vpon God; and would therefore soone leaue God, if God should seeme to leaue him, yea would not stick to curse God, if he should but a little anger him, to his face. But the Deuill pro­ued a lier, like himselfe: it was farre otherwise with Iob: As he was no hireling, so [...]. Eurip. Hecub. he proued no changeling. As the Heathen man saith of one, Nec iratum co­lere destitit numen. Sen. ad Marc. c. 13. Hee ceased not to worship euen an angrie God: Iob 13. 15. Though he slay me, saith Iob, yet I will trust still in him. And thus the Saints of God approue vn­to God their owne sinceritie; in that Psal. 44. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24. though God had forgotten them, yet they had not forgotten him; though Percussisti, i. per­cutiendo dejecisti. Verba enim He­braica saepe motum consignificant. Sic Gen. 38. 9. & Psal. 89. 39. he had smitten them, (that is, by smi­ting throwne and thrust them downe) to the very bottome of the Sea, the place where the [...] cetus. prout Genes. 1. 21. Psal. 74. 13. Ezec. 29. 3. & 32. 2. [...]. Chrysost. in Psal. 148. Whales lodge, and had ouer-whelmed them with the shadow of death; and suffered them to be butchered and mas­sacred all the day long, as if they were no other than sheepe sent to the shambles, and set apart for the slaughter; yet for all this, they would not from him, nor seeke to any other but him: As Diogenes the Cy­nick somtime told his Master Antisthenes, [...]. Diogen. Laert. Nullus tam durus erit baculus qui à tuo me obsequio se­par [...]t. Hieron. adv. Iovin. l. 2. there was no cudgell so crabbed that could driue them a­way from him.

Secondly, God doth this Ad exercitium. to exercise the Reason 2. gifts and graces of his Spirit in them. For many graces of God, as Patience, Confidence in God, and the like, are like Torches and Tapers, that shew dimme in the light, but burne cleere in the darke; [Page 17] or like the Moone, and Stell [...] interdi [...] latent, noctu [...]icant. Ita vera virtus non apparet in prosperi [...], eminet in adversis. Bern. in Cant. 27. the Starres, that are not seene in the day, but shine bright in the night. Patientiae in pro­speris null' est usus. Greg. mor. l. 11. cap. 19. In malis quae quisque patitur, n [...] in bonis, quib▪ frui­t [...]r, opus est patien­tiâ. Aug. in Ioā. 124. There is no vse of patience when all things goe well with vs. Iam. 5. 11. Yee haue heard of Iobs patience, saith Iames. But we had neuer heard of it, had Iob neuer beene in trouble. I [...] fides non ha­bet meritum, ubi ra­tio humana prabet experimentū. Greg. in Euang. 26. Hac est enim la [...]s fidei, si id quod creditur non videtur. Nam quid magnum est, si id credimus, quod videmus? Aug. in Ioan. 79. Ioh. 20. 29. Facilè enim credi­mus quod videmus. Ambr. in Luc. l. 10. There is no sight of faith, when we doe sensibly see and feele as it were the loue and good will of God towards vs in the pregnant and plentifull effects and fruits of his fauour. Virtus fidei cre­dere quod non vi­des; merces fidei videre quod credi [...]. Aug. in Psal. 109. & de verb. Ap. 27. It is the efficacie of faith, saith Augustine, to beleeue what we see not; for it is the reward of faith for vs to see what we beleeue. But when Putas, hîc est? n [...] potest non esse, sed latet. hyems est; int▪ est viridita [...] in radi­ce Aug. in 1 Ioan. 9. it is winter time with vs, and the sap is all downe in the root, little signe or shew of it to be seene abroad, or aboue ground in the branches; when all outward, yea and inward signes of Gods loue and fauour towards vs, and of his care and regard of vs shall seeme to faile and be with­drawne from vs; when we shall see and feele nothing, but arguments of his anger and wrath, 2 Cor. 7. 5. troubles without and terrors within, Gods face turned from vs, or his angry looke towards vs; yet euen then through these thicke and blacke clouds to descry and discerne the bright sunne­shine of Gods fauour; and contrary to sense and reason, carnal sense, & corrupt reason, to beleeue that Hebr. 12. 6. Apoc. 3. 21. God loueth vs, when he lowreth on vs, and seemeth euen to loath vs, that we are in fauour still with him when he knitteth the browes and frowneth on vs, that he remembreth vs and thinketh on vs when he seemeth to forget vs, that hee is a gratious God and Iob 13. 16, 15. a sure Sauiour to vs, [Page 18] when he seemeth b [...]nt to destroy vs; this i [...] the excellencie of faith indeed. And for the exercise Aqui [...] pullos s [...]s in ali [...] port [...], [...]es reliqui inter pedes. Munster. in Schol. [...] R. Solomon. of this and other the like graces in his, doth God oft withdraw himselfe from them, as the Nu [...]e doth from the childe, to teach it to exercise the feet, and learne to stand and goe of it selfe with­out helpe or hold. Or as the Eagle with her young ones, which when they are growne fledge, shee turneth out of the nest, nor beare [...]h them euer on her wing, though Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 32. 11. sometimes shee so doe, but to [...] them to [...], [...] &c. [...] Ba­sil. S [...]l. [...]. 21. [...]lieth from them, and leaueth them sometime to shift for themselues. God led you along the wildernesse, saith Moses to the Israelites, Deut. [...]. [...] ▪ 3. to h [...]mble you▪ and to teach you, that man [...] not by bread, but by Gods word; to teach them Pueris, qui n [...]e discu [...]t, sc [...]pea in­d [...]itur ratis. Pla [...]t. A [...]lul. 4. 1. [...] ast ubi j [...]m du [...]averit [...]as Membra, [...] ­que [...], discess [...]e corti [...]e nare. Horat. serm. 1. 4. to swim without bladders, to goe without crutches, to depend vpon the ba [...]e word of God, when bread and water should saile; and to learne, as, with the Apostle, 2 Cor. 1. 9. not to trust in themselues, so [...]. Bas [...]l. Sel. [...]om. 21. not to trust to the m [...]anes, but in him that worketh by them, and that can as well worke for vs without them, when they faile.

Thirdly, All [...] e [...]cendam. to en [...]re vs to patience, and holy obe­dience, Reason 3. and submission of our wils to the good pleasure of God. As a father sometime will crosse his childe in those things that hee hath a minde to, yea and it may be are not euill for him neither otherwise, and deny him somethings that he doth most of all desire, though they be such things as hee is willing enough, yea and hath a purpose afterward to bestow on him, only there­by [Page 19] to enure him to rest contented with his will, and to submit and referre his desires to his pleasure: So doth God oftentimes withdraw and with-hold long from his children outward ioyes, inward comforts, the light of his counte­nance, the fruits of his fauour, the things they most desire, and that hee purposeth one day to [...]. Hera [...]lit. apud St [...]b. c. 3. bestow on them, though he keepe them back for the present, thereby to enure them to patience and childe-like submission; that they may learne to practise what Matth. 6. 10. they daily pray, and what our Sauiour as well by practise as by precept, hath taught them to say, Matt. 26. 39, 42. [...]. Thymarid [...] quidā. Thymarides contra, [...]. Iamblych. in vita▪ Pythag. Vide quid aequi [...]s est, te­nè divinae voluntati conformando sub­dere, an ut ipsa tuae subserviat volunta­ [...]i. Gerson. confol. Theol. lib. 2. cap. 1. M [...] [...]; Epictet. A­rian. l. 2. c. 17. Deus quod vult qui vult, semper est foelix. Sic enim hom [...] ab hu­manis in divina dirigit [...]r, cùm voluntati human [...] voluntas divina praefertur. Aug. in Ioan. 52. Not my will, but thy will be done. For as Rom. 5. 4. patience maketh triall; so Iam. 1. 3. triall breedeth patience. As [...]. Pind. Olymp. 4. Marcet sine adversari [...] virtus. Tunc apparet quanta sit, quantum valeat polleatque, cùm quid possit pa­tientia ostendit. Sen de provid. c. 2. by patience, and by nothing more, is our sinceritie approued: (no­thing putteth our pietie to the proofe more than patience:) so such trials as these doe enure to patience and obedience: (As it is said of our Sa­uiour, That Hebr. 5. 8. though he were the Sonne, yet [...]. he learned obedience by those things that he suffered:) [...]. Eurip. He­ [...]ub. Quam malè inassueti veniunt ad aratra juvenci? a lesson at the first not so easily learned of vs, til by continuance of sufferings we haue beene enu­red to the yoake. By these and the like courses therefore God enureth and instructeth his chil­dren to beare quietly such burdens as hee plea­seth to lay on them; as also to wait his leasure, [Page 20] and abide his good pleasure, who knoweth what is best for them, and Psal. 34. 9, 10. & 84. 12. will deny nothing Psal. 145. 15. in his due season▪ vnto them; but Prorsus tanquam [...]grotum reficiens medicus, & quod opus est hoc dat, & quando opꝰ est, tunc dat. Aug. in Ps. 144. as a wise Phy­sitian, saith Augustine, dieting his patient, will both giue them what is fit for them to haue, and giue it them then when it is fit for them to haue it.

Fourthly, God dealeth thus many times with Reason 4. his children, Adm [...]jorem pec­cati detestationem. to worke in them a greater hatred and detestation of sinne; whereof this hiding of his face from them, is oft a fruit and an effect. Esai. 1. 15. When you stretch forth your hands, saith God by the Prophet, I will hide mine eyes from you, and though you make many prayers, I will not heare you, because your hands are full of blo [...]d. And saith the same Prophet, speaking in the person of Gods people; Esai. 64. 7. Thou hast [...]id thy face from vs, and hast consumed vs because of our iniquities. Yea in the Lamentations the people of God complaine, that Lament. 3. 42, 43, 44. God had euerwhelmed them with his wrath, and couered himselfe with a cloud, that their prayers might not passe, nor haue accesse to his Highnesse; because they had sinned and rebelled against him, and he therefore had not spared them. And certainly that is one principall cause, the sinnes of Gods Church and Children, their rebellious courses, their vntoward cariage, their wickednesse, their wanto [...]nesse, their euill demeanure towards him, that maketh God to turne away his louing coun­tenance from them, and that not only for a time to looke off them, till they humble themselues before him, but Multa cogitur homo tolerare etiam remissis peccatis: quamvis ut in eam veniret miseriam, primum fueritcausa poccatum. Produ­ctior est enim poena quim culpa, ne par­va putaretur culpa, si cum illa siniretur & poena. Ac per hoc vel ad demonstrati­onem debit [...] mise­ri [...], vel ad emenda­tionem labilis vitae, vel ad exercitationē necessariae patien­tiae, temp [...]raliter ho­minem detinet poe­na, etiam quem jam ad damnationem sempitern [...]m reum non detinet culpa. Aug in [...]an. 124. euen for some space of time after also, to looke strangely vpon them. Hee [Page 21] doth as a wise and discreet Father, who when his Sonne hath offended him, though vpon his sub­mission hee be reconciled vnto him, and be in­wardly as well affected againe towards him, as euer, yet will make some shew of anger still, it may be, and lowre and frowne on him for a long time after, that hee may not suddenly take heart to grace, as wee say, againe; but may by that meanes be drawne to be both more seriously so­rie for his offence past, and more fearefull for the future of offending his Father. So dealeth God with his children, when they haue done amisse and runne riot, though vpon their repentance he be at one againe with them, yet he concealeth it long many times; neither is his countenance oft the same for a long time after towards them, that formerly it had beene.

Thus dealt DAVID with Absolom; and thus God himselfe with DAVID. 2 Sam. 13. 38, 39. After that Abso­lom by a traine had made away his brother Am­mon, and was fled vpon it to Geshur; DAVID a Father but too indulgent, ( 1 King. 1. 6. 2 Sam. 18. 5. that was his fault, and he smarted shrewdly for it) after some space of time, when the sorow for his son Ammon was ouer, began to earne inwardly after Absolom; and since that Ammon was gone, hee was loth to lose the comfort of his Absolom also, whom he loued but too well, and farre better than his Absolom loued him. And though hee stroue to conceale it, yet Sed malè dissimu­lat: quis enim cela­veritignem, Lumine qui semper proditur ipse suo? Ovid. ep. 12. Apparet facilè dissimulatus amor. Ibid. he could not but discouer it. 2 Sam. 14. 1, 2, 3, 19, 20▪ Ioab wisely discerned it, and vsed the woman of Tekoa as a midwife, to deliuer DAVIDS heart [Page 22] of that that Ita Christus [...] dici­tur. Basil. Sel. h [...] ­mil. 19. it went great with, and was full of paine withall; and to draw that from him as by constraint or importunitie, which DAVID was of himselfe ouer-willing vnto alreadie. 2 Sam. 14. 21, 22. Thus Absolom his exile must be called home at length, though with some difficultie: and the matter must proceed not as from DAVID, but from I [...]ab: DAVIDS affection to Absolom must by all meanes be concealed: Yea, after Absolom was returned, though DAVID, no doubt, longed still after him, and in some sort doated on him, and was m [...]re seriously and sincerely desiro [...] to see Absolom, than Absolom was to see DAVID; yet, 2 Sam. 14. 24, 28. Let him turne, saith he, to his owne house, and not se [...] my face. And so dwelt Absolom, DA­VIDS be [...] beloued some, (for he had not yet Sa­lomon) for the space of two yeeres in Ierusalem, where the Court most was, and yet might not all that while so much as see the King his fathers face, or haue accesse once to his presence. DAVID, no doubt, was perfectly reconciled in heart to him, and counted it no small crosse that he must thus be depriued of him; but knowing Absoloms disposition, how soone he might be returning to some such like practise, if hee were sodainely ta­ken into grace againe, was content to enforce himselfe to this harsh and vnpleasing cariage towards him, (vnpleasing, I say, as well to DAVID himselfe, as to Absolom) to preuent some such further mischiefe (if it might haue beene) that might otherwise▪ both befall him­selfe and Absolo [...], as vpon the change of [Page 23] his countenance towards him shortly after ensued.

Now looke how DAVID dealt with Abso­lom, so dealt God himselfe with DAVID. After that foule abuse of Bathsheba, and the murther of Vriah, albeit 2 Sam. 12. 13. DAVID had to Nathan free­ly confessed his offence, and Nathan from God againe assured him of the free and full forgiue­nesse of it; The Lord hath taken away thy sinne, thou shalt not die for it: Yet the Lord, the more throughly to humble him for it, and to make him the more wary for the time to come of shun­ning that that might produce againe such feare­full effects, Est quidā etiam tranquilli maris tre­mor, aut lacus qui ex tempestate re­quievit. Senec. de tranquill. c. 1. did not looke vpon him so louing­ly for a long time after, as before he had wont to doe. Reade but the Psalme that hee made after Nathan had beene with him; and see how ear­nestly and instantly hee crieth and calleth vpon God still, Psal. 51. 1, 8, 9, 11, 12. to turne his face away from his sinne, and to looke in mercy vpon himselfe, not to cast him wholly out of his sight, nor to take his good Spirit vt­terly away from him, to restore vnto him againe those inward comforts and ioyes, which Psal. [...]. 6, 7. through the light of Gods countenance hee had formerly en­ioyed, but had in a manner cleane lost, and was wholly depriued of for the present. And in like manner doth God deale with many other of his deare seruants, after some hainous and notorious crimes by them committed, he withdraweth oft his face and fauourable countenance away from them, not till they repent onely, but euen after they haue repented of them, to make them wi­ser [Page 24] and warier for the time to come, and to detest their owne folly the more for the present.

Fiftly, God oft thus withdraweth and estran­geth Reason 5. himselfe from his, Ad crucis opus consummandum. That the crosse incum­bent may haue its full and perfect worke on them, which if it were sooner remoued, it would be the worse for them, as when the corrasiue plaister is pulled off ere the dead flesh is eaten out: and in­deed as it were to no end for the Surgeon to clap on a corrasiue, if he should pull it off againe in­stantly, before it haue done ought; it were to no purpose for the Finer to put his gold into the fire, if he should either pull it out againe, or put out his fire, before the ore be melted, and the drossie matter seuered: So it would be to small purpose for God to lay crosses on vs, for the bet­tring and amending of vs, if he should presently againe so soone as wee feele the smart of them, and begin to whine vnder his hand, remoue them away instantly, ere we be at all bettered by them, or haue that effected on vs that God intendeth in them.

Iam. 1. 2, 3, 4. Count it matter of much ioy, my brethren, saith Iames, when you fall into many trials, or trou­bles. Since you know that the triall of your faith bringeth forth patience: And let patience haue her perfect worke, that you may be sound and entire. And Omnipotens Deus quid nobis profutu­rum sit sciens, do­lentium exaudire vocem saepe dissimu­lat, ut utilitatē au­geat, dum per poenā vita penitius purga­tur. Greg. mor. l. 14. c. 18. Vota differens cruciat, crucians purgat, ut ad perci­piendum quod desi­derant, ex dilatione melius convalescant. Idem ibid. l. 8. c. 17. for the furthering and consummating of this worke, doth God oftentimes thus withdraw himselfe, as it were, out of the way, and seemeth to keepe aloofe off, when he is yet neere at hand with vs. He doth as the Physitian or Surgeon [Page 25] doth with his Patient, when he meeteth with a sore festred or full of dead flesh: Hee applieth some sharpe corrasiue to purge the wound, and to eat out the dead flesh, that would else hinder the cure. Quomodo cùm medicus epithema molestum & ardens imposuit, aeger ubi medicamento cruci­ari ceperit, rogat medicum ut tollat emplastrum: Mo­lestum est, inquit, mihi istud empla­strum; tollas, quae­so. Rogat ut tollat, & non tollit. Eg [...], inquit, novi quem curo. Non mihi det qui aegrotat consili­um. Opus est diu ibi sit, aliter enim nil proficiet. Aug. in Psal. 90. & in Psal. 98. & in Psal. 130. & in 1 Ioan. 6. Which being done, the Patient, it may be, impatient of paine, as soone as he feeleth the smart of it, crieth to haue it remoued. But he telleth him, No, it must stay there till it haue eaten to the quicke, and effected that throughly for which it is applied. And to this purpose hauing giuen charge to them that be about him, to see that nothing be stirred till hee come againe to him, withdraweth and retireth himselfe till it be full time to take it off againe. Meane while the Patient lying in paine, counteth euery minute an houre till the Surgion come backe againe, and if he stay long, thinketh that sure he hath forgotten him, while he is taken vp with other Patients, or is otherwise imployed, and wil neuer in any time returne again to him: when as the Surgion, it may be, is all this while but in the very next roome to him, there by the houre-glasse, to that purpose set vp, attending but the time, till the plaister haue wrought that that it is to effect. And in the very selfe-same manner doth God deale oft with his dearest ones. Thus 2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9. Paul buffeted by Satan, (it was no small corrasiue and heart-sore, you may be well assured, that troubled so much so magnanimous a spirit as his was) was instant with God more than once or twice to be rid of that euill. But Non est ablatum, quod volebat aufer­ri, ut infirmitas illa sanaretur. Aug. in Ioan. 7. Ita Deus & denegans exaudit, & exaudiens dene­gat; tribuens aufert, non tribuens donat. Simō Cass [...]in Euāg. l. 5. c. 24. the answer he had from God was, that he must patiently abide it: hee should [Page 26] not want his grace that should enable him to vn­dergoe it. But it would be worse with him, if it were otherwise; he would be in much perill of being puffed vp with pride, if he were wholly freed from it. Yea thus DAVID, when Gods hand was somtime vpon him, and he felt it harsh and heauy, he crieth earnestly vnto God, to haue it remoued from him: Psal. 39. 10. Take, saith he, thy plague away from mee; I am euen consumed with the stroke of thine hand. And he pleadeth with God, as the Patient would doe with the Physitian, when he is full of paine with that that is applied, he is sure that the plaister hath done enough by this time: Psal. 119. 71, 67. It is good for me that I haue beene affli­cted. This affliction surely hath done me much good, I am very much amended by it. For Psal. 119. 67. Be­fore Con [...]abo te, nō cum argento tamen, [...]. Nō agam summo iure tecum: quia si ab omni scoriâ, ut ar­gentum, expurgan­du [...] esses, totus dis­perires. Iun. ibid. [...]. Chrysost. in Psal. 7. I was afflicted I went astray; but since I haue beene thus troubled, I am growne more carefull of my courses; now I keepe thy commandements. But Non se norat ae­grotus; sed agrotū norat medicus. Aug. in Psal. 138. In­specta vena quid intu [...] ageretur in [...]groto, medicus no­verat, [...]grotus non noverat. Idem in Psal. 4 [...]. God saw that in DAVID, that he, it may be, saw not in himselfe. He saw much dead flesh, much corrupt matter behinde, that was yet to be eaten out, or it would be ready soone to breake forth into some outrage, as also afterward it did, when DAVID came to be free from that harsh course of cure, and hard and strict diet, that God had a long time before held him to.

True it is that Esa [...]. 48. 10. God dealeth not with vs in this kinde, as the Finer doth with his oare, who neuer linneth melting it, and passing it thorow the fire againe and againe, as long as any drossie matter remaineth mixt with it; or as those that [Page 27] boile broths or curious confections for sicke persons, that neuer leaue blowing and boiling so long as any scum at all ariseth on them. If he should so doe, we should neuer be any of vs out of the furnace of affliction; euen the very best of vs should be euer either in, or ouer the fire, al­waies burning or boiling as long as we liued. For so long as we liue here, we shall retaine some of this drosse still: Eradicari siqui­dem aut extirpari penitus è cordibus nostris, dum hîc vi­vimu [...], non potest. Bern. de temp. 45. nor will our scum be vtterly purged out of vs, while we abide here. But yet, howsoeuer God doth not goe so exactly to work with vs, (the crosse would sooner eat our hearts out of our bodies, than worke all spirituall filth and drosse out of our soules) yet he will haue that he doth in this kinde, worke to some purpose with vs, he will not haue vs come out of the fire as wee went in, hee will not endure wee should come off the fire as foule and as full of scum, as we were when he set vs on. And that the crosse may haue this effect indeed on vs, Non deferit, et­iamsi deserat. Aug. in Psal. 90. he doth in mercy to vs, till it be done, withdraw himselfe from vs, that his wonted manner of presence may not hinder the worke of it. Reason 6.

Sixtly, God dealeth thus oft with them, Adzelum acce [...] ­dendum. to stir vp and kindle their zeale, to make them more feruent in praier, and in seeking vnto him, and to take away that coldnes and remisnes that vsual­ly groweth vpon them, when they are free from such afflictions. Thus Iudg. 20. 21, 25, 26. Terga dederunt sce­leratis ultores sce­leris, & plures pau­ [...]ioribus. Bern. de consider. l. 2. Sed recurrunt ad Domi­num, & Dominu [...] ad eos. Ibid. he neglected the Israe­lites, though fighting in a iust quarrell, and suffe­red them to fall before their brethren the Benia­mites, maintaining a bad cause, til they fasted and [Page 28] praied more earnestly, and by a kind of holy and religious importunity wrested aid and assistance from God. Thus Math. 15. 22, 23. [...]. Basil. Sel. ho­mil. 19. he delaied & put off the poore woman of Canaan crying after him: hee would neither heare her, nor the Disciples making suit for her: he answered her at first with a Matth. [...]5. 23. [...]. Basil. Sel. ibid. seeming kinde of sullen silence; then with a cutting an­swer, sharper than his former silence; Vers. 24. I am not sent, but to the lost sheepe of Israel: And, Vers. 26. It is not fit to take the childrens bread, and to cast it to [...]. Basil. ibid. Dogs. But [...]. Basil. ibid. Beneficium distulit, ut desiderium ac­cenderet. Stell. in Luc. 24. Si [...] ignis statu premitur ut crescat. Greg. m [...]r. l. 20. c. 15. those speeches were but as blasts of the belowes, not to blow out, but to blow vp the fire of her faith, and to make it so to blaze, as should astonish those that saw it. And Cant. 3. 1, 2, 3. & 5. 6. Dissimulatio est, non indignatio. Non est reversus spo [...]sus ad votum & v [...]em revocan­tis; ut desiderium crescat, ut probetur affectus, ut amoris negotium exercea­tur. Bern in Cant. 75. Desiderium dif­fertur ut proficiat, & tarditatis suae sinu nutritur ut crescat. Abscondit se sponsus cum queri­tur, ut non invent [...] ardentius quaeratur, & differtur quaerens spons [...] ne inveniat, ut tarditait sua capacior reddita, multiplicius quandoq [...] [...] quod querit. Greg. mor. l. 5. [...]. 3. it is a dissimulation, saith Bernard, not an indignation, a concealement of affection, no abatement of loue, that Christ in the Cantieles ost with draweth and hi­deth himselfe from his dearely beloued, and is not found of her▪ nor returneth to her, so soone as shee calleth; it is but to exercise her loue, to in­flame her affection, to make her more eager in seeking vp and downe after him.

Hee doth as a father that hath a sonne at the Vniuersitie, who though hee vnderstand, by his Tutor or some other friends, of his wants, yet will not take notice of them, till from his sonne himselfe hee heare of them, Let him write; saith hee, himselfe for them; and it may be hee shall write twice too before he haue what he desireth; [Page 29] because hee will by such meanes haue him both to learne to know his dutie, and to exercise his pen also for his owne good: So our heauenly Father, though Matth. 6. 32. he know well enough what wee haue need of, Matth. 6. 30. Psal. 34. 9, 10. nor will hee suffer vs to want ought that shall be needfull for vs, yet Philip. 4. 6. he will haue our wants made knowne to him by suit▪ and supplication, ere he will [...]ake notice of them, yea he will make vs sue long many times ere he fulfil our desires, because he will haue vs to exercise his Zech. 12. 10. Spirit of Prayer in vs. Or as the Nurse, who perceiuing that the childe beginneth to neglect her, withdraweth her selfe aside, and keepeth some-while out of sight, yea and letteth the childe, it may be, crie a good ere she come againe to it, to make it grow more fond on her, when it hath beene afraid of losing her: So DAVID, when Psal. 30. 6. in his prosperitie hee began to presume more than was meet on Gods fauour, and to grow somewhat retchlesse in that regard, as if God were now so firme to him, that he were sure neuer to lose him, nor to haue the effects and fruits of it euer withdrawne from him, albeit he were not altogether so carefull to vse all good meanes to retaine it, as formerly hee had beene. Psal 30. 7, 8. Thou turnedst, saith hee, thy face from me: and then being sore troubled, he sought earnestly with strong cries and salt teares, to recouer and regain againe the sense of Gods fauour, which by his owne neglect he thus had lost. Or D. Meriton Serm. on 1 Thess. 5. 17. as a Father, saith one, that holding an Apple in his hand, which the childe would faine haue, letteth him [Page 30] toile and tug at it, and with much adoe vnloose finger after finger, yea, and it may be, whine and crie heartily ere hee come by it: So doth God many times with vs, to make vs [...], Ro. 15. 30. Certatim oremu [...]. Aug. epist. 121. Ut misericor­diam exigamus. Idē in Psal. 39. wrestle with him, and as Gen. 32. 24, 25, 26. Hosh. 12. 3, 4. Talibus Iacob funi­culis Angelum de­tinebat, qualibus Moses resticulis Do­minum ligaverat, Ex [...]. 32. 10, 11. Si­mon Cass. in Euang. l. 14. Iacob sometime by intention and eagernesse of prayer wring fauour away from him; and as Luk. 18. 4, 5, 7. the poore Widow did by the vniust Iudge, euen by our importunitie ouercome him. Or as Luk. 24. 28, 29. Finxit se longius ire, cùm mallet cum discipulis remanere. Bern. de grad. humil. Longius iturum fin­xit, ut in desideri­um sui discipuli ma­gis excitarentur. Stella in Luc. our Sauiour Christ dealt with the [...] Disciples, when he made as though he would goe further, though he meant not to leaue them, to make them the more instant on him, to presse him to stay with them: So doth Idcirco recedit, ut aevidius requiratur. Bern. in Cant. 17. God many times make as though hee were leauing, or had left vs, to incite vs to a more feruent and instant vsage of all holy meanes, whereby wee may either keepe his fauour with vs, while wee yet haue it, or fetch it againe when it is gone.

Seuenthly, God doth thus Ad gratiam com­mendandam. Cùm d [...]t tardius, com­mendat dona, non negat. Aug. de verb. Dom. 5. Scitè eni [...] Senec. de benef. l. 1. c. 11. Lenociniu [...] est muneri antecedens metus. Et, Metus muneri p [...]dus imponit. to commend to vs Reason 7. his mercie, to teach vs to make more account of his fauour, when by the want of it wee haue felt what a bitter thing it is to be without it, and af­ter long misse of it, come to re-enioy it againe. [...]. Greg. Naz. [...]t. 6. The present euill is euer the greatest: and the fit we felt last seemeth vsually the sharpest. But the present good is deemed commonly the least; and Malunt homines semper quae reliqueriant. Sen. ep. 1 [...]5. Aliena nabis, nostra plus [...] placent. P. Syr. -majorque videtur Et [...] vicina [...]eges. [...]uven. [...]at. 14. that that goeth from vs better, than that that abi­deth [Page 31] by vs: and albeit [...]. Plut. consol. ad uxor. [...]. Idem de tranq. the departure of ought from vs, make it neuer a whit the better, yet any good thing seemeth better when it is going, and better yet when it is gone, than it did while either there was yet no feare of losing it, or it had not yet left vs. Desideria in m [...] ­nibus constituta ne­scimus. Ennod. lib. 7. epist. 17. Plus sensimus qu [...]d habuimus, post­quam habere [...]. Hieree [...]. Con­sol. Pām. Tunc de­nique omnes nostra intelligimus bona; Quum quae in potestate habuimus, ea amisimus. Plaut. Capt. 1. 2. Discordi [...] fit cha [...]ior concordia. Nesciunt homines quantum boni fraternit [...] habeat, qui nunquam disse­derunt. Quintil. declam. 321. Amicitiae, consuetudines, vicinitates q [...]id habeant v [...]luptatis, carendo magis intelligimus quàm [...]ruendo. Cit. post redit. We neuer vnderstand the worth of any thing so well, as by the want of it. Homines neque proxim [...] assita, neque longulè dissita cernimus. Apul. apol. [...]. Basil. Caes. hom. 5. The eie cannot so well iudge of an obiect, if it be [...]i­ted too neere it; nor [...]. Plut. de iracund. if it be continually with­out any intermission in the eye. [...]. Arist. rhetor. lib. 2. [...]. Synes. epist. 139. The conti­nued and continuall enioyment of the best things, yea and of those that best please vs, though not alwaies the best indeed, without in­termission or enter-change, is wont to breed, if not a surfe [...], yet a glut and a satietie, that so dul­leth the soules appetite, that it maketh vs as lesse apprehensiue of, so [...]. Basil. Caes. homil. 1. Ign [...]ratur bonorum sapor in prosperis. Vix dignoseitur quaeli [...] benefici [...] dum [...]netur. Post migra­tionem cup [...]ta dulcesc [...]nt. Ennod. lib. 7. epist. 17. Voluptates commendat rarior [...]. Iuven. sat. 11. lesse affected with the be­nefit [Page 32] that we enioy in them. Quod boni ha­beat sanitas, lan­guor ostendit. Hie­ron. consol. Pām. Health is neuer knowne what a jewell it is, till by sicknesse wee haue beene some time depriued of it. Not doe Gods children know so wel, what a blessing they haue of the sense of Gods fauour, till by some spirituall desertion they haue been a while berest of it. But as [...]. Hera­cht. apud S [...]ob. c. 3. Gratior est reddita quàm retenta sani­tas. Et fessum quies plurimum juvat. health is better esteemed, when wee haue beene sicke some time: and - post frigora dulcior ignis. Man­tua [...] eclog. 1. fire is more comfortable when wee haue beene a while in the cold: and [...]. Basil. [...]aes. [...]. [...] ▪ Pro. 27. 7. Hinc A [...]xerxes cum post inediā diutu [...] in ficus [...] panē [...] [...] deace [...] incidisset, [...]. Plut. apoph. Et S [...]crates [...] co [...]dîmentū fame, potionis silim dixit. Cic. de fin. l. 2. our meat is then best relished, when we haue fasted longer than ordinary: and rest is most delightfull, when we haue beene tol­led and are tired: and [...]. Herodian. Per [...]in. Acri [...]s sunt morsus intermissae libertatis quàm retenta. Cic. offic. l. 2. libertie is more welcome when we haue beene some time restrained of it, than when without interruption we haue con­stantly retained it: So Gods fauourable aspect is much more acceptable and comfortable, when [...]. Greg. Naz. de Cypr. P [...]st t [...]pestatem [...] est serenitas. [...] i [...] dec [...]am. 321. Et dulcior lux est, quod aliquand [...] desinit, quam si jugiter permaneret. Ennod. [...]. 5. op. 11. [...]. Plut. erotic. the sun-shine of his fauour beginneth to breake forth againe, after some black and bitter tempests and stormes of his wrath; especially when they haue been of long continuance, and much paines hath beene taken for the recouery of it againe.

[Page 33] Desiderat a magi [...] grata. Diu deside­rata dulcius obti­ [...]entur. Aug. de verb. Dom. 5. Things long looked for are most welcome, when they come at the last: And that is commonly swee­test, that is gotten with most sweat. 1 Sam. 1. 2, 11, 26, 27, 28. Samuel was the dearer to Anna, because shee had stayed long for him, and by earnest suit at length obtained him, when shee was almost out of hope of him. So was Luk. 1. 7, 13, 14. Iohn Baptist to his Parents, who had long sought him of God, and were vouchsafed him in their latter yeeres. Gen. 35. 18. & 44. 20, 30. Iacob loued Beniamin, because he paid so deare for him; he bought him [...]. Eustath. in Iliad. [...]. [...]. Hesych. [...]. Suid. & Plut. de amic. with the life of his beloued Rachel that died of him: and both him and Gen. 37. 3. Ioseph, because he had them in his old age; yea so full of ioy was Iacob, when he saw Ioseph againe, whom he had long wanted, and had cleane giuen ouer for gone, that Genes. 46. 30. he desired not to liue a day longer.

It is a good note of Ambroses, from 2 Cor. 1. 11. a speech of the Apostles, that Amat Deus, ut pro uno rogent mul­ti. Ambr. de poenit. l. 2 c. 10. God loueth to haue many sue to him for one, that he may haue thankes againe of the more. So Dare vult; & quod dare vult dif­fert, ut amplius de­sideres dilatum; ut desideranti det, ne vileseat quod dat. Aug. de verb. Dom. 29. Seruat tibi Deus quod non vult citò dare, ut & tu discas magna magnè desiderare. Idem ibid. 5. Solent enim protracta desideria amplius crescere. Gilbert. in Cant. 6. God loueth to haue his blessings and fauours begged long ere he part with them, that we may learne the better to value them, and to make more account of them, and to be more thankfull to him for them, when we haue them. For when they come vnsued for, we are wont to make the lesse of them. Merx ultronea putet. Hieron. ad Demetr. & in quaest. Hebr. Citò data vilescunt. Aug. de verb. Dom. 5. Profered ware, for the most part, is but slightly esteemed of. Wee make light of the first and the latter raine, of the con­stant [Page 34] course of the Sunne, and the seasons of the yeere, though on these things dependeth the stay and the staffe of our life, because they come com­monly in a constant and an ordinary course: But when a little dash of raine commeth after fasting and praier vpon a long drought, wee are vsually as more affected with it, so more thankfull to God for it, than for all the sweet dewes or the plentifull showres that Iob 38. 37. Gods flagons shed downe vpon vs the whole yeere before. Oh, saith DA­VID, when he had some space of time found a restraint of Gods fauour, that before he had en­ioyed, now if God would vouchsafe to looke louingly vpon him, and restore him the wonted sight and sense of his fauour againe, Psal. 51. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. he would teach sinners Gods wayes, and his mouth should set forth Gods praise; and he would offer vp to God any thing, that he should desire and would accept of. And for this cause, no doubt, among others, doth God make vs many times sue long for it, and cry with DAVID, How long, Lord? before it doe come; to make it more welcome to vs, and vs more thankfull for it when it doth come.

Lastly, he doth so, Ad cautelam [...]criorem. to make vs the more care­full Reason 8. to keepe his fauour, and the sense of it, when we haue it, and the more warie to shunne and auoid all such courses, whereby wee may either lose it or hazard the losse of it: Quàm cara sint, ubi post carendo in­telligunt; Quam (que) attinendi magni do­minatus soent. Te­rent. apud Cicer. de Orat. perf. when wee shall finde by wofull experience, that being once gone, it is not vsually so easily recalled or re­couered.

[Page 35] [...]. Greg. Naz. contr. Eunom. 2. Diligentius custodi­tur, quod difficulter acquiritur. Quod venit ex facili, faci­les segnesque tene­mus; Quod spe quodque metu tor­sit, habere juvat. Ovid. amor. That that is hardly earned, is wont to be more carefully kept. A man will not in haste or vnad­uisedly spend his penny, that hee hath laboured hard and taken much paines for; especially if he know not how to get so much againe, but with the like difficultie when that is gone: But lightly come, we say, and lightly gone; young Gallants that neuer knew what the getting of money meant, are readie when they come to it, to let all flie a­broad, as if they could haue it againe with a wish or a word, when they would. If God, when (for iust causes best knowne to himselfe, and for the most part for euill desert and bad demeanure on our part) he hath turned his face away from vs, and carried himselfe strangely toward vs, hee should by and by sodainly vpon the first and least bend of our hamme, or formall sob, or su­perficiall sigh, or a forced teare or twaine, or some faint and heartlesse prayer turne it againe toward vs, and looke kindly againe on vs; - [...]ocet indulgen­tia nobis. Ovid. a­mor. 1. 19. it is to be feared that euen the best of vs would be ouer-much carelesse of retaining it when we had it. But now when wee shall finde by wofull and dreadfull experience in the bitternesse of our spi­rits, that Gods face being once clouded toward vs, or turned from vs, it must, or may at least cost vs many a deepe sigh, and a salt teare, long looking, and much longing, euen Psal. 119. 81; 82, 123. till our heart faint, and our eyes faile, much anguish of minde and perplexitie of spirit, much striuing and strug­ling with our owne corruption and weaknesse, and much straining and wrestling by earnest suit [Page 36] and supplication, by fasting and instancie of prayer, ere we can come to preuaile so farre with God, as to haue those thicke clouds of his wrath dispelled, and that louing and amiable aspect of his vouchsafed vs againe; this cannot but make vs (if we be not desperately retchlesse) exceeding carefull of all good courses that may keepe and retaine it with vs, when we haue it, and no lesse fearefull of ought that may againe estrange it a­way from vs. The Spouse in the Canticles, when after long search, with much adoe, shee had at length lighted on her beloued, Cant. 5. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. & 3. 1, 2, 3. whom by her neglect of him, shee had vnaduisedly giuen oc­casion to withdraw himselfe from her: Cant. 3. 4. Tenui, nec dimittam eum. I tooke hold on him, saith shee, and I will not let him goe againe. And, Psal. 80. 18, 19. Irae interveniunt, redeunt rursum in gratiam. Verùmirae si que fortè eveni­unt hujusmodi inter eos, rursum ubi re­ventum in gratiam est, Bis tanto amici sunt inter se quàm prius. Plaut. Amph. 3. 2. Turne away from thy wrath, say the people of God to God in the Psalme, and Let thy face shine forth once againe on vs: and then will we neuer goe backe from thee againe, nor giue thee the like cause to turne thy face againe from vs.

And thus you see both in what sense God is said to hide his face from his, and for a long time oft (as both to themselues and to others see­meth) to forget them; as also for what causes he is wont so to doe.

Now hence let vs learne then: Vses 8.

First, That we take heed how we censure men Vse 1. as forth of Gods fauour, in regard of any out­ward afflictions, yea or inward desertions, though they be great and grieuous, long and tedious, sticking close by them without remouall or [Page 37] amendment, producing in them many hideous and fearefull effects, so that in the eyes of the world, as well themselues as others, God may seeme to haue cast them off vtterly, and to haue forgotten them for euer. It hath been the state of Amarum poculum prius bibit medicus, ne bibere timeret aegrotus. Aug. in Psal. 98. & in Psal. 48. & in Ioan. 3. & homil. 34. Gods best Saints, of his dearest Children, of his faithfullest Seruants, yea of the only Sonne him­selfe, Dan. 4. 24. San­ctus Sanctorum. the Saint of Saints, when he bare the bur­den of our sinnes. So that, as DAVID speaketh, Psal. 73. 15. if we should so deeme, if we should goe by this rule, and thereby iudge of mens estates, we should [...]. Origen. a­pud Euseb. histor. l. 6. c. 4. Secunda in­tinctura. Tertull. de patient. Martyrium enim qui tulit, san­guine suo baptiza­tur. Cyprian. ep. 2. condemne, not Gods only Sonne only, which Esai. 53. 4. some sometime did, as forth of Gods fauour, but the whole progenie of Gods children, the whole race of the righteous, whose Lot and Portion it hath oft beene to be in this wofull condition, and Math. 20. 22, 23. to drinke of this bitter cup, that Iohn 18. 11. Christ their head began to them; and to passe 1 Petr. 4. 10. this sharpe triall, this fiery and bloudie Matth. 22. 23. baptisme, that Luk. 12. 50. their Sa­uiour past before them. Et quomodo huma­na temeritas repre­hendere audet, quod comprehendere non va [...]et? Bern. de consid. l. 2.

If we cannot see how such courses may stand with Gods loue: we must remember that Rom. 11. 33. Gods waies, and his workes, and dealings with his, are wonderfull and vnsearchable, far aboue our reach, Pie ergò ac modestè ex Epicteti senten­tia Gell. noct. Attic. l. 2. c. 18. Non esse omnes Deo exosos, qui in hac [...] cum aerumnarū var [...] luctantur; sed esse arcanas caussas, ad quas paucor [...] potuit pervenire curiositas. and such as we are not able to comprehend. For Esai. 55. 8, 9. my waies, saith he, are not as your waies, nor my thoughts as your thoughts. But looke how farre the heauen is higher than the earth, so far are my waies aboue your waies, and my thoughts aboue your thoughts.

And yet may we in some sort euen by humane courses conceiue, how such things as these are, [Page 38] may well stand euen with the greatest loue. For Pa [...] ani­ [...]um, mater [...] affectum. Al [...]ter pa­tres, [...]ter matres indulgent. Illi ex­citari [...]ubent libe­ros, ad studia obe­ [...]nda maturè, feria­t [...] quoque diebus non patiuntur esse ociosos, & sudorem illis, & interdum lachryma [...] excuti­unt. At matres fo­vere in sinu, conti­nere in umbrâ vo­lunt, nunquā flere, nunquam tristari, nunquam laborare. Patrium habet De­us adversus bonos viros animum, & illos fortiter amat. Sen. de provid. c. 2. God, as the Heathen man well obserueth, hath as well a fatherly discretion, as a motherly affection. His loue is not a foolish and an vndiscreet loue, such as many fond mothers haue, but a wise, a discreet, a Sapiens vir judi­cio conjugem (sed & liberos) amabit, non affectu. Hieron. advers. I [...]vin. lib. 1. q. 1. iudicious loue, such as wise and pru­dent parents haue. He so loueth his children, as he hath a care of their good; and disposeth and administreth all things so as may be for it. A fond mother would haue her sonne alwaies by her good will at home with her, and neuer out of her sight; would haue him crossed in nothing, but let him haue his will in euery thing, though it be to his owne euill. But the wise parent driueth him out at doores, sendeth him forth to schoole, bindeth him apprentice, it may be, or boordeth him abroad, where hee seeth him but seldome, breaketh him oft of his will, frowneth on him and correcteth him when he doth otherwise than well; and yet Quis magis a­mat? pater an mater? mater ar­dentius, pater con­stantius. [...]erson modo viv. conjug. Illa tenerius, ille fortius & virilius. Miratis tu, si Deus ille bonorum amantissimus, quos optimos esse atque excellentiss [...]nos vult, [...] illis, cu [...] qua exerceantur, assignat? Sen. de prov. cap. 2. loueth he him no lesse than the fond mother doth, yea Hebr. 12. 6. Apoc. 3. 19. Dilectione, non odio flagellamur. A [...]g. epist. 48. Non studio nocendi, sed desiderio sanandi. Ibid. Non erudit pater nisi quem amat, non corripit nisi quem diligit. Hieron. ad Castrut. Molestus est & [...]e­dicus furenti p [...]renetica, & pater filio indiscipl [...]nato, ille ligando, ille c [...]dendo, sed uterque diligendo. Aug. epist. 50. Filius enim castigatione dignus, plus amatur, si saepius castigatur. A [...]br. serm. 6. he doth all that he doth in this kinde out of loue.

Againe, further it may stand well with such a fathers loue, not to correct his child only for his faults, when he doth amisse, but, when some dis­ease [Page 39] shall require it, [...]. Chry­soft. in Psal. 148. Medicum etiam u­rentem & secantem diligim'. Imò etiam ad urendum secan­dúmque conducim'. to hire the Surgion to cut him, and to leaue him fast bound in his hands, and either to withdraw himselfe, while the thing is a doing, or if he be by, to refuse to vnbinde him, or to doe ought for him, when being in feare or in paine he shall cry and call vpon him to stay the Surgions hand, or to helpe to vntie him. [...]. Dion: Chry­sost. [...]rat. 78. Nor would the Surgion himselfe, were he to cure or cut his owne childe, vse a blunter launcet in the cutting of him, or not cut him so much, or so deepe, the disease requiring it, as he would doe with a meere stranger.

And why may it not stand then with the loue of God to deale thus harshly and sharply with his dearest children, when either their outward euill courses, or their inward corruptions, by way either of correction, or of cure, (and yet what is [...]. Arist [...]t. ethic. lib. 2. cap. 3. [...]. Idem rhetor. lib. 1. cap. 14. Et Aeneas Gaz. de animae im­mort. correction it selfe but a kinde of cure?) shall require it? Hee may loue them no lesse, though he hide himselfe from them, than the nurse, or the mother doth her childe, when shee hideth her selfe a while from it, and yet to saue her owne life, would be full loth to lose or to leaue it. Not to adde, that the courses that God vseth in this kinde, are oft-times [...]. Simplic. in Epictet. as well exer­cises for those that bee in health and good plight for the present, as Physicke for those that be crasie and sicke, surprised with some deadly or dangerous disease.

Secondly, This may be a warning to Gods Vse 2. children, to take heed how they take libertie to sinne vpon assurance of Gods fauour, and [Page 40] presumption of his goodnesse and fatherly lo­uing kindnesse. For though God doe loue vs, yet he doateth not on vs. Psal. 89. 30, 31, 32, 34. & 99. 8. If we carry our selues saucily or stubbornly towards him, he will not beare it; if we take bad courses, he will not en­dure it. He will not suffer vs through his forbea­rance of vs to be hardened in euill: but by some meanes or other he wil be sure to bring vs home againe, if at least we belong to him, and to his ele­ction of loue. And though he cast vs not off vt­terly, though he damne vs not eternally; yet he may so seeme to forget vs, so estrange himselfe from vs, so withdraw and with-hold from vs the light of his countenance, that the bright beames of his fauour may neuer shine forth again on vs, as formerly they haue done, so long as wee liue, and so may we come to haue not a purgatorie, but a very hell in our soules while wee liue here; Esai. 38. 15. goe drooping and dwindling, distressed, distra­cted and de [...]ected all our life long, and be in little better case for the time than the reprobate oft are, yea than the very deuils and damned soules in hell themselues. Though we escape with our liues, yet the cure may be so costly, and the course of Physicke and Surgery that God shall take with vs, may be so harsh and vnpleasant, may put vs to those bitter pangs, and vnsuppor­table paines, that it may make vs curse the day that euer wee did wittingly and willingly that that might prouoke such a wrath, or require such a cure, and wish a thousand and a thousand times that we had beene, not fast asleepe in our beds, [Page 41] but dead and buried in our graues when wee did it.

It is a vaine thing therefore for any man to pre­sume so, as to say or thinke, God will neuer sure deale so roughly with me, though I cary my selfe o­therwise then I ought towards him. Yea it is most fearefull and dangerous vpon such impious ima­ginations to presume to displease & prouoke him to wrath. For to omit that An quia Deu [...] bonus est, ideò tu malus? Ambr. de poenit. lib. 2. cap. 11. Pravi cordis est, ideò malum esse, quia Deus bonus est. Bern. in Cant. it is a note of a most vngracious disposition for a man therefore to be euil, because God is good; and to take libertie to him­selfe to wrong God, because God loueth him. Art thou dearer to God than DAVID was? Art thou deeper in Gods bookes, or higher in his fa­uour than he? Yet how sharply God dealt with him; how roughly, yea how rigorously (as might seeme to fleshly reason) he handled him, hauing prouoked him to wrath, and incurred his displeasure, may appeare by those Psal. 32. 3, 4. & 38. 2 - 8. & 51. 3, 8, &c. Psalmes wherein at large he complaineth of it. And how long it was in these cases ere he could recouer his former estate of inward comfort and sense of grace with God againe, appeareth likewise by his earnest suit, so oft and so instantly commen­ced for it, both here and Psal. 51. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, &c. else-where.

Thirdly, The consideration hereof should in­struct Vse 3. vs, not to be vtterly dismaid and discoura­ged, if either wee shall finde and feele our owne estate, or shall see and obserue the state of Gods Church and children to be such as DA­VIDS was at this present, and all Israels at o­ther times.

[Page 42]That wee be not daunted and disheartned, though wee meet with many afflictions and di­stractions, as well 2 Cor. 7. 5. troubles without as terrors within, and shall see no signe of Gods assistance, but all shew rather of the contrary, the fruits of Gods fauour and loue being all withdrawne and with-held from vs, and God seeming to carry himselfe not as a friend, but Iob 13. 24. as a [...] towards vs, writing bitter things against vs, and suffering fearefull things to befall vs. But learne, as the Prophet Esay speaketh, Esai. 50. 10. when we sit in darknes, and haue no light, when we can finde no light of ioy without, nor sparke of comfort within, yet euen then to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay our selues vpon our God. We must remember that, as the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walke by faith, and not by sight: So Habbak 2. 4. Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. Hebr. 10. 38. we liue by faith, and not by sense­Faith g [...]eth not by feeling; nay it goeth oft against feeling. And this is the very pitch and height of faith, as for a man with Abraham, Rom. 4. 18. [...]. Quod [...]eractitus [...], apud Clem. protrept. & Theodor. de Grae­ [...]ur. l. 1. aboue hope to beleeue vnder hope, so to beleeue all contrary to that that wee see and feele, to beleeue that. God then loueth vs, is a kind Father, and Iob 13. 15, 16. wil be a sure Sauiour vnto vs, when we feele his hand heauy on vs, and hee seemeth euen bent to destroy vs.

Rom. 8. 24. We are saued by hope, saith the Apostle; but hope that i [...] see [...]e is no hope. And so Ephes. 2. 8. we are sa­ [...]ed by faith; and though this Fides, vides. Iohn 8. 56. 2 Cor. 4. 18. Hebr. 11. 27. faith be a kinde of spirituall sight, and that surer and certainer than bodily sight; and Fides non est quod creditur, sed quâ creditur, & illud quod creditur illâ co [...]spicitur. Aug. de Trinit. l. 14. c. 9. Habet enim fides oculos suos, quibus & ea videt, quae nondum videt, qui­bus videt tamen, se nondum videre que credit. Aug. ep. 222. Et cum propterea credere j [...]bemur, quia id quod credere j [...]bemur, videre non possumus, ipsam ta­men fidem quand [...] inest in nobis, videmus in nobis, quia & rerum absentium praesens est sides, & rerum que foris sunt, intus est sides, & rerum quae non videntur, videtur sides. Idem de Tri [...] l. 13. c. 1. those things that are not [Page 43] seene by it, are Melius videntur quae non videntur, quam quae viden­tur. Ambros. nomine de sacram. l. 1. c. 2. better seene, than those things that are seene; yet Enervis est & debilu, sed nec sides dicenda qu [...] credit quod videt. Aug. de peccat. merit. lib. 2. c. 31. Quod videtur, s [...]ri potuis quàm credi dicitur. Greg. in Euang. 32. the faith (to speake properly) that is seene is no faith: for Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the euidence of things vnseene? For a man therefore to beleeue that he is in grace with God, when he hath preg­nant proofes of Gods fauour, it is a matter of no mastery. But 1 Pet. 1. 8. to beleeue then when he seeth not, yea to beleeue it then when he seeth and feeleth all to the contrary in the apprehension of carnall reason, this is the praise and commendation of faith indeed.

Wee must consider what is or should be the ground and stay of our faith: not these outward props, which we are wont so much to leane on and to trust to, [...]. Chrysost. in Matth. hom. 82. not our owne sight or sense, that oft faileth and deludeth vs, but Gods word and his truth, and the stabilitie of his promise, which Matth. 5. 18. though heauen and earth should passe away, and all things should returne to their first Chaos againe, yet shall Iosh. 23. 14. neuer in ought faile any of those that depend vpon it. Psal. 119. 49, 50. Remember thy word, saith. DA­VID, vnto thy seruant, wherein thou hast made me to put my trust: That is my comfort in my trouble; for thy word putteth life into mee. And, Psal. 119. 114. Thou art my shelter and my shield; and my trust is in thy word. And learne we herein to imitate the earth that we tread on. Though being a massie body, it han­geth in the middest of the aire, enuironed with the heauens, and yet keepeth his place stee­dily, and neuer stirreth an inch from it, hauing no props or shores to vphold it, no beames or barres to fasten it, nothing to stay or esta­blish [Page 44] it, but the bare word of God alone. For Hebr. 1. 3. by his powerfull word, saith the Apostle, hee vpholdeth all things. And, Thy word, saith the Psal. 119. 89, 90, 91. Psalmist, O Lord, abideth for euer. And, Thy [...]; Ba­sil. hexam. 1. [...]. Greg. Naz. ad Eunom. 2. Quid est quod totā terrae molem su [...]i­net? & universus orbis cui innititur? si est aliquid quod su­stineat celera, ipsū à quo sustinetur? non invenitur nisi virtutis verbum o [...] portans. Bern. in Psal. 90. truth is from age to age: thou hast laid the foun­dation of the earth, and it standeth still. It abideth by it to this day by vertue of thine ordinance. And in like manner must we learne to depend vpon the bare word of God, when all other props and stayes shall be pulled away from vs: to trust him vpon his bare promise without pledge or pawne. Else weedeale with him no otherwise than any Vsurer will with the veriest begger or banckrout that is, when he commeth to borrow money of him. Though he dare not trust him on his word; nor on his bond neither (it is nought worth; no­thing better than his word;) yet on his pawne or his pledge he dare trust either the poorest or the vnfaith fullest man that is. But as Augustine sai [...] well, That Meretricius a­mor, plus dona dan­tis quàm amantis affectum diligere. August. meditat. c. 5. annulū magis quàm sponsum amare. it is but a [...] h [...]lotrie loue for a woman to loue the gift more than the giuer; and so to lone the giuer no longer than hee giueth: So it is but an harlotrit faith for a man to trust Gods pledge or pawne more than God himselfe, and so to trust him no further than he seeth or feeleth what he doth. Yea thetruth is, that in these cases, when we dare trust God no further, [...]orrely on him a­ny longer than we haue so me pledga or pawne of his prouidence, we must not him, but we trust his pledge, Cùm rogo te num­mos fine pignore, Non babeo, inquis: Idem si pro me spondet agellus, habes. Quod mibi non credis veteri fido (que) sodali, Credit co [...]i­tulis arboribusque me [...]. Mart [...]l. pag. 25. lib. 12. as hee trusteth not the poore man, but [Page 45] trusteth only his pawne, that dare not lend him ought but vpon his pawne. And hereby may we try and examine the sincerity and the soundnesse of our faith, what it is indeed that we rely vpon, what it is that we trust to: If we can say, as DA­VID here afterward in the shutting vp of the Psalme, That Psal. 13. 5. we then trust in Gods mercy, and expect safetie from him, euen when hee seemeth to haue forgotten vs, and to haue hidden his face from vs; if we can then 1 Sam. 30. 6. comfort our selues in the Lord our God, when all other aids and comforts haue taken their leaue of vs. It is a feeble faith that can­not stand without stilts, a lame faith that cannot goe without crutches. Hereby will appeare whether a mans stilts beare him vp or no, if hee be able to stand, when they are taken away from him: if he can, it is a signe he rested not on them, though he made vse of them; if hee cannot, it were they, not his legs that vpheld him. And hereby may it appeare what our faith and confidence is foun­ded on, whether on Gods word or his pledge, his pawne or his promise: If when the pledge or the pawne is gone, yet our faith abideth stil firme, it is a signe that it was fixed on God himselfe, and not on it: But if when it is gone, our faith falleth to the ground, it is a signe that our faith was wholly founded on it, not on God or Gods word, which abiding still firme, our faith were it thereon foun­ded would continue stedfast with it. For Psal. 125. 1. Those that trust in the Lord, saith the Psalmist, are as Mount Sion, that standeth fast, and neuer stirreth. And this is that that we should by all meanes la­bour [Page 46] and striue vnto, that our faith may 2 Chron. 14. 11. & 16. 8. rest and rely on God himselfe, and his infallible and vn­faileable Psal. 18. 18. word of promise, not vpon the outward [...] pledges and pawnes of his prouidence, nor on the ordinary effects and fruits of his fauour, that so when these shal be withdrawne, yea and with­held long, it may be, from vs, so that God may Psal. 27. 9. in anger seeme to haue hid his fare from vs, and to haue forgotten vs, which, as we see, hath beene o [...]t-times the state and condition of Gods chil­dren, yet wee may not be disheartened, but see Psal. 112. 4. light euen in darknesse, and be able [...]. Theo­phyl. epist. 30. to di­scerne the sweet sunne-shine of Gods fauour euen thorow the thickest clouds of his fiercest wrath.

So likewise for the Church of God, when we shall see it either in generall, or in some principal parts of it, so left vnto the fury and rage of her malitions and mischieueus-minded Aduersaries, that God seemeth not to regard it, or what be­commeth of it, but euen suffereth them to haue their owne will vpon it; in so much, that as Gre­gory Nazianzen saith of his time, [...]. Greg. Naz. ad Nectar. Gods former prouidence and care of keeping his Church may seeme vtterly to faile, and that hee hath ceased and gi­uen ouer to doe for it in these daies as hee had wont to doe in former times: yea when we shall see it left in such plight, not for a short space on­ly, but for so long a time together (her enemies might and malice Psal. 74. 23. daily growing more and more, and her meanes on the other side daily more and more failing, and her might and power [Page 47] daily more and more impaired and impoueri­shed,) that God may seeme cleane to haue for­gotten her, and to thinke no more of her, but euen Psal. 73. 1. & 77. 7, 8, 9. to haue cast her off for euer: yet [...]. Menand. [...]. Ap [...]llodor. Qui [...]il [...] spe­rare, desperet nihil. Sen. Med. 2. 1. Mag­nae indolis signum est, sperare se [...]per. F [...]. hist. l. 4. c. 8. must we not despaire euen then of her preseruation, and of the raising of her vp againe. But as Ieho­shaphat in his straights, 2. C [...]n. 10. 12. Psal. 25. 15. haue the eyes of our faith fixed vpon God, and his word: who hath promi­sed (and Psal. 111. 7, 8. his promise shall neuer faile, or proue false) Iosh. 1. 9. Hebr. 13. 5. Psal. 94. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 22. neuer to leane or forsake his, though for a time Iudg. 6. 13. he may seeme so to doe. And wee must withall remember that this is no new matter, but the same that oft-times hath befallen the Church of God formerly. That mans extremitie is Gods opportunitie. Psal. 119. 126. It is now time for thee, saith DA­VID, Lord, to put to thy hand, when men haue euen destroyed thy Law. So then is Gods time to helpe his Church, when it seemeth readie to be de­stroyed and euen vtterly swallowed vp for euer. Then is the fittest time for Gen. 22. 10, 11. the Angell to call to Abraham to stay his hand, when the knife is euen at Isaaks throat, and he giuen vp now for Hebr. 11. 19. dead. And then is the seasonablest time for God to set in foot for the rescuing of his Church and chil­dren, and the deliuerance of his chosen ones, Psal. 37. 12, 13, 14, 15. when the enemies dagger is at their very heart, and they seeme now giuen vp for gone. As [...]. Ex Iosephi antiq. l. 18. Euseb. hist. eccles. l. 2. c. 5. Philo sometime told his people, That he was verily perswaded that God would now doe some thing for them, because Caius was so earnestly bent against them; yea that then Gods helpe is nearest, when mans is furthest off. As it is commonly [Page 48] said, Ubi desinit Phi­losophus, ibi incipit Medicus. Where the Philosopher endeth, there the Physitian beginneth; and Ubi desinit me­dicus, ibi incipit Theologu [...]. where the Physitian en­deth, there the Diuine beginneth: So Ubi desinit hu­manum, ibi incipit divinum auxilium. where mans aid endeth, there Gods aid beginneth. Deliue­rance is oft nearest, when destruction seemeth surest. It is neuer fitter time for God to put to his helping hand, than when all humane helpes, that are wont to be as vailes and curtaines drawn betweene our eye and Gods hand, doe vtterly faile: Esai. 59. 14-18. When iudgement, saith the Prophet, was turned backe, and Iustice stood aloofe off, and Truth was fallen in the streets, and Equitte could not enter, and all true dealing failed; and Non potest esse salvus, qui non vult esse malus. Salv. de provid. l. 5. by refraining from euill men made themselues but a prey to the euill: and the Lord saw it, and wondred that no man would stand vp or put forth himselfe to stand for the truth: Then did he himselfe put in to saue by his owne arme, and by his iustice to support those that were readie to sinke. Then put he on Iudgement as a Corslet, and Saluation as an Helmet; and Vengeance as a [...], and Wrath as a Cloake: to repay the furie of his ad­uersaries, and to recompeno [...] his enemies. Then, saith the Prophet, God did thus: and why not till then? Surely (to omit all other ends) to get himselfe the more glory. Esai. 59. 19. That they might feare the Name of the Lord from the West, and his glorie from the Sunne-rising; when with a blast of his breath, hee should suddenly turne the Tide a­gaine, and the Spirit of the Lord should driue back, yea and cary away the enemie, that brake in like a fl [...]d, had surrounded a great part, and was like to ouer-flow and ouer-whelme all. That Psal. 76. 10. 6. ma [...]s [Page 49] furie, as the Psalmist speaketh, might turne to Gods glory, when by his bare rebuke with a word of his mouth, both horse and chariot are cast into a dead sleepe, and Psal. 68. 30. Increpa catervam armidiferam: i. sa­gittis armatam, ut Iun. eoetum hasta­tum, post D. Kim­chi Leo Iud. lance­arios vel jaculat [...] ­res. Calvin▪ the troopes of archers are vtter­ly discomfited, and the remnant of their rage is con­trary to expectation restrained. That Psal. 46. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 he may be knowne and magnified for a mightie God, and a powerfull Protector; when, though the Nations rage, and the kingdomes are in such a commotion, that the earth seemeth to shake withall, and the very mountaines to be remoued, and swallowed vp in the sea; yet he suddenly stilleth all; breaketh their bowes, knappeth their speares a sunder, and burneth vp their chariots, and by a generall desolation, and destructi­on of his enemies, setleth such peace the whole world ouer, (for the behoofe of his Church, and the freer passage of his truth) as was Cuncta at (que) con­tinua totius generi [...] humani aut pax fuit aut pactio. Flor. hist. lib. 4. cap. 12. in Augu­stus time, when Esai. 9. 6. the Prince of Peace came into the world.

Fourthly, Let vs learne in these cases to exa­mine Vse 4. our selues where wee finde such things to befall vs, whether we haue not beene or growne carelesse in endeuouring to retaine the fauour of God with vs, and to maintaine the worke of his Spirit in vs: and striue therein to be more fer­uent, wherein formerly wee haue beene slacke. For that is one cause why God is wont so to estrange himselfe from his children, to fetch them home to him, that are too Ierem. 2. 31. Ni­hil est in nobis corde fugacius, quod à no­bis (à Deo etiam) toties recedit, quo­ties per pravas co­gitationes defluit. Greg. pastor. cur. part. 3. [...] ▪ [...]. [...]. 15. prone to stray from him, when he dealeth kindly with them; and to make them more earnest and feruent in those things, that they had waxed remisse and retch­lesse [Page 50] in before, when they were free from such af­flictions; that as [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 31. [...]. Chrys. contra Anomaeos 5. Humana mens, aquae more, & circumclusa ad superiora colligitur, quia illud repetit unde descendit; & relaxata deperit­qula se per insima inutiliter spargit. Greg. ubi sup. water pent vp in a pipe, shoo­teth vp higher than it would otherwise, had it scope and space to disperse it selfe; so our thoughts and desires that would otherwise be straying abroad and wandering in the ends of the world, being by affliction and anguish strait­ned and restrained, might be caried higher to hea­uenward, as Aqua [...] arc [...] ad sublimiora sustu­lit. Aug. de temp. 181. Noahs Arke was with the waters of the Deluge, and confined vnto him, whom they were wandring from before, as Pulli à ma [...]re liber [...]s divagantur, donec milvi [...] im­petum formident. the Chic­ken from her damme, till shee be frighted with the Kite.

And this is the vse therefore that wee should make of such desertions, that we be thereby in­cited to striue Apoc. 3. 2, 3. to hold that the faster, that wee seeme in danger to lose; that Esai. 64. 7. we stirre vp our selues to take faster hold on God, as those that looke downe from some steepe place, when they feele their heads begin to swimme, or finde themselues in danger of falling, are wont to take better hold of the raile that may stay them; cling closer a­bout him, Fingit mater se filium quem [...]l­nis gestat, in terram, de [...]eoturam, ut ipse tenacius haereat. Simon. Cass. in Euang. l. 14. as the nurse childe hangeth on the nurse or the mother, when shee seemeth about to leaue it, or threatens to throw it downe; and as the Rota ab unda rejecta in [...] revolvitur. wheele of the water-mill, the more violently [Page 51] the floud driueth it away from it, the more violently doth it still turne againe vpon the streame: So the more violently God with both hands seemeth to thrust and shooue vs away from him, the more instantly and eagerly should wee enforce our selues to presse vpon him. Since for that end he doth it, Non deserit, ut deseratur. Simon Cass. in Euang. lib. 8. cap. 37. Deserit potius, ne deseratur. Ideò videtur dese­rere, quia non vult deseri. not that he desireth to be rid of vs, but that he may not lose vs, that wee may come nearer home to him, abide firmer with him, and sit closer by him than formerly wee haue done: like the father, that when his sonne hath some way displeased him, biddeth him away, out of his sight, (though hee would be loth hee should so doe,) not to driue him away indeed, but to make him draw nearer to him, and by humble submis­sion more earnestly endeuour to pacifie and ap­pease his fathers wrath, and seeke to regaine his fauour and good will againe: or like as hee did with Moses, when Exod. 32. 10. he bade him let him alone, Difsimulat Domin ^• exaudire rogantem & feriendi licentiā quaerit à Mose, qui fecit Mosem. Bern. de temp. 83. Quid est servo, Dimitte me, dicere, nisi de­precandi ansā prae­bere? Greg. Mor. lib. 9. cap. 12. Sine me, inquit, & di­spergam eos, ut ille postulando & se­metipsum offerend [...] non sineret. Tertull. contra Marc. lib. 2. that he might destroy that rebellious and idola­trous people; not that Moses should so let him alone indeed, but rather that he might not leaue him, but be the more earnest in suit with him on his peoples behalfe, and not giue ouer till he had obtained his suit for them.

And in like manner should we be affected also in regard of Gods Church, when wee shall see it to be in such estate as was formerly obserued. We should make her case our owne; and take occa­sion thereby, to be the more instant with God, that his face may be turned to it, that seemeth to be turned from it, and that in mercie and [Page 52] goodnesse hee will remember and thinke vpon her as his Spouse, whom now, when Lament. 1. 1, 2. like a wi­dow for lorne and desolate, shee sitteth weeping and wailing, he seemeth to haue forgotten, and not at all to regard.

Thus may we obserue that DAVID conclu­deth diuers of his Psalmes made when he was in such estate himselfe, with suit and supplication for the Church of God in generall. Psal. 51. 18. Oh be fa­uourable, Quid sibi volunt excitationes illae, quas canitis matu­tini, collatis ad tibi­am vocibus? obdor­miscunt enim superi, remeare ut ad vigi­lias debeant. Quid domitiones illae, qui­bus benè ut valeant auspicabili salutati­one mandatis? Som­ni enim quiete sol­vuatur, occupatique ut hoc possint, lenes audiendae sunt nae­ni [...]. Arnob. contr­gent. l. 5. Sic Homer-Iliad. [...]. Et Iliad. [...] cla­more bellico. for thy good pleasures sake, to Sion; and build vp the wals of Ierusalem. And, Psal. 25. 22. Deliuer Israel, O Lord, out of all his troubles. His owne present condition was a meane to put him in minde of the afflicted and distressed estate of o­ther of Gods seruants. And the like vse should we all make, either of Gods hand on our selues, or of his dealings in this kinde with his Church and children abroad, albeit we our selues remaine free: Esai 62. 7, 8. You that are mindfull of the Lord, saith the Prophet, what euer you be, be not silent; be im­portunate with him, and giue him no rest, till he re­paire Sions breaches, and set vp Ierusalem againe to be the glory of the world.

For to this very end doth God oft as it were winke, and withdraw himselfe from his people, that wee may with strong cries on all hands a­wake and fetch him againe. True it is indeed that God is not as Baal, of whom Elias some­time said to his Priests, 1 King. 18. 27. Crie aloud; peraduen­ture he sleepeth, and you must wake him. No▪ Psal. 121. 4. Tò [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 21. he that hath the charge of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth. And yet he winketh, if I may so say, [Page 53] and seemeth sometime to sleepe, as Matth. 8. 24. our Saui­our slept in the ship, when his Disciples were like to haue beene cast away the whilst; and he doth thus sleepe to make vs awake; hee seemeth to sleepe, Vt excitetur, quae dormit, fides nostra. Aug. de [...]emp. 245. [...]. Basil. Sel. [...]o­mil. 21. to make vs awake out of our sleepe, and crie the louder to wake him out of his see­ming sleep. Psal. 44. 23, 24. Vp, Lord, say they, why sleepest thou? Awake, we beseech thee; and stand not aloofe off for euer. Why dost thou hide thy face away from vs? and forgettest what misery and affliction we are in? As the Disciples to our Sauiour, when they a­woke him out of sleepe; Matth. 8. 25. Saue vs, Master: Mark. 4. 38. Carest thou not that wee perish? And againe, Psal. 78. 65. The Lord awaked, as one that had beene asleepe. Thus at this very present doth God seeme to be asleepe, while the enemies of his Church daily preuaile and get ground of her, and triumph o­uer her. Hee seemeth, I say, to sleepe, and hee would by our out-cries be awaked. And sure it is to be doubted that we haue not yet cried long enough or loud enough, that he seemeth to sleep still, and doth not yet rouse and raise vp himselfe for the deliuerance of his distressed ones.

Fiftly, Is this oft the estate of Gods children, Vse 5. that not in the sight of others only, but to their owne sense and feeling too, God seemeth to haue left them, and to haue cast them cleane off? And may it therefore, for ought we know, proue the estate of each of vs? For Cuivis potest ac­cidere, quod cuiquā potest. P. Syrus apud Sen. ad Marc. c. 9. & de tranquill. c. 11. nothing in this kinde befalleth one, but what may befall any: whose estate may not that be, that was [...]; Greg. Naz. ad Naz. perich [...]. DAVIDS once? yea rather that was DAVIDS oft? The conside­ration [Page 54] hereof then should stirre vs vp euery one to labour before hand to get good assurance of Gods fauour while we are free yet from such af­flictions, from such spirituall desertions. As Xe­nophon saith (and it was a good speech though of a meere naturall man,) That [...]. &c. Xe­noph. Cyripaed. l. 1. Ad quem locum re­spiciens Plut. de tranquill. [...]. Et Me­nand. [...]. Huc illud Ben-Syrae, Ho­nora medicum dum non indiges ejus, i. juxta Schol. Ebr. Cole & precare Deū priusquam ejus au­xilio tibi op▪ sit. Nā Iure venit cultos ad sibi quisque Deos. Ovid. Pont. 1. 3. Honora medicum dum sanus es, ut in [...] tibi li­bentius adsit. Sirac. 38. 1. [...]. Drūs. in [...]. & in B [...]n▪ S [...]. [...]. it stood rich men vpon to make God their friend in prosperitie, that [...] they might be sure to finde a friend of him in aduersi­tie. So it standeth vs vpon to get good assurance of Gods fauour and loue towards vs, while we are free from afflictions, that when they shall be­fall vs, wee may haue comfort of that assurance which formerly wee haue gotten. For it is with Gods children commonly in this case, as it is with one that hath receiued such a blow or wound on the head, as that though it be not deadly, nor depriueth him wholly of life, yet so astonisheth him for the time, that albeit he haue life in him with Acts 20. 10. Eutychus, yet he hath no sense of it: or as with one in a swoune; that discerneth not the light of the Sunne, though it shine full vpon him, nor can see ought, or take notice of those that stand about him and take paines with him. Or as it is with [...]. Greg. Naz. de P [...]e▪ 3. [...]. Idem [...] ­per. [...]. Idem in Heron. those that haue beene sea­sick, & are giddy when they come first ashore, al seemeth to turne round with them, and the earth it selfe to reele and roll vp and downe as the ship [Page 55] did. And euen so is it vsually with them at such times, though they haue spirituall life of grace in them, yet Accidit interdum ut Christum in no­bis sentiamus, qui sensus illicò nullus sit, Residet tamen in nobis, ut anima in corpore dormien­tis, licet nec ipsa, nec ulla ejus opera­tio sentiatur. Spin. de justit. Christ. they feele it not; ( Psal. 51. 10. Create in me, saith DAVID, O Lord, a new heart, as if all were to be begunne againe:) though they be in Gods fauour, yet they see it not; they are not able to discerne (there is such a mist ouer their eyes) the beames of Gods loue and fauour toward them, though it shine out brightly euen then full in their face, nor his prouident eye ouer them, and care of them, though euen then also it be wor­king about them for their benefit, as effectually as euer. [...]. Greg. Naz. de cathed. Constant. All seemeth to be shaken with them, euen Gods eternall loue it selfe toward them, though more firme than the pillers of heauen and earth it selfe are. It is no time therefore then for a man to take triall of his owne estate, when his thoughts and affections are so disturbed and distracted, as Psal. 13. 2. & 77. 2, 3. DAVID confesseth that it was with him at this time. But it is a [...]it▪time for him to make vse then of his former triall. For that man that hath before▪time taken sound triall of himselfe, and vpon due and diligent search, hath found himselfe to be in the estate of grace, and consequently in fauour with God; he may then yet take notice therefore, and reape comfort thereby, Non reputatione praesentium, sed re­cordatione praeteri­torum. not regarding what then for the pre­sent he feeleth, but remembring what vpon such enquirie hee hath formerly found; and assuring himselfe, since that Rom. 11. 29. the gifts and graces of God are without repentance; and that Semel electus, semper dilectus. once elected and euer beloued; for Iohn 13. 1. Whom God loueth once, he lo­ueth [Page 56] for euer; Malach 3. 6. he is no changeling in his loue; that therefore the grace that once he had is not vtter­ly gone, though he cannot now discerne it; nor the grace that he once was in with God is not vt­terly lost, though it be so concealed, that for the present he cannot now descrie it. And Mulier foetum conceptum non sem­per molitantem sen­tit▪ ubi tamen se­mel & iterum sen­s [...] praegnantem se esse non ambigit. Spin. de Iustit. Christ. & Taffin. Marks of Gods Children. cap. 4 as wo­men that goe with childe, when they haue some­time felt the childe stir in the wombe, do thereby know that they haue quickned, and haue truly conceiued, though they doe not alwaies so feele it. So if once we haue found vpon due and sound triall good assurance of Gods grace and fauour by the effectual and powerful worke of his good Spirit vpon our soules, and by the comfortable motions thereof in our hearts, though we haue not the like alwaies, (as He [...], Domine Deus, rarahora, & bre [...]is mora. Bern. in Cant. 23. Tenuis magis exhalatio, quam pinguis con­spersio. Ibid. 14. Sapit quidem sua­vissimè, sed gusta­tur rarissimè. Ib. 8. Alas, saith religious Bernard, they come but seldome with many a one, and when they doe come, they are soone gone againe) yet we may be assured that wee haue conceiued and are quickened, and that spirituall life is not gone againe, though we finde it not so sensibly to worke in vs at all times, yea the rather here may we build vpon it, as hauing far better assurance, than women can in such cases haue of the life of that they goe with; because that that is concei­ued in them being bred [...]. 1 Pet. 1. 23. of mortall and corrup­tible seed, though it haue beene quickened, yet Aliquis intra vi­scera Materna [...] pracocis fati tulit. Sen. The [...]. Iob 3. 16. Psal. 58. 8. may die and miscary, ere they be deliuered of it; whereas that that is by Gods word and his Spirit bred and conceiued in vs, being bred [...] 1 P [...]. 1. 23. of immortall and incorruptible seed, by the word of God that liueth and lasteth for euer, if it be once there [Page 57] conceiued, Renatus non de­nascitur. Si de Deo conceperis, certus erit partus tuus, non erit aborsus. Aug. de verb. Dom. 20. can neuer die nor decay againe, but 1 Pet. 1. 24, 25. [...]. Cle [...]. Alex. protrept. Quod de virtute Is [...] ad De­mon. [...], &c. endureth to eternitie, as he himselfe doth, by whose Spirit it is begotten and bred in vs. Or as one that hath at leasure times cast vp and ballan­ced his accounts, and brought all to one entire summe, is at any time readie, if on a sudden hee be called to a reckoning, though hee haue not time or leasure then amids many distractions o­therwise to runne ouer his reckonings, or to cast vp the particulars, yet to tell how things stand with him; [...]. it requireth no more but the bare reading, he need not stand to recount it, being sure that it was well and truly cast vp before: So hee that hath before-time truly tried his owne estate, and made his reckonings vp concerning the same with God and his word, may thereby know then how it standeth with him in regard of God, by calling to minde only the issue of his former examination, when by reason of disturbance and distraction through the violence of temptation, he shall haue little leasure or libertie to take any exact triall or proofe of it at the present.

Exceeding iniurious therefore are they herein to themselues, that deferre and put off the triall of their estate till such times; and by reason that then either their Nec litant, nec laetantur; qui non tempore suo sacrifi­cant. Vise Drus. proverb. class. 1. sacrifice affordeth no good signes, or they light on an euill Interpreter, that turneth all to the worst, by such their delay they misse then of much comfort, that otherwise they might haue had, if they had taken triall of them­selues and their estates in due time, but by means of their neglect thereof they are then depriued [Page 58] of, when they haue most need of it. And surely did men know before-hand what need they should haue, and what want they may finde of comfort in such cases, and how vnfit and vnapt they are like then to finde themselues for such imployments, they would be questionlesse more carefull to sift and examine themselues before such times of triall, and by good assurance of Gods grace and fauour gained before-hand, trea­sure vp some store of comfort that may then stand them in stead, when there shall be Exod. 16. 25, 26, 27. no Manna found abroad in the fields, nor such sweet 1 King. 17. 1. Ai­unt cochleas, cum sitiunt aeris, atque illis de coelo nihil illiquitur, succo pro­prio victit [...]re. Sym­mach. lib. 1. ep 27. Quasi cùm caletur, cochleae in occulto latent, Suo sibisucco vivunt, ros si non cadit. Plaut. Capt. 1. 1. dewes dropping downe vpon their drie and thirstie soules, as there hath done formerly. It is a wise and a prudent course, Prov. 6. 6, 7, 8. ▪ formicae farris a­cervos Depopulant, hyemis memores, te­ctoque reponunt. Virg. Aen. l. 4. Ore trahit, quodcunque potest, atque addit acervo, Quem stru­it haud ignara, ac non incauta futuri. Tum simul inver­sum contristat a­quarius annum, Nō usquam prorepit, & illis utitur ante Quaesitis. Horat. sat. 1. in Summer to lay vp against Winter; Ephes. 6. 11, 12, 13. [...]. [...]. [...]. [...]. 3▪ in time of peace to prouide for warre; and [...]. Plut. de iracund. [...]. Socrat. apud Stob. c. 3. [...]; Plut. ibid. before stormes come, for men to furnish themselues with such necessaries as they may then stand in need of. And it will be our best wisdome to get and lay vp such matter of comfort before-hand, that whensoeuer such times of trouble and triall shall come, we may▪ haue that at hand then, that may stand vs in stead, and not be driuen to seeke for it, when we should make vse of it, and shall finde it hard to come by, if we were not furnished with it before.

[Page 59]Sixtly, If God in such our afflictions and de­sertions Vse 6. doe not instantly answer vs, if hee send not comfort and deliuerance so soone as we call for it; if hee shall hide himselfe from vs, and seeme not willing to be found of vs so soone as euer we seeke him; (that which we doe not yet oft, when we seeme to doe) let vs take heed how we grow thereupon impatient. Let vs remember that God heareth vs, euen when Ne surdum agas. Psal. 83. 1. he seemeth to be deafe towards vs; Non exaudit ad voluntatem, ut ex­audiat ad salutem. Aug. in Psal. 90. & in 1 Ioan. 6▪ Hee heareth vs to our profit, though not to our pleasure; and to our behoofe, though not according to our desire: Deus & cùm dif­fert adest; & id quod differt, adest; & in eo quod dif­fert, adest. Ide alibi. He is present with vs, euen when he delayeth vs; yea hee is pre­sent with vs, in that he doth delay vs; and that is better then present with vs, that for the present is denied vs. [...]. Greg. Naz. adv. Eunom. 2▪ It is a point of mercy in him, that he is not so forward to shew mercy. There is no cause therefore for vs to be impatient, since that Hebr. 12. 10. all is for our good; yea Patience it selfe is good for vs; which hereby God doth not 1 Pet. 1. 7. Apoc. 14. 12. trie only and ex­ercise, but Rom. 5. 3. Iam. 1. 3. worke in vs, and enure vs vnto. And Lament. 3. 27, 28, 29. it is good for vs to learne quietly to beare Gods yoake, to sit downe by it, yea to lie downe vnder it, and thrust our mouth in the dust, assuring our selues that so doing we shall haue a good issue of it, and shall doe well in the end.

Luke 21. 19. Psal. 74. 12. O ser­ [...] illum beatum, [...] emendationi Dominus instat, cui dignatur irasci, quō admonendi dissimu­latione non decipit. Tertull. de bon▪ patient. Patience, I say, is for our good: But [...]. Pindar. Pyth. 2. [...]. Bion. Laert. Malum non posse ferre, non leve est malum. Perdidisti tot mala, si nondum misera esse didicisti. Sen. ad Helv. c. 3. by im­patiencie there is no good to be gotten. It will be but [Page 58] [...] [Page 59] [...] [Page 60] a meanes [...] to make God lay harder and [...]er things on vs▪ when we begin to grow impatient vnder his hand. As a discreet Father, when his sonne shall take pet at some small matter that his father hath crossed him in▪ may well thereupon take occasion, yea and many times doth, to giue him some further and greater cause of discon­te [...], [...]o bring him thereby to know himselfe and his dutie, and to teach him to rest content with that that his father will ha [...]e: [...]. Euseb. aepud Stob. cap. 123. [...]. Aesc [...]l. Pro­m [...]. So when God sen­deth small [...]r and lighter crosses, and men waxe wa [...]pish and waiwa [...]d under them, God is wont to second them with greater and weightier affli­ctions, to worke patience into them▪ and to enure them to the yoake▪ which being V [...]on est [...] ­mentum [...], [...], [...] sui [...] obs [...]qui. Sen. de ira. lib. 3. cap. 16. [...] sed [...] fi [...] [...], Quicquid c [...]rrigere est [...]fas. Horat▪ c [...]. 1. 24. Posse pati facile est, tibi ni patientia desit. Ovid. rem [...]d. lib. 2. Nam Pati [...] quis­quis novit pati, pe­p [...] vir [...]s, [...] mali. Sen. Her. Oct. patiently borne, will become lighter vnto vs, and may the sooner in all likelihood be remoued from vs, ha­uing taken [...] that lesson that God thereby would learne vs. Whereas [...] by impatience it will but grow more grieuous vnto vs, as [...] the sh [...]e is to the fowle, that by fluttring and strai­ning makes the string straiter, to her greater tor­ [...], and yet is neuer the nearer getting out [Page 61] againe; as the yoake is to the beast, that [...] ut Theo­phyl. ep. 41. Nul­lum tam arctum est jugum, quod non minus laedat ducen­tem quàm repug­nantem. Sen. de iro. lib. 3. cap. 16. by stri­uing and strugling with it, hath galled her necke, and yet is compelled to draw still in it, with more paine then from her owne folly, than from the weight of it, or of that that shee draweth in it: And we shall but thereby procure to our selues the more euill; as Gravis quoque febrium vis tole­rando minuitur, [...] auge [...]r. idem ibid. the sick-man in a burning feuer, while by tossing and tumbling to and fro, he seeketh to finde ease, doth but exasperate the disease, and encrease his owne griefe.

Let vs beware therefore of impatience; But let vs take heed especially, how any length of af­flictions Vse 7. maketh vs once thinke of leauing God, or of seeking with Saul to Satan, by putting our hands vnto wickednesse, or vsing indirect cour­ses, for the saluing and easing or releeuing of our selues. It was the Deuils policie that he vsed, but without successe, with our Sauiour; Matth. 4. 3, 4. to beare him in hand that his Father had cast off all care of him, thereby to perswade him to depend no lon­ger vpon his prouidence, who if he did loue him or regard him, would not so suffer him to starue. And it is one of the slights that euen to this day he vseth oft with Gods seruants, thereby in time of affliction to withdraw them from relying on God, who seemeth not to looke after them, as if they were sure to perish, if they shifted not for themselues, but trusted still to him, that had no care at all of them. And howsoeuer by this en­gine he preuailed not with our Sauiour, yet by it with many other, too many, too oft he preuailes, and maketh them commit much folly. For while [Page 62] Esai. 28. 16. through weaknesse of faith, and want of pati­ence, Non praefes [...]inabit, i. ex impatientia & infidelitate non ad res praesentes confu­giet, nec festinatione praepropera Deum antevertet. Iun. they are loth to wait Gods good leasure, and desirous to be rid, in all haste, of the present affliction, they put their hand oft to such courses as produce fearefull effects, and vse such sory shifts for the releeuing of themselues▪ as doe but plunge them further and deeper into such a laby­rinth of euils, as they are many times neuer able to get out of againe. So that it fareth with them, as with Natare nescij, ubi demerg [...] sesentiunt, temerè quicquid oc­currit, vitae cupidi retinendae arripi­unt. Cyrill. Alex. epist. 29. persons vnskilfull in swimming, that hauing ventured past their depth, and being in danger now of drowning, while hastily and in­considerately they catch at what commeth next hand, to saue themselues with, lay hold oft on weeds, that doe but entangle them, and draw them deeper vnder water, and there keepe them downe from euer getting vp againe, till they be (that which by such meanes they [...]ought to pre­uent) indeed drowned. This subtill slight of Sa­tan we must be carefull in these cases to discouer, and say to our selues, when such things shall be suggested vnto vs: Psal. 77. 10. This is but my weaknesse, or Satans wickednesse: Lament. 3. 31, 32. Non deserit, etiamsi deserere videatur. Aug. in Psal. 44. & Greg. Mor. l. 5. c. 5. God I know hath not left me, though he may seeme not to looke after me. Deut. 8. 2. & 13. 3, 4. Hee now trieth me whether mine heart be vpright with him or no; whether I will cleaue constantly to him, though hee d [...]e nothing but crosse mee, and abide still with him, though he seeme wholly to neglect me; or whether I will leaue him, and giue ouer adhering vnto him, if he doe not vse mee as I would that hee should. And therefore I will resolue, that I may not proue vnsound, to keepe constantly with him and not [Page 63] hearken to Satan, nor yeeld to such indirect courses, as by him shall be suggested, for the procuring either of ease or of deliuery, whatsoeuer shall come of it.

Such constancie shall seale vp vnto vs our sin­ceritie; and shall not want with God a rich and a royall reward. For hee that shall so continue depending vpon God, when all humane helpes shall faile him, and all lawfull meanes of releefe; choosing rather to endure griefe and paine all his life long, and to liue a life more bitter than death it selfe, than to make triall of any vnlawfull course to procure ease and releefe; such a man so dying, saith Chrysostome, [...]. Chry­sost. cont. Iud. ora [...]. 5 Male interpres, Proximo post mar­tyres loco consistet. shall haue his place in heauen among the Martyrs; yea such a one is no other then [...]. Idem ibid. [...]. Ibid. Non martyrium sola san­guinis effusio con­summat; nec sola dat palmam [...] illa flammarum. Aug. de Sanct. 46. Multi ducunt mar­tyrium in lecto, &c. Idem de divers. 39. vise & Chrysoft. in 1 Thess. homil. 3. a Martyr indeed▪ hee is as good a Martyr as he that leaueth his head on the block, or is burnt to ashes at a stake for the testimonie of Gods truth, and the keeping of a good con­science. All the difference betweene the one and the other is this; that to the one it is said, Deny Christ, or thou shalt die; to the other it is said, Doe euill, or thou shalt liue wretchedly, thou shalt liue a life little better, if not worse, than death. He is once for all a Martyr, that will rather endure the one; he is oft, yea euery day a Martyr, as Paul saith of him­selfe, that 1 Cor. 15. 31. [...]. Chrysoft. in Psal. 95. & cont. Iud. 5. he died daily, that chooseth rather to vndergoe the other. Too prone wee are Ier. 2. 31. to stray from God, when he vseth vs well, when he dea­leth louingly with vs: but a most blessed thing it is, when our hearts are so linked to him, that we will not stir an inch from him, though he seeme to carrie himselfe neuer so harshly towards vs.

[Page 64]Lastly, Would we haue God in these cases to Vse 8. remember vs? let vs be carefull then to remem­ber him; yea let vs then learne to remember our selues. Let vs take heed how we forget him, if we would not haue him to forget vs: for Deut. 32. 15, 18. Hosh. 4. 6. & 8. 14. Zech. 12 7, 13. our forgetfulnesse of him, and our dutie to him, is for the most part the cause that moueth him to forget vs. As indeed Quid est quod nos queramur de Deo, cum Deus mo­gis queri de nobis omnibus possit? quae ratio est ut doleamꝰ nos non audiri à Deo, cum ipsi Deum non audiamus? & susurremus non re­spici à Deo terras, cum ipsi non respici­amus ad coelum? & molestum sit despici à Domino preces no­stras, cum praecepta ejus despieiantur à nobis? quid digni­us? quid justius? non audivimus, non audimur: non re­spe [...]imus, non respi­cimur. Salvian. de provid. lib. 3. what can be more iust, or what more equall, than for God to forget vs, when we forget him, and to neglect vs, when we regard not him; to refuse to heare vs, when wee refuse to heare him? Or how can wee with any colour complaine of the one, when we are guil­tie of the other? Yea when God seemeth to haue forgotten vs, if we would haue him againe remember vs, Psal. 22. 27. Apoc. 2. 5, 4. Ezech. 36. 31. Deut. 30. 1, 2. Let not vs then be backward to remember our selues: But let vs apply our selues to make a right vse of the crosse; helpe to further the effect of it, doe not crosse or hinder the worke of it. The more speedie successe Gods hand hath with vs, the sooner it is like to be re­moued away from vs. Psal. 32. 3, 4. De­sin [...] dissimulare. De­us crudelius urit, Qi [...]s videt invitos succubuisse [...]ibi. Ti­bull. [...]leg. 1. 8. Cedā aculeo, ne bi [...] pun­g [...]r. Bern. de divers. 20. DAVIDS strugling with it, and hanging backe, and refusing to yeeld to that that God thereby required of him, was a meane to continue it the longer vpon him, and to put him to the more paine. And this vndoub­tedly is one maine cause of the long continuance of many euils, that Multi [...] & [...] non su [...] Bern [...] Cant. 34. men are humbled, as Ber­nard speaketh, and yet are not humble; Plectimur à Deo, nec [...]ectimur tamen: corripimur, sed non corrigmur. Salvian. de provid. l. 5. Non cessant vitia civi [...]m usque ad excidia civitatum. Prius est interire quàm corrigi: Prius ipsos quàm in ipsos vitia non esse. Ibid. Multo facilius fregeris, quàm flexeris. Buchan. Bapt. they will [Page 65] breake in sunder, ere they will bow or bend vn­der Gods hand. Let vs apply our selues there­fore to that which by the crosse God requireth of vs, if we desire to haue the crosse remoued a­gaine away from vs.

Now this that we may doe:

First, Wee must endeuour to enquire and Meanes 1. finde out the cause of the crosse, and the ground of Gods auersion of his face away from vs. Languorum nul­lus inven [...]et mede­las, nisi prius mor­borum cognoverit causas. Origen. in Rom. l. 1. Non potest scire quomod [...] mor­bos curare conve­niat, qui unde [...]i sint ignorat. Corn. Cels. de remed. l. 1. Absque causarū ob­servatione morbos nec praecavere, nec curare licet. Fernel. patholog. l. 7. c. 11. A disease can neuer be well cured, till the cause of it be discouered: Nor can we take any right course for the remouall of a crosse, vnlesse that that hath procured it be in some sort disco­uered. Mica 6. 9. The voice of the Lord, saith the Pro­phet Micah, crieth vnto the Citie. God by his iudgements preacheth not verball, but reall Sermons vnto vs. [...]. Basil. Sel. ho­mil. 5. Hee preacheth euen with­out preaching, as Basil speaketh. As he is said Psal. 50. 21. Esai. 42. 14. Quid est, Tacui? non judicavi, non vindicavi. Non ta­cet in verbo; tacet in vindicta, tacet in verbere. Aug. in Ps. 74. & 93. & 100. & in Ioan. tr. 4 & homil. 2. to hold his peace, though hee doe speake, when he doth not punish; so is he said to preach, though he speake not, when he doth punish. Esai. 26. 9. & 28. 19. His very Iudgements are reall Sermons of reformation and repentance. They haue a voice, saith the Pro­phet: But euery one vnderstandeth not this voice: Quomodo Bern. in Cant. 79. Graece loquentem non intelligit, qui Graecam non norit, nec Latinè loquentem, qui Latinus non est. Sic lingua amoris ei qui non amat, [...]arbara est, sicut aes sonans, aut cymba­lum tinniens. They speake in a strange language to many, to the most; as Act. 9. 7. cum 22. 9. Ita conciliat post Calvinum Piscator; melius, puto, quàm Chrysoft. Theophyl. Oecum. Lyra, Hugo, Beza, alij, qui ad Pauli vocem coactius referunt. Pauls companions, when Christ spake to him, they heare a noise and no more.

[Page 66] Psal. 2. 6. [...]. Heraclit. apud Cle­ment in protrept. & Theodor. de cu­rend. Graec. l. 1. The foolish, saith the Psalmist, conceiue it not, and the brutish vnderstand it not. But Mica 6. 9. a man of wis­dome, the wise man, saith the Prophet, knoweth what it meaneth. And as the Psal mist speaketh of Gods workes of mercie; Psal. 107. 43. Who so is wise to obserue these things, such shal vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord: So of his workes of Iudge­ment saith Ieremie, Ier. 9. 12. Who so is wise to vnderstand these things, to him the Mouth of God speaketh, and he is able to declare what this Voice of God saith. And of both of them the Prophet Hoshe, Hosh. 4. 10. Who so is wise, will vnderstand these things: and who so is of vnderstanding, will know that the Lords waies are Esai. 26. 7, 10. Ezech. 18. 25. strait and euen, and the iust shall walke in them, but the wicked shall fall in them. To vse Chrysostomes comparison, yea and Augustines too; [...], &c. Chrysost. in 1 Cor. hom. 7. Lay you a booke open before a childe, or one that cannot reade, he may gaze & stare on it, but he can make no vse of it, because he vnder­standeth nothing at all in it. But bring it to one that can reade, and that vnderstandeth the lan­guage it is written in, and he can reade you many stories or instructions out of it. It is as dumbe and silent to the one; it speaketh to, and talketh with the other. In like manner is it with Dei opera admi­randa qui non aspicit tantum, sed. & intelligit, quasi legit. Aliter enim videtur pictura, aliter videntur literae. Picturam cùm videris, hoc est totum vidisse, laudasse. Liter as cùm videris, commoneris eas & legere: quod si fortè non nosti, Quid putamus, inquis, esse, quod hîc scriptum est? Interrogas quid sit, cùm jam videas aliquid. Sed aliud tibi demonstratur us est, à quo quaeris agnoscere quod vidisti. Alios ille oculos habet, alios tu. Apices similiter videtis; non similiter signa cogn [...]vistis. Tu vides & laudas; ille videt & laudat, legit & intelligit. Aug. in loan. 24. Gods Iudgements, as Augustine also well applieth it: all sorts of men see them, but few are able aright [Page 67] to reade them, or to vnderstand them what they say.

But what is it that the wise man is by them ad­monished? Surely, Mica 6. 9. to listen to the Rod, saith Micah; and quis accersat. Iun. who, or what it is that hath procured it: to enquire, saith Ieremie, what is the cause, Ier. 9. 12. why the Land is spoiled, and lieth burnt vp like a wilde wildernesse, that no man passeth thorow; that is, to search out the cause of the present crosse. To which purpose also Gods people in the time of their captiuitie, Lam. 3. 40. Let vs search, say they, and sift out our workes and our waies. They had before entered into some discourse and dispute with themselues, what might be the cause of that their calamitie. And first they lay downe this for an vndoubted and vndeniable position, That Amos 3. 6. Quic­quid malorum poe­narumve perpeti­mur, censura est di­vinae manus. Sal­vian. de provid. l. 8. Quicquid patimur venit ex al [...]o. Sen. Oed. 5. 2. there is no euill that befalleth any, either person or people, but the Lord hath his hand in it. Lam. 3. 37, 38. Dare a­ny man, say they, say, that Matth. 10. 29. ought commeth to passe, and the Lord hath not appointed it? Doth not [...]. Homer. Odyss. 6. both good and euill come out of his mouth? But what then? Doth God as Hebr. 12. 10. earthly fathers doe, who in an idle humour sometime correct their children without cause? Or Lam. 3. 34. doth God take pleasure in stamping vpon his people, and in vexing and grie­uing of them? No: Lam. 3. 33. hee doth not willingly, or from the heart punish, and afflict the sonnes of men. Est placidus fa­cilisque pater, ve­niaeque paratus; Et qui fulmineo saepe sine igne tonat. Qui cum triste aliquid statuit, fit tristis & ipse: Cuiq, fere poe­nam sumere poen [...] sua est. Ovid. Pont. 2. 2. Est piger ad poenas Deus, est ad praemia velox. Qui­que dolet quoties co­gitur esse ferox. Multa metu poenae, poenâ qui pauca co­ercet: Et jacet i [...] ­vitâ fulmina rara manu. Ibid. 1. 3. Torqueris ipse, cum tam lenis trasceris. Plin. epist. 21. l. 9. It is a griefe to him to be grieuous vnto vs; it is a paine to him to be punishing of vs. It goeth as much against the heart with him to afflict, as it goeth against the haire with vs to be afflicted. Why but, what is the cause then that he dealeth [Page 68] so harshly with vs, that hee carieth himselfe so austerely towards vs? Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore is the liuing Man afflicted? Man suffereth for his sinne. Lam. 3. 42. Victa tamen vitio est hu­jus clementia no­stro: Et venit ad vires ira coacta su­as. Ovid. Pont. 2. 2. Ergò llum demens in me sevire coegi, Mitius imm [...]sus quo nihil orbis ha­bet. Idem trist. 4. 8. Nunc quoque nil fecit, nisi quod fa­cere ipse coegi. Nec min▪ infestus, quam fuit, esse potest. Idē de Pont. 1. 3. Exa­cerbamus Deum im­puritatibus nostris, & ad puniendos nos tra [...]imus invitum. Salvian. de provid. l. 4. c. 5. We haue sinned and rebelled against him: and hee hath not spared vs. Deus bonus de suo, saevus de nostro. Tertull. de resurr. [...]. Basil. Caes. homil. 8. [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 6. God is good of himselfe; hee hath his harshnesse from vs; it is our corruption that requireth it. Crudelein medicum intemperans aeger facit. P. Syr. A disordered patient maketh a cruel Physitian. By our disordered courses, Esai. 27. 4. Ier. 7. 19. Cùm ejus nature sit mens Dei atque majestas ut nulla iracundi [...] passione moveatur; tenta tamen in nobis petcatorū exacerbatio est, ut per nos cogatur irasci. Vim, ut ita dixerim, facimus pie ati suae, ac manus quodaminodo afferimus misericordi [...] suae. Cùm ejus [...] sit, ut velit nobis jugiter par­cere, cogitur malis nostris scelera quae admittimus vindicare▪ Salvia [...]. de provid lib. 4. cap. 5. wee en­force him to anger, in whom anger is not; and euen wrest and wring that from him, that in some sort is not in him. Ierem. 30. 14. Therefore, saith hee, haue I smit­ten thee with the wounds of an enemie, for the mul­titude of thine iniquities, and because thy transgres­sions are grieuous. What these sinnes of theirs therefore were, doe they desire and purpose to make Lam. 3. 40. Search, that so comming to vnderstand the true cause of their calamitie, they may set vp­on some course for meanes of recouery. And in like manner ought we to doe vpon the like occa­sions, say as Iob doth; Iob 10. 2. Non sententiam causatur, sed causam scruta­tur, erud [...]ri flagellis petens non erai. Bern. in Cant. 33. Percussionis verbera acceperat, & cau­sas verberum nesciebat. Greg. mor. l. 23. c. 17. Quamvis peccatorem se sentiat & fateatur▪ non cognoscit tamen pro qua specialiter culpâ percutitur. Ibid. l. 9. c. 34. Vise sis eundem ibid. c. 30. & Isidor. de sum. bon. l. 3. c. 2. Shew me, O Lord, or make knowne to me, wherefore thou contendest with me: doe as DAVID did, when in Israel they had had a long time of dearth; 2 Sam. 21. 1. He went to aske [Page 69] of God for what cause it might be: make a search into, take surueigh of our hearts and our liues; la­bour, as Salomon speaketh, 1 King. 8. 38. to finde out the plague, the cause of it at least, in our hearts, and in our courses.

And for our better furtherance herein we may Consider at. 6. consider,

1. What sinnes especially God hath in his Consider. 1. Word threatned such Iudgements against, as are present on vs, or any part of his Church. For if such sinnes bee now found rife or reigning a­mong vs, there is iust cause to suspect that Fidē verbis ver­bera facuant. Greg. in Euang. 37. God by such Iudgements doth make good his Word; Ioh 33. 16. Ezech. 12. 22, 24, 25, 28. & 5. 13. & 6. 10. sea­leth vp the Truth of it; and thereby sheweth, that Deut. 32. 47. Non sunt vane mine do­minic [...]. Polan. in Malac. 1. His menaces are not vaine, or vneffectuall; that Ierem. 5. 12, 13, 14. his Prophets words, as the prophane people sometime spake, are not [...]. Plut. de and. Translatum ab [...]vis irritis, ex qui­bus nihil gignitur, quae [...] Graeci vocant. Plin. hist. nat. l. 10. c. 58. quidam & vento ea putant generari, qua de causa etiam [...] appellantur. Ibid. c. 60. Sed & [...]. Plato in Theaet. windie. Consider. 2.

2. What sinnes God hath formerly inflicted the like plagues for on others: which if these times be found to imitate those in, it may well bee dee­med, that Ier. 7. 14. Quid miramur, si paria perpetimur, qui paria perpetramus? Bern. de consid. l. 2. God in Iustice, as hee findeth vs like them in practise, so he maketh vs like them in punish­ment; as he findeth the like sinnes among vs, so Consider. 3. he powreth the like plagues vpon vs; as hee sin­deth vs sicke of the same sores, so hee plieth vs with the same plaisters.

3. How we haue abused those things, or our selues in those things, wherein or whereby God doth punish vs. For there is oft an Analogie and [Page 70] a proportion betweene mens practises and Gods pu­nishments, betweene their transgressions and his Iudgements. Looke Wisd. 11. 13. In quibus peccamus, in eisdem plectimur. [...]. Dion Chrysoft. orat. 55. wherein men offend, therein vsually are they punished. And blessings abused are turned oft into curses, as Exod. 4. 3. the staffe sometime into a Serpent, [...]. Greg. Naz. [...]rat. 6. that men may be crossed and plagued in those things, which they were not thankfull for, or vsed not well, when they were blessed in them. 1 King. 1. 6. 2 Sam. 18. 5. DAVID was too indulgent a Father to his children, and he smarted shrewdly for it in 2 Sam. 13. 14. Ammons rape of Tamar, 2 Sam. 13. 28, 29. Absoloms murther of Ammon, and both 2 Sam. 15. 10, 12. Absoloms, and afterwards 1 King. 1. 5, 9, 11. Adoniaes rebellion. Hosh. 2. 8, 9. When Gods people a­bused those temporall blessings of gold and sil­uer, corne and wine, wooll and flax, that hee had bestowed on them, God threatneth to returne, and take them againe away from them. And in like manner he threatneth them, when they obserued not his Sabbaths, that Levit. 26. 35. their Land, during their captiuitie, should rest and lye waste vntilled and vn­toiled, because it rested not on their Sabbaths, when they dwelt in it: As also that because they set light by the word of God when they had it, hee would Amos 8. 5, 11. send a famine of hearing it, when they should be constrained to seeke farre and neere for, and yet not finde that, which they then refused when they might haue had it, or made no reckoning of, when in great plentie they had it: And Deut. 28. 47, 48. because they did not serue the Lord their God with a good will, and with a cheerefull heart in the abundance of all things; they should therefore serue their enemies, which hee should send vpon them, in hunger, and [Page 71] thirst, and nakednesse, and want of all things: And Ier. 5. 19. as they had serued strange gods in their owne Land, so they should serue strangers in a Land that was not their owne. Consider. 4.

4. How we may haue beene faultie towards others, in those things that wee now suffer our selues. For Esai. 33. 1. Ier. 30. 16. Quod quis (que) fecit, patitur: au­torem scelus Repe­tit; suoque premi­tur exemplo nocens. Sen. Herc. fur. 3. 2. Quae scelere parta est, scelere linquetur domus. Idem Med. 1. - ferox Theseus qualem Minoidi lu­ctū Obtulerat mente immemori, talē ipse recepit. Claud. nupt. Pel. & Thet. there is a iust retaliation oft in such cases with God. And Deut. 19. 19, 21. Iam. 2. 13. there is nothing more equall than such requitals. 2 Sam. 12. 10, 11. DAVID abuseth the wife of Vriah; and 2 Sam. 16. 22. his owne sonne abuseth his in the same sort. 2 Sam. 12. 9, 10. He slayeth Vriah▪ himselfe with the sword; and for the slaughter of Vriah the sword haunteth his house. Iudg. 1. 6, 7. Adoni-bezeks cruelty on those that hee had conquered, was requited with the like, executed through Gods iust iudge­ment on him by those into whose hands he fell: and euen he himselfe acknowledgeth the equitie Consider. 5. of it. And Exod. 22. 22, 24. Tolerabilius est siquis patiatur quod fecerit. Mira­mur sinos barba [...]i capiunt, cum fratres nostros nos fatiamus captivos? Diu id oppressione pluri­morum elaboravimus, ut captivando alios etiam ipsi incipiamus esse captivi. Sentimus enim quae fecimus; ac labores manuum nostrarum manducamus; & justo judice Deo solvimus quae debe­mus. Miserti exulum non sumus; ecce ipsi sumus exules. Peregrinos fraude cepimus; ecce ipsi peregrinamur. Praejudicijs alios circumvenimus; ipsi praejudicia nunc timemus. Salvian. de provid. lib. 5. God threatneth such as oppresse poore widowes and orphans, That their wiues shal be [...]. Pindar. Nem. 4. [...]. Non est iniuria pati, quod prior feceris. Sen. de ira, l. 2. c. 30. Qui praedo vult esse, me­ritò fit praeda. Aug. in Psal. 38. - neque enim lex justior ulla, Quam necis artifices arte pe­rire sua. Ovid. art. 1. [...]. Pythagor. an Rhadamanth. Aristot. Ethie. l. 5. c. 5. widowes, and their children orphans.

5. What neglects or euill acts being faultie in them, we haue beene admonished of, or checked for, either publikely in the Ministry of the Word▪ or priuately by good offices of friends or others, [Page 72] yea or inwardly by the voice of our owne heart, or the motions and suggestions of Gods Spirit, and yet we haue not regarded to amend and re­forme. For it is an vsuall thing with God, when his Word taken not place, nor preuaileth with vs, A verbis ad ver­bera progreditur. Esai. 50. 1, 2. Ier. 26. 3, 4, 5. to second it with the Rod, as thereby Ut fidem verbis verbera faciant, dū corporis plagae testes sunt veritatis & culpae. Greg. in E­uang. 37. to seale vp and confirme the truth of it; so Esai. 28. 19. Vex­atio intellectum dat [...]uditui; quia tunc peccator intelligit quod audivit, cùm se jam pro contem­ptu vexari d [...]luerit. Greg. mor. l. 15. c. 22. to make vs the more attentiue vnto it. He doth as Absolom did with Ioab, 2 Sam. 14. 30, 31. when he would not come at him, hauing sent once or twice for him, he caused his seruants to set his corne on fire, and then com­meth Ioab to him without further sending for, to know what he would with him, and why he had so serued him. And so, saith Elihu, doth God; Iob 33. 14-22. he calleth vpon men many times to breake off their bad courses, either by outward admoniti­ons, or by inward suggestions; [...]. Basil Caes homil. 12. which when Consider. 6. men regard not, he layeth some affliction vpon them, that continueth with them, and sticketh by them, till it haue Aures p [...]na aperit, qua [...] voluptas clauserat. opened their eares that were stopt before, and pulled downe their pride, or taken downe their stomack, and made them to say with Saul strucken downe to the ground, Domine, quid vis faciam▪ Act. 9. 6. Lord, what is it that thou wouldest haue mee to doe?

6. How we haue abused, as wel Gods Iudgments, as his Mercies; how wee haue either refused or [Page 73] neglected to hearken as well to the sound of Gods R [...]d as to the Voice of his Word; what afflictions haue formerly been inflicted on vs, whereof little or no vse at all hath beene made by vs. For that is also vsually Gods manner, when men profit not by such crosses as hee hath formerly exercised them with, Ier. 5. 3, 6. Esai. 9. 17-20. Hosh. 5. 12, 13, 14. Amos 4. 6-12. to proceed from shorter to some of longer continuance, from milder to sharper courses. He dealeth with the sonnes of men, as the Physitian doth with his patient; Si malum morbi fortius cr [...]erit, ma­jora remedia quae­runtur, & prosalu­te hominis [...] fortius se medicina opponit: [...]speri [...]ibi, potus ingeruntur a­mari: Et si conv [...] ­luerit malum, & ignis [...] & ferrum. Firmi [...]. de error. Gentil. who when he findeth that the potion which hee hath giuen his patient will not worke with him, hee secon­deth it with some stronger purge; when he per­ceiueth the disease to be so setled, that sudden courses will not serue, hee prescribeth him a course of some longer continuance. So our Saui­our [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 6. [...]. Ibid. fore-warned the poore man, whom hee had healed, That Iohn 5. 14. if hee sinned againe, some worse matter would befall him: his not profiting by the former, would procure vnto him some further, some farre heauier crosse. And Levit. 26. 18, 27, 28, &c. God threat­neth his People, that if lighter matters would not amend them, he would lay harsher and heauier things on them, till they were euen in a manner wasted and consumed with all.

Secondly, what we finde our selues thus faul­tie Meanes 2. in, we should endeuour to reforme. As wee must labour to finde out the cause of the euill, and what hath turned Gods face from vs; so should wee withall labour to remoue the same, [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 22. Ut sublata caussa [...]lla­tur effectus. that the Cause being taken away, the effect also may cease; and that Gods face that is now tur­ned [Page 74] from vs may bee turned againe toward [...] [...] ▪ For this should bee the end of our search, to dis­couer what is amisse▪ and this the end of our discouerie, to amend and remoue the euill disco­uered, either in our hearts or in our liues. Dolos [...] quaerit, qui ti [...]t invenire quod qu [...]rit. Sunt enim qui iniquitatē suam quasi [...]antur quae­rere & timent in­venire. Qui quia dolosè agebant ut invenirent, ubi in­venerint, non ade­runt. Si enim non dolosè sed sincerè agerent, quod in­venerunt [...]dissent. Aug. in Psal. 35. O­therwise our search is but vaine and friuolous, and our inquirie vnsincere. Yea, better were it for vs neuer to haue beene so forward to search, if wee bee not as forward to redresse, what vpon search wee haue found to bee otherwise than well with vs. It must needs aggrauate wrath, when we are shewed, or see what is amisse, and are not care­full to amend.

Lam. 3. 40. Let vs search and try our wayes, say they, and returne vnto the Lord: (as DAVID of him­selfe, Psal. 119. 59. I considered my wayes, and turned my feet▪ vnto thy paths, wherevpon such consideration, I found that I had swarued from them:) And then Lam. 3. 41. Explorandum, Deplorandum, Implorandum. A [...]sted. System. Theol. Let vs lift vp our hearts with our hands vnto the Lord our God in heauen. A [...] if it were to no end for them to seeke vnto God▪ by prayer, till they had pulled downe Esai. 59. 2. Pec­cata sola separant inter hoies & Deū. Aug. de pecc. m [...]r. l. 1. c. 20. T [...]llatur er­gò de m [...]dio quod interest, & pax est. Bern. in Cant. 4. the partition wall that [...] betweene them and him; and hindred their suits from getting accesse to him, or obtaining successe with him: vntill they had, as searched out▪ so reformed and remoued such euils, as vpon their search had presented themselues to their fight, and as came to view vpon this their suru [...]igh. And indeed till this course bee taken, Orans & non o­perans, iram non placat, sed provecat. Greg. mor. l. 18. c. 3. it i [...] [...]o small purpose to pray. It is [...] [...]llum pro­ficit medicamentū, si adhuc serrum in [...] [...]it; ita ni [...]il pro­ficit [...] illius, cu­ [...] [...] in [...], vel [...] in pectore. [...]. desum. [...]. l. 3. c. 7. as if the person pric­ked or wounded should cry and call vpon the Surgion to haue some case of his paine, but [Page 75] would not endure to haue the splinter or the ar­row-head pulled out that sticketh fast in his flesh, and causeth his griefe: or as if people should pray to God to stay the rage and furie of the bur­ning, when an house or towne is on fire, and themselues the meane while powre on oyle, or throw on fuell to the fire. This God himselfe noteth, as the maine cause of the continuance of his heauie hand vpon his people, Ierem. 3. 4, 5. Thou criedst, saith he, vnto me; O my Father, and the Guide of my youth, Non sic abibunt odia? vivaces aget Violentus ira [...] ani­mus? & savus do­lor Aeterna bella pace sublatâ geret? Sen. Here. fur. 1. 1. Wilt thou retaine thy wrath alwayes? wilt thou be angrie for euer? This thou sayedst; but thou diddest euill more and more still. And, Hosh. 7. 14. They houle to mee on their beds for their corne and their wine; but they rebell against me still. And againe; Esal. 9. 12, 13. Therefore is not the wrath of God yet turned away, but his hand is stretched out still; because the people turne not to him that smiteth them; nor are turned away from their sinnes. And surely so long indeed there is no hope of preuailing with God; Psal. 66. 18. If I see iniquitie in mine heart, saith DAVID, (and Iob 20. 12, 13. be loth to leaue it;) or, If with my heart Aspicitur in cor­de iniquitas, cum mentis oculis placet. Quae enim diligi­mus, libenter aspi­cere solemus. Ruffin. in Psal. 65. Quid est videre, nist inde­sinenter [...] videre per [...], sed videre per appe­titum. Greg. mor. l. 22. c. 3. Conspicere ut acceptetur, quod despici dignum est ut [...]. Aug. in Psal. 65. I looke after it, (as we are wont to looke after such things as we loue and delight in, and are not willing to for­goe;) the Lord will neuer heare any prayer of mine that I make to him. As Oli [...] ▪ offensum sentimus, nec placa­mus Deam; nec [...]m­putam' causas mor­bi, ut morbus pariter auferatur. Hieron. epit. Nep [...]t. Medi­cus quando agritu­dinem discutit, si curet quod per aliquam causam factum est, & ipsam causam per quam factum est non curet, ad tempus videtur mederi, sed causa manente morbus repetitur. Aug. in Ioan. 25. Purget humorem, detrahat causam, & non erunt ulcera. Ibid. the cause therefore of the disease must be remoued, (and it can bee dealt with til it be discouered) ere there can be any sound cure of the disease, or such as shall constantly con­tinue: [Page 76] So our sinnes [...] be r [...]oued that [...] Gods face and fauour from [...]s▪ and withdraw▪ his regard of vs, ere wee can hope to haue his carri­age towards vs altred for the better▪ or any end of our present euils. Poenas peccatorū suorum pl [...]rimi per­ferunt; & intelli­gere causas poenarū nemo dig [...]atur. Cau­sa est, quia & si jam aliqua patiamur, n [...]dum tamen pa­timur, qua [...]iā mere­mur. Agnoscere nos Deus peccata nostra mavult quàm susti­nere, & o [...]tendere potius quid [...] ▪ mur▪ quam [...] quod meremur. Ille invitat ad [...]: nos [...] of­fensa [...]. Vim Deo f [...] ­cimus [...]: ira [...] i [...] nos [...] arma­m [...]: N [...]lentem [...] cogimus▪ par­ [...] [...]. de [...] ▪ Wee enforce him to con­tinue his hard dealing with [...]s while wee doe o­therwise, we restraine him from doing that, that of himselfe otherwise hee would doe, and is of himselfe in his owne nature most ready and wil­ling vnto, did not wee ourselues with hold him from it. So that while we continue still in our [...] and excesses, our owne practise crosseth and hin­dreth the effect and fruit of our prayers; and we are like those Heathen, of whom the Cy [...]icke ob­serued, that [...] [...] ap [...]d [...] ▪ 6. Q [...]d [...]. ap [...]d [...]. cap. 18. [...] d­ [...] [...] [...]. they prayed indeed to their Gods for health; but at the very [...] when they so did, they vsed such excesse [...]s could not but greatly impaire health, and so wilfully depriued themselues of that that they prayed for▪

Thirdly, that we may [...] [...]. [...]. because [...] heart i [...] not i [...] our [...] ▪ Ier [...]. [...]. 23. nor is it [...] Meanes 3. power to direct his owne paths▪ Psal. 90. 11. Ier. 5. 3. & [...]. [...]0. no [...] are [...] able of themselues to effec [...] [...] in vs▪ o [...] to worke good on vs without the aid of Gods Spi­rit working together with them [...] [...] should [...] earnest with God by prayer, that [...]e [...] be [...] ­sed, Psal. 25▪ 4, 5. & [...]6. 11. [...] ▪ 1 [...]. as he doth correct vs, so [...] to [...] vs; Psal. 90. 7, 8, 9, 12. as hee sendeth [...], [...] that hee [...] vouchsafe grace, whereby we may make a good [Page 77] vse of them, and Esai. 48. 17. learne to profit by them; as Io [...] 10. 2. Ier. 31. 19. to shew and make knowne to vs what hee ai­meth at in them, so to enable vs in some measure to doe that which he requireth of vs; Ier. 31. 18. to turne vs vnto him, that he may returne vnto vs.

And lastly, when wee haue thus done, then Meanes 4. may we with the more comfort and confidence Psal. 25. 4, 5, 7, 11, 16, 18, 20▪ [...]1. & 39. 8, 10. [...] 41. 4, 10. deale with the Lord for the remouall of the euill it selfe, bee it outward or inward. [...]. [...]9. 12, 13, 14. Then may we seeke to him with good assurance of suc­cesse, because we seeke him as we should; [...]. [...]. 9. we may then praying hope indeed to bee heard, those [...]. 3. 44. clouds of our iniquities being dispersed & dispel­led, that before hindred the passage of our prayers. In a word, thus we [...]. 1 [...]. 8. repenting of, and [...]. 3. 10. turning from our sinnes, that haue turned God away from vs, and [...]. [...]. 1. 22. returning to him that hath hid his face from vs, hee will [...]. [...]6. 16. turne againe in mercie and goodnesse vnto vs, and [...]. [...]0. 19. make the light of his countenance againe to shine forth vpon vs; we Ps [...]l. 22. 27. re­membring our selues, Ps [...]l. [...]. 18. he will cease longer to for­get vs; Yea, hee will beginne Psal. 25. 7. in mercie againe to remember vs, who Esai. 54. 8. L [...]m. 5. 20. in wrath seemed to haue forgotten vs; and shew that hee so doth to our comfort, and the confusion of our foes, by [...]. [...]1. 10. rai­sing of vs, and Psal. 3. 3. lifting vp our heads againe, and Psal. 41. 11. not suffering them to triumph ouer vs, as former­ly they haue done.

NOAES OBEDIENCE.

THis parcell of Scripture containeth Matter. a briefe Summe of a Story related more at large by Moses in his Genes. 6. first Booke and sixt Chapter, concerning the Patriarke NOA, Genes. 5. 28, 29. Tertius ab Enoch, qui septimus ab A­dam inclusivè. Iud. 14. the tenth from Adam, and as Basil of Seleucia well tearmeth him, [...]. Basil. Sel. hō. 6. [...]. Gre. Naz. epitaph. patr. a second Adam, the Father of all mankind since the Floud, of all that are at this day in the world, or that shal be to the worlds end.

The effect and substance whereof is this, An Summe. [Page 82] act of NOAES obedience, together with the Distribut. 1. grounds and the fruits or effects of it. Parts 3. Part 1. Act of obe­dience. Part 2. Grounds 3. Part 3. Effects 3.

• 1. His act of obedience, the building of the Arke.
• 2.
  The grounds of his so doing:

  Without, Gods warning;

  Within, his Faith, and his feare.
• 3. The fruits and effects thereof, good or bad; Good, in regard of him and his; the sauing of them temporally, of himselfe also eternally: Bad, in regard of others; the condemning of the wicked world.

Or thus: Distribut. 2. Part 1. Gods warning Part 2. Fruits 3. Part 3. Effects 3.

• 1. Gods warning, NOA being warned of God, &c.
• 2. The fruit of it in NOA; and that three­fold; Faith, Feare, and Care.
• 3. The effect of this his faithfull, awfull, and carefull cariage; and that also three-fold; there­by, Hee saued his Houshold: Hee condemned the World: He became inheritor of the righteousnesse that is by Faith.

For the first of them, Gods warning: NOA Part 1. being warned of God.

How this was done is not expressed. And it is in vaine therefore for vs to enquire. For Quid enim opus est, ut hujusmodi cū discrimine definian­tur, quando sine cri­mine nesciuntur? Aug. enchirid. c. 59. to what end should such things be with danger deter­mined, as without danger of sinne wee may well be ignorant of? saith Augustine.

Onely thus much wee finde, that when the whole world was ouer-growne with wicked­nesse; ( Gen. 6. 12. All flesh had corrupted their waies:) And the Church of God it selfe was growne to a [Page 83] generall Apostasie, by Gen. 6. 2, 4. the falling away of the Sonnes of God; not the [...]. Sept. Filij Deorum. Aquila. Angels, (as Tertull. de habit. mul. & de cult. foem. ex prophetia Eno­chi: cujus fragmen­tum extat in notis Ios. Scalig. ad Euse­bij Chronol. Quorū commentum refel­lunt Chrys. in Gen. hom. 22. Basil. Sel. hom. 6. August. de civit. l. 15. c. 22, 23. & in Gen. quaest. 3. Theod. q. l. 1. q. 47. Tertullian out of the forged Enoch, and Philo de gigant. Ioseph. antiq. l. 1. c. 4. Iustin. in apolog. utraque. Iren. l. 4. c. 70. Athenag. legat. Clem. Alex. strom. l. 3. & 5. & paedag. l. 3. c. 2. Euseb. praepar. l. 5. c. 4. & l. 7. c. 8. Method. de resurr. Sulpit. hist. sacr. l. 1. Lactat. instit. l. 2. c. 15. Ambr. de Noe c. 5. & de Virgin. l. 1. some others, though the Iob 1. 6. & 2. 1. & 38. 7. Contra quam Chrysost. hom. 22. in Gen. [...]; & Basil. Sel. hom. 6. [...]. Angels also be in some places so tearmed) and much lesse Deuils (as Fr. Georg. probl. tom. 1. & Paul. Burg. addit. ad l. yr. some o­ther haue absurdly conceited;) nor Chald. Par. & Mercer. the Sonnes of Gods, that is, Princes and Potentates (though in Scripture Psal. 82. 6. sometime so called;) but Basil. Sel. Chrysost. Theo­doret. & alij. the posteritie of Seth, matching with the daughters Hominum, i. secundum hominem viventium. Aug. de civit. l. 15. c. 8. of Men, and so contracting affinitie with Caines cur­sed race, which proued the ruine of the whole world: Gen. 6. 6. It repented God that hee had made man, that is, Gen. 6. 7. hee purposed to destroy man, whom before hee had made; for such is Gods repentance, a Mutatio rei, non Dei; effectus, non affectus; facti, non consilij. Aug. confess. l. 1. c. 4. & civit. l. 15▪ c. 25. & ad Simplic. l. 2. q. 2. change not of his will, but of his worke; Aliud est mutare voluntatem; aliud velle mutationem. Aquin. Sum. p. 1. q. 19. a. 7. repentance with Man is a change of the will; repentance with God is the willing of a change.

Now this his purpose and resolution did Gen. 6. 13. God impart vnto NOA, to wit, that Gen. 6. 3. at the end of one hundred and twentie yeeres, (that was the vtmost stint and limit set [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 5. Anni illi ad poenitentiam dati, non vitae mortalium con­stituti. Hieron. quaest. in Gen. for mans repentance and 1 Petr. 3. 20. Patientia Dei 120 annos duraevit, in quibus arca confiebat. Ex Zohar Brought concent. Gods patience; not the list or sise of mans life for future times, as Ioseph. antiq. l. 1. c. 4. Lactant. instit. l. 2. c. 14. Diodor. Tars. Rupert. & Tostat. in Gen. Iac. de Vorag. de Sanct. 283. & alij. some vainely haue imagi­ned, [Page 84] contrary Ut docent ex Gen. 11. 13, 15, 17, 19. Aug. de civit. l. 15. c. 24. Et Hieron. quaest. in Gen. to the euident truth of storie) he would bring in a deluge, that should drowne vp and destroy the whole world. And therefore Gen. 6. 14. willed NOA in the meane space to make such a Vessell, according to the patterne then prescri­bed him, as for bulke and bignesse was neuer the like seene or heard of before or since, not for the sauing of him and his alone, (which a farre lesser would haue done) but Hinc scitè Basil. Sel. hom. 6. de Arca. [...]. Et Noam idem appellat, [...]. homil. 5. [...]. Greg Naz. s [...]elit. 1. Sed & Aug. Arcam appellat, Reliquiarum humani generis promptuarium. de Civit. l. 15. c. 26. Et Greg. Naz. epitaph. Basil. [...]. for the preseruing of the seed of all liuing creatures.

And this was the warning that the Apostle speaketh of in this place.

Out of which Gods dealing with NOA, and Point 1. the World that then was, obserue we this point, that

God seldome sendeth any extraordinary great or generall iudgement on Person or People, but hee gi­ueth vsually some warning of it before.

Amos 3. 6, 7. There is Lam. 3. 37, 38. no euill in the Citie, saith the Pro­phet Amos, that God hath not done. And the Lord will doe nothing▪ but he will reueale it to his seruants the Prophets. He Hosh. 6. 5. Mortem per prophetas comminando. Hie­ron. in Hosh. Ierem. 18. 7. Admovendo propheticae comminationis secures. Ruffin. ibid. cutteth men downe first com­monly by the mouth of his Messengers, the Ministers of his Word, ere he cut them off by the hand of the Ministers, and executioners of his wrath.

There were two famous destructions of Ieru­salem [Page 85] and the Iewish Nation; the former by the Chaldeans, the latter by the Romanes; and warning was giuen before of both; by 2 Chron. 36. 12, 15. Ier. 24. 8, 9, 10. & 25. 10, 11 Ieremie, and o­ther the Prophets of God of the one; and (to o­mit all other warnings reported by Ioseph. belli Iud. l. 7. c. 12. Et Euseb. hist. eccles. l. 3. c. 8. Iosephus the Iew, that then liued,) by our Sauiour Luc. 19. 43, 44. & 21. 6, 20, 24. & 23. 28, 29. Christ the Sonne of God himselfe, of the other.

And there are two generall Destructions of the whole World; the one past by Water, the other future by Fire. Aqua propter ar­dorem libidinis. Ig­nis propter teporem charitatis. Ludolf. de vita Christ. l. 2. c. 87. Et Petr. Regi­nald. specul. fin. re­trib. part. 1. poen. 5. Water, say some, for the heat of lust Genes. 6. 2. that then was, and Fire, for the coldnesse of Charitie Matth. 24. 12. that shall be (though that may seeme somewhat too curious:) And good warning hath beene giuen of both. For of the former, Gen. 6. 12. God, you see here, gaue warning to NOA, and by NOA to the World; For NOA, saith S. Pe­ter, was Praeco justitiae. 2 Pet. 2. 5. a Preacher of Righteousnesse: Yea the very building of the Arke, such a peece as it was, was [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 5. a proclaiming of the Floud, and a preaching of repentance: NOA in making of the Arke did, as Basil speaketh, [...]. Ibid. preach without preaching. E­uery stroke that was strucke, euery naile that was driuen in the framing of it, was a fore-telling of the Floud, and [...]. Greg. Naz. in Basil. [...]. Idem in Maccab. a reall Sermon of repentance. And of the latter both Matth. 24. 27, 30. & 25. 31, 46. Christ himselfe, and his A­postles 1 Thess. 5. 2. 2 Thess. 1. 7, 8. Saint Paul and 2 Pet. 3. 10. Saint Peter haue in their Sermons and writings giuen warning.

Now this God doth, partly in regard of those that are in mercy to be saued, and partly in re­gard Reasons 2. of those that doe deseruedly perish. Reason 1.

In regard of those that are to be saued, Non vult populū suum inopin [...]tu op­prin [...]e. that they may not be surprised vnawares; because he [Page 86] 2 Pet. 3. 9. Ezek. 33. 11. would not haue them to perish, but to repent and be saued. And therefore [...]. Basil. Sel. homil. 5. hee threatneth before Redire mavult quā perire. Guil. Mal­mesb. gest. Ang. l. 2. cap. 10. Redire nos sibi, non perire de­siderat. Petr. Chry­sol. serm. 167. Er­rantes mavult emē ­dare quàm perdere. Ruffin. hist. l. 2. c. 22. [...]. Basil. Sel. homil. 21. Suffundere mavult sanguinem quàm effundere. Tertul. apolog. he smiteth: yea Minatur ne cae­dat; cedit, ne occi­dat, &c. Aug. Conf. l. 2. c. 2. [...]. Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 22. he threatneth, saith Augustine, that hee may not smite; and hee smiteth that hee may not slay; and hee slayeth some sometime temporally, Vt poena paucorum salus sit omniū. Salv. de Provid. l. 2. that others may not bee de­stroyed eternally; that 1 Cor. 11. 32. being chastened in the world, they may not bee condemned with the world.

In regard of those that perish, the obstinate wicked, to make them the more inexcusable: Ne dicant non praedictum sibi. that they may not say, but that they had faire warning giuen them before, if they would haue taken it. Matth. 24. 14. This Gospell, saith our Saui­our, shall before the worlds end be preached to all Nations throughout the world, to be a witnesse a­gainst them.

And the vse of this point (to omit all others) may be two-fold vnto vs; Reason 2.

First, to commend vnto vs Gods patience, yea Vse 1. [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 11. his mercie and his goodnesse. Who though he Cōmendation. might smite iustly without more adoe, so soone as men sinne, (the generall warnings that the light of Nature, and the very letter of the Law af­ford are sufficient) yet he doth not proceed ordi­narily to any extraordinary iudgement, but hee giueth many faire warnings of it before-hand. [Page 87] A signe that [...]; Basil. Sel. hom. 11. Ei [...]. Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 22. hee desireth not to doe that that he threatneth, if he were not by mans obstinacie vrged thereunto.

For Professa perdunt odia vindictae locū. Sen. Med. act. 2. Professed hatred, we say, taketh away op­portunitie of reuenge. Datum▪ est nego­tium peragendae ne­cis Cl. Pompeiano, qui ingressus ad Cō ­modū districto gla­dio in haec verba prorumpens, Hunc tibi pugionem Sena­tus mit [...]it; detexit facinus fa [...]uus, nec implevit. Ael. Lamprid. in Commod. A conspiracie against Commodus was frustrate by the folly of one that should haue executed it, but would needs tell him what hee was to doe ere he did it. [...]. Chrysost. in Psal. 7. Those that minde mischiefe therefore are not wont to giue warning. 2 Sam. 13. 22, 28. Absolom spake neither good nor bad to his brother Ammon, but watched his time only, and then tooke it. Clamaret▪tantum feriturū se, sivellet ferire? Aug. in Psal. 44. Nor would God, saith Augustine, proclaime thus what he is about to doe, if he were desirous to doe it. But Ezek. 3. 18. [...]. Chrysost. tom. 6. serm. 87. [...]. Idem in Psal. 7. [...]. Ibid. Ineffabilis Dei clementi. [...] poenas mi­natur, ne poenas inferat. Theodoret. in Ezech. 7. Tristia minatur, ne in nos tristia invehat. Idem in Ion. 3. he threat­neth destruction, that he may not destroy; as by the Prophet Ezekiel himselfe implieth: And as in the Niniuites it is apparant, who by [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 11. [...]. Greg. Naz▪ apolog. being threatned with destruction, were saued from be­ing indeed destroyed.

It is not therefore for want either of euill de­sert on our part, or of good cause and iust ground, yea or power on Gods part, that he holdeth his [Page 88] hand from smiting so soone as wee sinne, and in this manner giueth warning before hee smite, Esai. 59. 1. Num. 11. 23. His hand is not weakned, that hee cannot strike vs, nor his arme shortned, that he cannot reach vs. Non ille potentiā perdidit, sed patien­tiam exercet. Aug. de verb. Ap. 35. He hath not lost his power; but hee exerciseth his patience: saith Augustine. Patientiam ex­ercet suam, dum poe­nitentiam expectat [...]uam. Ibid. He exerciseth his pa­tience, while he expecteth our repentance.

And so passe we to the second vse.

Where to passe by, onely pointing at it in a Vse 2. Imitation. word, that vse that might bee made hereof for Imitation, that as God dealeth with vs, so should we also deale with others; we should not be, as too many are, A word, we say, and a blow; or, No word, and a stab. For Matth. 18. 21, 22, 26-33. shall God be so patient; and man so impatient? shall God beare with vs, and not we beare with our brethren? No: Matth. 18. 15, 16, 17. Luk. 13. 7, 8, 9. & 17. 3, 4. If thy brother wrong thee, saith our Sauiour, goe and tell him of it betweene him and thee; and if he heare thee not so, take two or three with thee; if hee will not heare them neither, then acquaint the Church with it: and if hee refuse to heare the voice of the Church too, then mayst thou, and not before, carrie thy selfe toward him, and take such course with him▪ as▪ with an Heathen or a Publican, such as they Vse 3. Exhortation. then were, thou mightest.

But to keepe to that that we principally now intend. As this commendeth vnto vs Gods pati­ence, so it should prouoke vs to repentance; since that by it Act. 17. 29, 30. God calleth vs thereunto. Rom. 2. 4. The pati­ence, goodnesse, and long-suffering of God, leadeth thee to repentance, saith the Apostle. That is 2 Pet. 3. 9. Ad hoc parcitur homini ut convertatur, & nō sit qui damnetur. Aug. de verb. Dom. 1. Venturum se prae­dicat, ut cùm vene­rit, quos damnet non inveniat. Greg. in Euang. 37. the end that God aimeth at in it: and that is [Page 89] 2 Pet. 3. 13. the vse that wee should make of it.

Doth God giue warning of any generall Iudgement? And who seeth not that he so doth at the present? To say nothing of ought at home, decay of trade, likelihood of dearth, and the like: Cast we our eyes abroad into foraine parts almost on euery side of vs, and see if the fire of Gods wrath be not gone out alreadie, and hath taken hold of our neighbours houses, yea and burnt diuers, and not a few of them, downe to the ground: And Tune tua res agi­tur, paries cùm pro­ximus ardet. [...]. Chrysost. [...]. 6. serm. 77. it concerneth vs, as wee say, not them alone, to looke to it, when our neighbours houses are on fire. These are reall warnings, and very sensible ones, if wee be not stupid and senselesse.

Doth God then giue warning? Let vs take it when he giueth it. Amos 4. 12. Therefore I will doe Quid sit factur▪, tacet, ut dum ad sin­gula poenarum gene­ra pendent incerti, poenitentiam agant, ne inferat quae mi­natur. Hieron. this vnto thee, saith the Lord by Amos. And because I will doe this vnto thee; therefore prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Let vs prepare to meet him, that is comming towards vs, before he come at vs. Let vs, according to Luk. 14. 32. our Sauiours coun­sell, dispatch Messengers ( Mittamus preces & lachrymas cor­dis legatos. Cyprian. lib. 4. ep. 4. our praiers and teares, saith Cyprian) to meet him on the way, while he is yet afarre off, and make an attonement with him, ere his wrath breake in vpon vs. Let vs Currat poeniten­tia, ne praecurrat sententia. Petr. Chry­solog. serm. 167. make all haste by speedie and vnfained repen­tance to preuent the heauie doome and sentence of death.

Otherwise, let vs assure our selues, that though Exod. 34. 6, 7. Patientiae Deus lon­gae, non aeternae. Gods patience last long, yet it will not be euerla­sting. Though 2 Chron. 36. 15, 16, 17. Ierem. 44. 22. he beare with vs for a long time, [Page 90] yet he will not alwaies forbeare vs. Yea, Furor sit laesa sae­pius patientia. P. Syr. [...]. Greg. Naz. orat. 18. Pati­ence ouer-much prouoked is wont to turne, not into wrath, but into rage. And it is Subitò tollitur, qui diu toleratur. Greg. m [...]r. l. 35. c. 3. Psal. 50. 22. a iust thing with God to take those away without further warning, that would not take warning when it was giuen.

NOA▪ tooke warning here, and was saued; the World would not take warning, and was sud­denly destroyed.

And so we come to consider the fruit of this warning in regard of NOA; what effect it had with him▪

This diuine warning therefore wrought in Part 2. Effects 3. NOA, Faith, Feare▪ and Care; or Gods warning wrought Faith, Faith Feare, Feare Care.

Gods warning, I say, wrought Faith in NOA; Effect 1. Faith. ( by Faith, saith the Apostle▪ NOA fore▪warned of God, &c.) not the habite of Faith▪ which hee had before, but a renewed act of it▪ NOA be­leeued this, when no body but himselfe would beleeue it; yea when he was counted▪ no doubt, generally a doating foole for his labour.

And this his Faith is commended by a circum­stance Obiect. of the warning giuen▪ or the thing fore­warned. Of things as yet vnseene▪ All warnings are generally of things not seene▪ For what need any be warned of that that themselues see? But this was of a thing an hundred and twenty yeeres off; such as there was no signe or shew at all to be seene of, such as no print or footstep of was at all yet; such as neither by outward sense, nor naturall reason could be apprehen­ded or coniectured; a thing most vnlikely, [Page 91] improbable, incredible, yea [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 23. [...] Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 47. in nature im­possible. Point 2.

Where obserue wee the nature and propertie of true Faith to apprehend things vnseene, to beleeue vpon Gods bare word, things not vnlikely only and improbable, but euen incredible, yea and in some sort also impossible.

Hebr. 11. 1. Faith, saith this our Apostle, is the euidence of things not seene, and the ground of things hoped for. And to Thomas, saith our Sauiour, Iohn 20. 29. Thomas, thou beleeuest, because thou hast seene. But, Blessed are those 1 Pet. 1. 8. that beleeue and see not. And yet Thomas he beleeued also more than hee saw: (for Non hoc credidit, quod vidit: sed al [...] ­ud vidit, aliud cre­didit. Vidit enim hominem, & credi­dit Deum. Aug. in Ioan. 79. Et Greg. in Euang. hom. 26. hee saw one thing, saith Augustine, and he beleeued an­other thing:) but blessed are they that beleeue, though they see nothing at all. For, as Rom. 8. 24. the hope that is seene, saith the Apostle, is no hope: so that Faith ( Hebr. 11. 1. the ground of Hope) that is seene (that is, the obiect whereof is seene) is (to speake properly) Quod videtur, sci­ri potius quàm cre­di dicitur. Greg. in Euang. 32. Qu [...] etenim apparent, ja [...] fidem non ha­bent, sed agnitionē. Ibid. 26. no faith. Ibi fides non ha­bet meritum, ubi ratio humana prae­bet experimentum. Greg. in Euang. 26. Et Bern. de bon. deser. Sed tunc fides esse dignoscitur, quando id creditur, quod non videtur. Bern. in Cant. 76. Faith is of no vse or force, saith Gre­gorie, there, where outward sense▪ yea or naturall reason, is able to enforme vs of ought. Quae virtus fidei nisi lateret quod credimus? merces autem fidei videre quod credidimus antequam videremus. Aug. in Psal. 109. Ideò credere debemus quae non videmus, ut videre mereamur quae credimus. Hugo Victor. de fid. invis. c. 1. It is the ef­ficacie of faith to beleeue what wee see not; the re­ward of faith it shall be, to see what wee beleeue: when wee shall come to walke, as the Apostle speaketh, 2 Cor. 5. 7. 1 Cor. 13. 12, 13. 1 Iohn 3. 2. not by faith, but by sight.

Who almost would beleeue, that the fire of M ^r Bradshaw on this place. Gods wrath should be kindled already, and yet [Page 92] not breake forth till an hundred and twentie yeeres after? who would beleeue that the whole world should be drowned, and [...]. Basil. Sel. homil. 6. returne againe to that Chaos wherein it lay buried Gen. 1. 2. at the first, before Gen. 1. 9. sea and land were distinguished and se­uered either from other? If God should haue sent NOA but into England, supposing it to haue beene then as now it is, to foretell the Inhabitants of this Iland, that within a few yeeres their whole Countrey should be swallowed vp of the sea, would not most men haue deemed it a thing al­together impossible? yet did NOA beleeue it vpon Gods bare word, not concerning some one Iland, a little patch of the world, no more to the maine Continent, than a small pond or poole to the maine Ocean, but concerning the whole world; and accordingly it came to passe.

Somewhat the like wee may obserue in the King of Nineueh and his people. There com­meth Ionas a Iew, [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 11. a meere stranger among them, and telleth them, that not within an hun­dred yeeres, but Ion. 3. 4. within Ita veritas Hebr. Ita etiam Aquila, Theodot. Symmach. Hieron. & Vulg. Origen. item in Ier. hom. 5. Chrysost. ad pop. Ant. homil. 80. si interpreti fides, Sept. tamen, Adhuc tres dies. Atque ita etiam Basil. Sel. ho­mil. 11. Chrysost. in Gen. homil. 24. in Psal. 7. in 1 Cor. bō. 15. in Eph. hom. 10. tom. 6. hom. 43. & 78. & 87. & Aug. homil. 2. Iustin. dissert. cum Tryph. habet 43. Origen. in Num. hom. 16. Tres, [...]ive ut Hebraei, 40 dies. Frustra conciliare conantur Aug. in Gen. q. 169. & de Civit. l. 18. c. 44. Leo Castr. de translat. c. 24. Et Canus. loc. commun. l. 11. c. 5. Graeca versio proculdubio vitiosa est. fortie daies Niniueh the greatest, the strongest, the chiefe, the head Ci­tie of the whole world, a great part whereof the King thereof then commanded, should be vtter­ly destroyed. Had Ionas come to London, and there preached the like some fortnight or three weekes before that Powder-plot was to haue beene executed, who would haue beleeued it? or [Page 93] thought it a thing credible, yea or possible al­most? And yet wee know well how neere wee were to an vtter subuersion, if God in mercy had not preuented mans malice. But Ion. 3. 5, 6. the Nineuites, as well Prince as People, though they saw no pre­paration towards, no enemie at hand, no likeli­hood of any sudden inuasion, or of subuersion by other meanes, taking Ionas, as he was indeed, for a Prophet of God, beleeued him on his word, and Itaque s [...]itè Aug. de civit. l. 21. c. 24. & in Psal. 50. Ni­neven & eversam esse, quia conversa cepit esse quod ante non erat, nec subver­sam tamen, quia non per. jt. by their repentance and humiliation, pre­uented that which otherwise had beene.

Adde we but one Example more; and that shall be of the Prophet Ieremies confident cari­age in this kinde: He had foretold that Ierem. 34, 2. Ieru­salem should be sacked by the Chaldeans. And the Chaldeans accordingly came and begirt it. But the Iewes thus besieged send to Aegypt for suc­cour. And the King of Aegypt commeth with a great force, raiseth the siege, and releeueth the Citie. Hereupon began the false Prophets to triumph and insult ouer Ieremie, as if he were ta­ken now with the manner, and detected of false­hood, as one that had fore-told that that was not like to be effected. But the Prophet telleth them confidently, relying on Gods word, That Ierem. 37. 10. though they had smitten the Chaldeans, and left not one of them aliue, yet should those very slaine men rise vp out of their tents, and set fire vpon that Citie.

And the Reason hereof is, because Faith re­steth Reason. Props 2. & relieth vpon two immouable Props, Gods abilitie, and his fidelitie, his might, and his truth.

[Page 94]First, vpon his abilitie, might and power; (that Prop 1. was the ground of Rom. 4. 21. Hebr. 11. 19. Abrahams Faith, Rom. 4. 11, 12. the Fa­ther of the faithfull) able to bring the most vn­likely things that are to passe in an instant. For Matth. 19. 26. Mark. 10. 27. many things are impossible with man: but Mark. 9. 23. & 14. 36. Luk. 1. 37. no­thing is impossible, yea Ierem. 32. 17, 27. Planè nihil Deo difficile. Tertull. ad Prax. nothing▪ difficult with him: nothing but hee can doe, and doe with ease, Cui voluisse fe­cisse est. Ambr. de bon. mort. cap. 12. Psal. 115. 3. & 135. 6. [...]. Clem. Alex. protrept. Simul. n. ac cogitavit, perfi­cit quod cogitavit, & simul ac voluit, & cogitat hoc quod voluit, & tunc vo­lens cùm cogitat. Iren. l. [...]. 6. whose word is his will, and his will his worke; who as Qui dixit & facta [...]. Psal▪ 148. 5. & 33. 6. Deu [...] [...] totus [...], quod cogitat hoc loquitur, & quod [...]. [...]. l. 2. c. 48. [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 1. with a word of his mouth hee made all things of nothing, so Psal. 104. 29. with a blast of his breath is able to bring all things againe vnto nothing▪ Prop 2.

For Omne verbum. Luc. 1. 37. quin quàm facilè possunt homines loqui quod volunt, etiam quad [...] possunt, [...] fac [...], [...] in­comparabiliter facilius valet Deus opere implere, quicquid illi verbo valent expri [...]re [...]. de temp. 11. worke is as easie as word with him; who can doe any thing more easily than any can say it. There is Multum interest inter loqui & facere, sed apud homines, [...] apud Deum. Ibid. much difference betweene saying and doing, saith Bernard; but with man; not with God.

Secondly, vpon his [...], his truth▪ his vera­citie, (the maine prop of Hebr. 11. 11. Saraes Faith.) Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true, saith the Apostle▪ and all men liers; Non est homo verax, nisi in quo loquitur Deus, Aug. in Psalm. 108. all that speake without him, or not from him▪ saith Augustine: God therefore is true: yea, he is a God of truth. And not only [...] Psalm. 31. 5. Deus veritatis, a God of Truth; but [...] Ier [...]. 10. 10. Deus veritas, God Truth, Iohn 14. 6. Truth it selfe: And being Truth it selfe, Tit. [...]. [...] ▪ hee cannot lie, 2 [...]. 2. 13. nor deny himselfe▪ [...] cap. 7. It were a want of [Page 95] abilitie to be able to do so. Matth. 5. 18. Though heauen and earth should passe away, (saith our Sauiour) yet shall no one iot or tittle of his word passe away, vntill it bee all out, euerie whit of it fulfilled.

Now this then should admonish vs to imitate Vse 1. Admonition. faithful NOA our father herein, if we desire to be his children, as well after the Faith, as we are af­ter the Flesh: to take warning when God giues it; giue credit to Gods threatnings, though we see them not seconded with any outward effect yet.

And surely, if wee ought to take notice with NOA, of such Iudgements as Gods word alone giueth warning of, though Nec vola, nec ve­stigium apparet. Varro taphe Menip. no print or foot-step of them be to be seene otherwise; how much more when we haue such euident and apparent Prov. [...]. 3. & 27. 12. signes, euen to outward sense of some storme cōming toward vs, as we cannot but see, vnlesse we be of those of whom Bernard saith, That Festucā qu [...]runt, unde oculis sibi eru­ant. [...]. de­ser. they seake strawes to put out their eyes withall; or of whom Iustine Martyr saith▪ That C [...]sis oculis [...] [...]. Iustin. Mart. they winke wilfully, that they may not see what is comming toward them, when some vnsauoury potion is mi­nistred to them, which they are content, though it goe against the stomacke with them, to take.

Yea hereby may we trie the efficacie of our Vse [...]. Examination. Faith, if we can beleeue God on his bare word, when we see no likelihood of performance.

As for his promises, when wee dare trust him Promises. on his word for the performance of them: not trust him, as we say, only so farre as we see him; trust him no further than we can see our selues; that is, not to trust him at all; it is Quid magni est credere quod vide­ [...], & [...] [...] ­gare oculu fidē ▪ quid [...] [...]eretur? Bern. in Cant. 76. to trust our [Page 96] eyes, and not him: nor to trust him onely when we haue [...]. Theophylact. epist. 26. his pledge or his pawne: that is, not to trust him neither; it is Quod mihi non credi [...], - Credis cau­liculis ar [...]erihusque meis. Martial. l. 12. ep. 25. [...] his [...], and not him: But to trust him on his word, euen then when Act. 7. 5. he seemeth to goe from, or [...]; Chrysost. in Gen. 47. against his Word; as when Gen. 22. 1, 2. he bade Abraham stay Isaak, by whom he looked Gen. 12. 2. & 15. 5. & [...]1. 12. & 22. 17. to haue issue for number, a [...] the stars of the ski [...], and as the sands by the sea-shore▪ to beleeue that Io [...]. 13. 15, 16. God will saue vs, when he seemeth about to slay vs; that Hebr. 12. 5, 6. he lo­ueth vs, when he [...] on vs, and maketh lit­tle shew of loue to vs; that Iohn▪ 16. 3 [...]. Matth. 27. 46. he stayeth and bi­deth by vs, when he seemeth to haue forsaken v [...] ▪ that he [...]. [...]. 14, 15, 16. remembreth vs then, when he seemeth to forget vs; that Psalm. 31. 22. & 40. 17. [...]. Greg. Naz. in Cy [...]. [...]. Caeserius ap [...]d [...] epist. 59. he regardeth vs and looketh after vs, when he seemeth to neglect vs; that hee will bring vs vp, Mica 7. 20. yea he is euen then bringing vs on to heauen, when he seemeth to thr [...]st vs downe to hell; that Ezek. 18. 5. he will make good all his gracious promises made to his [...] and ser­uants for their safetie and deliuerance▪ though we see not how he should: this is the strength and efficacie of Faith indeed▪

So for his [...], God hath▪ [...] [...] ­ly Threatnings. said, that, [...] The Soule that [...]neth shall [...]e the Death. And, Psal. 6 [...]. 21. God will [...] the head of his Enemies, and the hairie scalpe of euery one that go­eth on obstinately in his s [...]tine▪ But because we see not this oft-times instantly effected (many wic­ked ones Psal. 73. 5, 4. liue merrily, and [...] easily; and so [Page 97] seeme to scape the scourge here; for Prov. 14. 13, 10. quod proxima ne­sciat uxor. Pers. 3. what they feele inwardly, none is aware but themselues.) Therefore many imagine that God will be bet­ter than his word: they thinke these things are spoken onely In terrorē emissa: & sperandum ma­gis de clementia, quàm timendum de justitia. Girald. Cambr. topogr. Hi­bern. part. 3. c. 31. to fright men, and to keepe them in awe: they cannot beleeue that God will euer doe, what they see him not now doe. Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an euill worke is not out of hand executed: therefore is the heart of the sonnes of men [...]. Basil. Sél. hom. 5. Sic enim le­gend [...], contra quam in Vulgatis nullo sensu. wholly bent to doe euill, saith Solomon. Here is the worke of faith then, to beleeue that, that there is no likelihood of by ought that can be discerned for the present. But, Eccles. 8. 12, 13. though the wicked, saith Solomon, liue an hundreth yeeres, and passe them all ouer in pleasure, (though it be as many yeeres al­most to it, as it was here to the Floud, and as little likelihood to see to of the one as of the other,) yet I know that it shall not goe well with the wicked.

It is one point of mans misery, saith the Hea­then man, aboue other of the creatures, that Hom [...] futuri so­lus torquetur metu. Sen. epist. Man alone is vexed with care, and griefe, and thought, and feare for the future. But it is a maine point of mans eminencie, say I, Mutum animal sensu comprehen­dit praesentia, &c. Tempus futurum ad muta non pertinet. Sen. ep. 124. aboue other crea­tures, and of Christian men aboue other men, that they are not [...]. Greg. Naz. stelit. 1. Mancipi [...] praesentium. all for the present, but Eccles. 2. 14. they haue their eyes in their forehead, to foresee future euils. And as the Description of the world, cap. of China and Cathaia. Chineses vse to say of themselues, that all other Nations in the world see but with one eye, they onely with two: So naturall men haue but one eye, the carnall eye of naturall reason; that can pierce no further than the light of nature [Page 98] reacheth: but Christian men haue two, the [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 23. [...]. Idem homil. 31. spi­rituall eye of faith also, (for the one putteth not out the other) whereby they are enabled to fore­see future euils, euen such also as no sense or rea­son is able to apprehend.

And hereby may we try the efficacie of our faith, if euen then we beleeue these things, when there is no sight or shew at all of them; which it is better for vs to beleeue now, when it may be for our benefit, than by wofull experience to be taught the truth of them hereafter, when it shall be too late for vs to beleeue that which we shall not then heare from others, or see in others, but feele and sustaine sensibly our selues.

But because all will say they beleeue thus; Effect 2. Feare. come we to the touchstone, to the triall. How did NOAES faith appeare? or wherein was it shew­ed? His Faith bred Feare. By faith-moued with feare. As he beleeued the thing told him by God to be true; so he feared the issue, he expected the euent of it with feare. And by this his disposi­tion he teacheth vs what the nature of true faith is, that in such cases as this was, Fides facit for­midinem. Tertull. ad Marc. Quādo inci­pit quis credere, in­cipit timere. Si cepit credere, cepit & ti­mere. Bern. mod. viv. c. 4. Faith breedeth Feare. Point 3.

There are two ordinarie attendants of faith, faith of future things I meane, and those such as may concerne vs either directly or indirectly, Hope and Feare. And true faith hath euer one of these twaine attending on it, according to the nature of the thing apprehended by it. If it be a good thing that faith apprehendeth, it expecteth it with hope; if an euill thing, with feare. If it be [Page 99] a promise that Faith layeth hold on, it breedeth hope: if it be a threatning that Faith fastneth on, it worketh Feare.

Yea these two affections, Credulitie and Timi­ditie, Faith and Feare, doe mutually and enter­changeably succeed either other, produce either other. Faith breedeth Feare, and Feare breedeth Faith. Credulitie maketh men timorous: and Timiditie maketh men credulous. Credula res timor est, quod de amore Ovid▪ epist. 6. Feare is ve­ry credulous, and suspitious, Pessimus in dubiss augur timor. Stat. Theb▪ l. 3. Sed ma­lus interpres rerum metus omne trahe­bat Augurium pe­jore via. - Claud. bell. Gild. Ad tristē partem strenua est suspicio. P. Syr. Pro­na est timori semper in pejus fides. Sen. Herc. sur. 2. readie to incline to the worse side, and to fasten vpon euery shadow and least shew of that that it surmiseth. And as Timiditie is credulous, so Credulitie is as timorous, enforcing the minde to hang in continuall sus­pence and expectation of those euils that it ap­prehendeth as imminent. Vpon Michaes Prophe­cie Ierem. 26. 19. Ezechias beleeued, and he feared. And vp­on Ionaes preaching Ion. 3. 5. the Nineuites beleeued God and feared.

Nor indeed can it be otherwise: For what is [...]. Aristot. ethic. l. 3. c. 6. [...]. Idem rhet. l. 2. c. 5. Perturbatis five aegritudo ex opinio­ne & expectatione mali impendentis. Cic. Tuscul. l. 3. Feare, but an expectation of some euill impendent. As hope an expectation of good, so feare of euill. But that man that beleeueth the truth of Gods threatnings, cannot but expect the euils threat­ned in them; and so feare consequently before Gods face, proportionably in some sort to the euill expected. Which if [...]. Ari­stot. ibid. the anger or enmitie of a mortall man of any might worke in those that know or apprehend him to be such: how much more must the wrath of God reuealed needs worke the same in a farre greater measure in those that beleeue his power to be such as it is?

[Page 100]Againe, a meere naturall man cannot but feare Reason 2. that euill that hee apprehendeth [...]. Aristot. rhet. l. 2. c. 5. [...]. Ibid. to be neare at hand, yea that he seeth full before his face. But 2 Cor. 4. 18. Fides vides. Habet enim & fides oculos suos, quibus & ea videt, quae nondum viden­tur. Aug. epist. 222. Etsi nō vidisti eum; sed vidisti eum, quia credidisti ei: vidisti eu [...]oculis interio­ribus. Ambr. ep. 9. true Faith hath an eye; And this eye of Faith maketh things vnseene, seene; ( Hebr. [...]. 27. Moses saw him by Faith, that cannot be seene: And Me [...] videtur quae non videntur, quàm quae videtur. Ambr­de sacr. l. 1▪ c. 2. Better, saith Ambrose, are those things seene that are not seene, but beleeued only, than those things that are seene:) Quia rerum ab­sentium praesens est fides. Aug. de Trin. l. 13. c. 1. things absent present, (as is Act. 3. 21. Quo­modo tenebo absen­tem? Quomodo in coelū manū mittam, ut ibi sedentē teneā? Fidē mitte, & tenuisti. Parentes tui tenuerunt carne: tu tene corde. Habes Christ [...] in praesenti per fidē, &c. Aug. in Ioan. 50. Quomodo tangeret, cum ad Patrem ascendissēt, nisi fidei profectu, & mentis ascensu. Idem ep. 89. Christs bodie to our Faith, though it be now in heauen, and as far from vs, as heauen and earth are distant either from other:) and [...]. Basil. Sel. homil. 23. things a farre off neare at hand: Iohn 8. 56. Abr. quomodo dominicum vidisse diem nisi credendo credendus est? Ipsum credere quodammodo jam videre est. Bern. de temp. 17. Abraham aboue a thousand (yea two thousand) yeeres before with this eye of Faith saw Christs day, as present, and reioyced: and NOA in like manner by the same eye of Faith saw the Worlds destruction as present, aboue an hundred yeeres before the Floud, that caused it, came, and feared.

The reason is in a word: Faith hath it from God, to whom all things are present; for there is no Prius & poste­rius. former and latter, first or last Omnia semel & simul videt, quorum nullum est quod non semper videt. Aug. de Trin. l. 15. c. 14. Deo in conspectu praesto simul sunt universa, praesentia, praetenta, futura. Ibid. cap. 7. with him. And hauing them from him, Fides enim velut quoddam aeternitatis exemplar, praeterita simul, ac praesentia, ac futura sinu quodam vastissimo comprehendit, ut nihil ei praetereat, nihil pereat, nihil praeeat. Bern. de temp. 17. shee apprehendeth them in some sort as they are with him, on whose [Page 101] word alone, or principally at least, shee belee­ueth them.

The vse of which point may be, First of all to Vse 1. Information. informe vs, what the reason is why there is so lit­tle feare in the world, of God, and of his Iudge­ments. Neuer more wickednesse abroad in the world: neuer iuster cause to expect some generall iudgement. And yet neuer more securitie; neuer lesse feare; Quasi securos esse sola esset secu­ritas. as if it were the only meanes of se­curitie or of safetie for men to be secure. Where­as saith that worthy Bishop Grosthed well in one of his Epistles yet vnprinted, Sola istic securi­tas est nunquam esse securum. R [...]b. Grosthed. epist. 65. Non cito ruina pe­rit is, qui ruinam praetimet. P. Syr. Prov. 28. 14. It is our best and surest securitie, for vs neuer to be secure.

But what is the reason hereof? Surely there­fore so little feare, because so little Quod non credit quis, non movet eum ad sperandum vel timendū. Beda in axiom. Faith. The generall want of feare argueth a generall want of Faith. Therefore neuer more securitie, because neuer lesse faith. Our Sauiour himselfe intima­teth as much. He telleth of Math. 24. 6, 7, 8. a world of troubles, ouer and beside a Matth. 24. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 1-5. world of wickednesse, that should be toward the worlds end. And yet with­all that Math. 24. 37, 38, 39. it should then be, as before the Floud it had beene, when men [...]. Quod plus est, quam come­debant & bibebant. Matth. 24. 38. gaue themselues whol­ly to eating and drinking, building and planting, ma­king merry and marrying: and as they did nothing else, so [...]. Matth. 24. 39. they minded nought else, till the Floud came in suddenly and swept them all away at once. 1 Thess. 5. 3. They shall crie, Peace, Peace, and all is well; saith the Apostle, vntill sudden destruction surprise them, as paines and pangs doe a woman with childe, taken before her reckoning be out. And the reason hereof our Sauiour secretly doth else­where [Page 102] imply, when he saith, Luk. 18. 8. The Sonne of Man when he commeth, shall he finde Faith vpon earth? As if scarce any Faith should be found in the world at the worlds end: and the most therefore should make but a mocke of the last Iudgement, as 2 Pet. 3. 3, 4. Iude 18. Saint Peter also fore-telleth.

Yea this generall securitie and want of feare, Vse 2. Conuiction. sheweth that euen the greatest part of those that professe themselues Christians, haue not so much Faith as many damned ones, 1 King. 21. 27. Ahab, Matth. 27. 3, 5. Iudas and others, haue had; nay, not so much Faith as the Deuils themselues haue; For Iam. 2. 19. the Deuils, saith Saint Iames, beleeue and tremble: which they would also doe, if they beleeued but as they did. If they had no more but euen the Historical faith, it could not but worke in them the seruile Feare. And how can they looke to scape hell, that come short herein of those that be already in hell: that are worse in this regard than Ahab, though an hypocrite, though a reprobate, worse than Iudas himselfe, though Iohn 6. 70. a Deuill incarnate; yea worse herein than those damned Spirits, than the De­uils themselues. And Quanta damna­tio à damnatis dam­nari? Autor de fin­gul. cleric. what a fearefull estate is it to be condemned of those, that either are or shall themselues be damned?

Secondly, This may serue to shew a difference Vse 3. Distinction. betweene Gods Children and worldly men, to­gether with the ground of it.

When warning is giuen of Gods Iudgements, as here there was, Malach. 3. 16, 17. They feare least, whom they most concerne; and they feare most, whom they least concerne. They feare most, that haue least [Page 103] cause to feare; and they feare least, that haue most cause to feare. He feared here that was to be sa­ued; when they feared not that were to be de­stroyed. Gods children oft-times feare for them, when they feare not for themselues. As for mat­ter of griefe, DAVID saith of himselfe, Psal. 119. 148. I be­held the transgressors and was grieued, to see how they brake thy Law: And, Psal. 119. 136. Mine eyes run downe with streames of water, because men keepe not thy Statutes. He was grieued for them, when they were not grieued for themselues; yea hee sor­rowed, with 2 Cor. 12. 21. Paul, for them and their sinnes, because they sorrowed not for them themselues. Si doles, condoleo; si non doles, doleo tamen: & boc do­leo magis, quo tu minus doles. Bern. de consid l. 1. If you be sorie, saith Bernard, I am sorie with you; if you be not, I am sorie for you: and the more sory for you, the lesse sory you are your selfe. And indeed, Gemend▪ est val­dè qui non gemit. Greg. in Euang. hō. 36. Hee is most to be bewailed, saith Gregory, that bewaileth himselfe least. 1 Cor. 12. 26. Membro dolenti membra reliqua condolent. In the na­turall Body the paine of one limbe causeth paine to all his fellow limbes: but in the spirituall Bodie politique, not the paine only of a limbe, but De non dolente caetera grauius do­lent. the want of paine in a limbe, is a meanes of paine to the fellow-members. So for matter of feare; Psal. 119. 53. Ti­meo, ne non timeas, vel parum timeas. Bern. ep. 87. Feare, saith hee, is fallen vpon mee, for the wicked, because they forsake thy Law. And, when Ps. 119. 119, 120. Thou takest away the wicked of the earth like drosse: My flesh - acta securae quo­que Horrenda men­ti. - Sen. Herc. fur. 3. 2. trembleth for feare of thee, and I am afraid of thy Iudgements. DAVID fea­reth for them, when they feare not themselues: their very securitie maketh him fearefull.

But what might be the cause hereof? may Reason. [...] some say. The Aristot. ethic. Ni­com. l. 3. c. 8. Heathen man himselfe poin­ted [Page 104] at it of old. There are, saith he, two kindes [...]. of Bastardly Fortitude, of Counterfeit Courage, and those arising from two contrary causes; the one [...]. from Skill and Knowledge, the other [...]. Greg. Naz. de eutax. from Ignorance. The former is, when men seeme for­ward, where others apprehend danger and are fearefull, because they know there is no such danger in the matter as others deeme, or if there be any, they can tell how by some sleight to a­uoid it. The latter is, when men are forward and foole-hardie, and free from all feare, because they are not apprehensiue of the danger that they are in: [...]. Aristot. ibid. like men drunke, that dread nought, because they want wit to discerne ought, or like [...]. Chrysost. tom. 6. serm. 43. children, that feare not the fire or the candle­flame, till they haue beene senged with it, and feele the smart of it; or like the sauage Huld. Smidel. in itinerar. Ame­ricans, that would presse vpon the mouth of the Musket, because they knew not the vse and the force of it. Of this latter is the securitie and the hardinesse of the worldly wicked in these ca­ses. It is with them, as with Matth. 24. 19. children in a siege; Their parents feare for them, when they feare nothing themselues; yea the parents feare for them more than for themselues: they could shift well enough, it may bee, for them­selues, but they know not how to saue them, or how to escape with them, which without them, it may be, they might. The sucking childe lieth in the cradle, not once dreaming of any danger; and the parents feare and care is all for it.

[Page 105]Thirdly, hereby may we examine our Faith, Vse 4. whether it be sound and sincere or no. Examination. Triall 1.

First, If it worke vpon the affections. If it worke in vs, loue or hatred, ioy or griefe, hope or feare, according to the nature of the obiect, the qualitie of the thing apprehended. For that faith or knowledge that swimmeth only in the braine, but sinketh not downe into the heart, that consi­steth only in speculation, and proceedeth no fur­ther, doth not at all pierce into, or worke vpon the affections, it is no sound knowledge, no true faith; it is but as the glittring of a glow-worme, a light without heat.

Why, saith Bernard, doth Salomon say, That Prov. 1. 7. & 9. 10. the feare of God is the beginning of wisdome; when as Knowledge and Faith goe both before Feare? Because, saith he, there is Instructio doctos reddit; affectio sa­pientes. Ibi instrui­mur; sed hîc affici­mur. Ibi in audito­rio docentem Ma­gistram Sapientiam audimus; hîc & suscipimus. Bern. in Cant. 23. no true wis­dome in either, vnlesse they doe worke in a man this Feare. Sol non omnes quibus lucet, etiam calefacit: Sic fapi­entia multos quos docet quid sit faci­endum, non conti­nuò accendit ad fa­ciendum. Ibid. The Sunne, saith hee, affordeth light to many, whom it imparteth no heat to. And it is not the light of it, but the heat, that quickeneth, and maketh fertile and fruitfull. Aliud est multas divitias scire, aliud & possidere; nec notitia divitem fa­cit sed possessio: sic aliud est nosse Deū, aliud timere; nec cognitio sapientem, sed timor facit, quia & afficit. Ibid. Vera demum ea est scien­tia, quae afficit. Greg. mor. l. 23. c. 17. It is one thing to know wherein wealth consisteth, and another thing to haue it; and it is not the knowing of it, but the ha­uing of it that maketh a man rich and wealthy: So it is one thing to know God, and another thing to feare God; and it is not the knowledge of him, but the feare of him; and the knowledge of him so farre forth, as it bringeth vs to the feare of him, as a mans skill so farre forth as it is a meanes to bring wealth to him, that maketh a man wise and happie. And that knowledge or faith therefore, that [Page 106] worketh not in this manner vpon the affections, is but Umbra & larua fidei, non fides. a liuelesse shadow, a dead counterfeit of Faith.

Secondly, if it make vs stand in awe of God Triall 2. and his Iudgements; which he inflicteth oft vpon others, euen to keepe vs in awe. So 2 Sam. 6. 7, 9. when God smote Vzza in DAVIDS sight, DAVID (it is said) feared God exceedingly that day. He feared him before, but exceedingly then: that roused vp, renewed, and made his feare more fresh. And Act. 5. 5, 10, 11. when Ananias and Sapphira were so suddenly slaine, feare came vpon the whole Church, and vpon all those, not that saw it onely, but that heard of it.

This is the nature of true Faith, to worke in mens hearts, not a presumptuous securitie, and a regardlesnesse of God, but an awfull feare, a re­uerent dread, a trembling at his Maiestie, when he giueth but warning of Iudgements to come; and much more then Esai. 26. 9. when his Iudgements are already abroad in the world. Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth, saith DAVID, for feare of thee, and I am (euen heartily) afraid of thy Iudgements. And surely if it be the property of the childe of God Esai. 66. 2. Habb. 3. 16. to tremble at his word: 2 King. 22. 19. Iosias heart melted againe for feare at the hearing of the Law: how much more at his worke, at his rod, at his scourge, at the shaking of his sword? What awefull childe will not tremble to see his father take the rod in hand, and it be but to correct some seruant therewith? much more if it be to scourge one of his brethren. To feare any euill is naturall: [Page 107] to be afraid of Gods anger is a worke euen of grace too. And [...]. Naz. in Nyssen. Nothing more fearefull, saith Nazianzen, than not to feare it.

Neither let any here obiect vnto me that of Obiection. the Psalmist, Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of any euill tidings: for his heart is fixed, and beleeueth in the Lord.

For the very first words of that selfe-same Exception. Psalme are, Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth God. So that He that is not afraid so, yet doth feare. Some [...]. Basil. Sel. homil. 21. Degeneres animos timor arguit. Virg. Aeneid. l. 4. feare argueth a want of faith: and a want of faith appeareth by the want of some feare.

There is great difference betweene a distrust­full Matth. 8. 26. feare and an awefull dread. Iohn 14. 1. Esai. 7. 4, 9. Faith quelleth Fides famem non formidat. Hieron. ad Hel. od. and killeth, and expelleth the one: it breedeth, feedeth, fostereth, and cherisheth the other. Matth. 6. 30.

And we shall doe well to obserue how the Solution. Distinction. Holy Ghost therefore oft ioyneth these two to­gether: Psal. 33. 18. The eye of the Lord is vpon them that feare him, and that hope or trust (for hope and trust are in effect here, as oft Ierem. 17. 7. Psal. 146. 5. else-where; the same) in his mercy. And againe, Psal. 147. 11. The Lords delight is in them that feare him, and that hope▪ or trust in his mercy.

In which places, as it is well obserued by Au­gustine, that the Psalmist Cùm dixisset, Ti­mentes, adjecit, Spe­rantes. hauing said, that feare him, he addeth withall, and that trust or hope in him; to exclude the former feare. For, saith he, Nunquid enim sic timetur Deus, quo modo & latro? nam & latro timetur, & bestia timetur, &c. Si times latronem, ab alio speras auxi­lium, & non ab eo quem times: qui sic timet, poscit auxilium ab eo quem non timet, adversus eum quem timet, &c. Aug. in Psal. 146. Men feare a theefe, or a wilde beast, in one man­ner; [Page 108] and children feare their parents in another manner. Men feare the one, so as they flie from them; good children the other, so as they seeke to them. And in the latter manner, not in the former, ought men to feare God. Wicked men and damned spirits feare him so, as Mark. 1. 24. they flie from him: Gods children so feare him, as that yet they sue and seeke to him: If they seeme to flie from him, it is but to flie to him; they flie but from his Iustice to his Mercie: as he that appea­led sometime Machetas quidā Macedo. Plut. in apophth. from Philip to Philip, from Philip sleeping to Philip awaked: So doe Vis ab illo fuge­re? ad ipsum fuge. Vis fugere ab irato? fuge ad placatum. Aug. ibid. & in Ps. 30. & in 1. Ioan. 6. they flie from God to God, from God in iustice angrie with them, to the same God in mercie pacified and appeased towards them.

So againe on the other side doth Bernard well obserue, that Dicturus, Speran­tes, praemisit, Ti­mentes. Bern. in Ps. Qui habitat, serm. 1. being to say, that hope in him, he saith first, that feare him. For, saith he well, there are foure [...] sorts of men: Sunt qui non spe­rant: sunt qui de­sperant: sunt qui frustra & maniter; sunt qui bene & utiliter sperant. Ib. some hope not, some despaire, some hope in vaine, and some hope aright.

The first sort is of those that Neque timent, neque sperant. neither hope Sort 1. nor feare; neither hope for Gods mercy, nor feare Gods wrath; it is all one to them, whether God be angrie or not angrie, whether he be plea­sed or displeased with them.

The second sort is of those that Timent, sed non sperant. Qui sperat & non timet, neg­ligens est: qui ti­met, & non sperat, depressus est. Aug. ad fratr. erem. 10. feare, but hope Sort 2. not; they feare Gods wrath, but they hope not in his mercie: they haue both their eyes fixed on the wrath and iustice of God, neither eye on his mer­cie or goodnesse, and so come to be swallowed vp with despaire.

[Page 109]The third sort is of those Sperant, sed non timent. that hope, but feare Sort 3. not; they hope in his mercie, but they feare not his wrath; they haue both eyes fixed on Gods mercie, neither of them on his wrath; and Ita de Dei mise­ricordia sibi blandi­untur, ut à peccatis suis non emenden­tur. Bern. ibid. so presuming on his mercie, but hauing no regard to his wrath, they take libertie to themselues to lie and liue in sinne, without any remorse of con­science or repentance for the same. But they hope in vaine, their faith is no faith, but a fancie, a presuming without promise, hauing no warrant from Gods word. A faith not in God, but in such Spectrū Dei loco substitutum. Calvin. instit. l. 1. c. 14. an I doll as they haue framed to themselues, moulded out of their owne fancie, and set in Gods stead, a God made all of mercie, hauing no anger at all; a farre other manner of God, than Gods word hath described to vs, or rather than the true God Exod. 20. 5, 6. & 34. 6, 7. hath described himselfe to vs in his word. And if their Faith be so bad, their Hope can be no better; that being of necessitie the foundation of this. Sort 4.

The fourth sort is of those that both Et timent, & sperant. Perseverent in te pariter timer & fiducia; spes & metus. Bern. mod. viv. c. 4. Et idem epist. 87. Ti­mere volo te & nō timere; praesumere, & non praesumere: timere ut poeniteas, non timere ut prae­sumas: porrò prae­sumere ne diffid [...]s, non praesumere ne orpescas. hope and feare: So hope in Gods mercie, as that they stand in awe yet of his wrath: as they cast the one eye on the one, so they fixe the other eye vpon the other. And these are those that hope well and profitably, that trust to good purpose in Gods mercie.

The first of them neither hope nor feare; the se­cond feare, but hope not; the third hope, but feare not; the fourth hope and feare.

The first regard neither Gods wrath, nor his mer­cie; the second regard his wrath, and not his mer­cie; [Page 110] the third regard his mercy, and not his wrath; the fourth regard both his mercy, and his wrath. Yea their very faith that reposeth it selfe on his mercie, maketh them regardful also of his wrath. And hereby therefore may wee trie our faith, whether it be sound and sincere or no, if it make vs stand in awe of him whom wee seeme to be­leeue and to trust in, especially then, when either he executeth, or [...]. Aristot. rhet. l. 2. c. 5. giueth warning of Iudgement. Which if it doe not, it is not true Faith, nor such Faith as NOA here had. They are Soli fil [...]j irae irā non sentiunt. Bern. epist. 256. [...] Chil­dren of God, no other than Children of wrath, faith Bernard, that feare not Gods wrath, that stand not in awe of his Iudgements.

Yea lastly, Let this admonish vs, to labour to haue this Feare wrought in vs: whereby we may feare with NOA, and other of the faithfull, when God giueth warning of his Iudgements, that we may not feele them when they come: Habb. 3. 16. When I heard it, saith Habbakuk, my belly shooke, and my lips Vse 5. Admonition. quaked; rottennesse seased vpon my bones, and I trembled at my very heart; that I might rest in the day of trouble. [...]. Chrysost. tom. 6. serm. 87. Tanto minus eam (senten­tiam divinam) sen­tietis in examine, quanto nunc auditis formidolosiꝰ in prae­dicatione. Greg. in E [...]mg. hom. 36. But they that trem­ble not in hea­ring, shall be cru­shed to peeces in feeling. Bradford of repent. The fearing of them now, is the onely meanes to preuent the feeling of them then. And the more now we feare them, the lesse shall we need then to feare them. He that feareth Gods word, shall not feele his Rod. He that feareth before it come, shall the lesse need to feare when it commeth. Feare Timere debemus, ut non timeamus-Timendum ad au­ditum, ne timeamus ad aspectian. Ven­turū timeamus, ut cùm venerit, non timidi sed securi videam [...]s. Timen­dus est enim, ne ti­meatur. Greg. in Euang. 26. Timeat qui ducit modò vit [...] [...]n fine, quo possit in illa die habere securitatem sine fine. Aug. de verb. Dom. 1. Discat timere, qui timere non vult. Discat ad tempus esse soli­citus, qui vult semper esse securus. Idem de temp. 214. wee must therefore, saith [Page 111] Gregory well, that we may not feare: feare when we heare it, that we may not feare when we see it: Feare with an awefull and childe-like feare now, that wee may not feare with a distrustfull and seruile feare then. For [...]runt tune secu­ri, qui modo non sunt securi: Etite­ram tunc timebunt, qui modo timere nolunt. Aug. de verb. Dom. 39 those that feare most now shall haue least cause to feare then, because they shall then be safe; and Hocipsum vehe­menter timere de­bes, quia nihil ti­mes. Aug. de temp. 214. those that feare least now, shall feare most then; as [...] Arist. eth. l. 3. c 8. [...]. those become most fearefull, that out of ignorance were most forward, when they come to see and know the danger that they are in, which they apprehended not before.

NOA feared the Floud before it came; and The wicked feare not before affli­ction, and then they feare too much: the godly feare before it commeth, & then their feare cea­seth▪ For impiety triumpheth in prosperitie, trem­bleth in aduersi­tie: Piety trem­bleth in prospe­ritie, triumpheth in aduersitie. when it came, was in the Arke safe and secure, free from feare of any danger to him or his by it. The wicked World feared it not, because they beleeued it not, till they saw it, and then were their hearts drowned and ouerwhelmed with feare and despaire, [...]. Greg. Naz. ste­lit. 2. Si quod ab homine timetur malum, eo perinde dum expectatur, quasi venisset urgetur: & quicquid ne patiatur timet, jam metu patitur. Sen. epist. 7 4. Perit ante vulnus pavore confusus, cui spiritumrapuit timor. Sen. Herc. fur. 4. before their bodies were ouerwhelmed and destroyed with the Floud.

But, feare God! may some say. Why? who doth not feare him? We might rather say with the Psalmist, Psal. 25. 12. & 90. 11. Who is he that doth feare him? Im­plying the number of those to be very small that indeed sincerely so doe. Greenham part 2. c. 27. §. 5.

But since that the feare of God seemeth so common, and euery one will lay claime to it, come we againe to the triall. Wherein appeared [Page 112] NOAES Feare, but in his carefull obedience, in his diligent endeuour to preuent the peril, though not yet approaching, not yet apparent? Moued with feare, saith the Apostle, he prepared the Arke Effect 3. for the sauing of him and his.

In which Act of his obserue we, both his Obe­dience Act. to Gods will and word, and his Care to Obedience. preuent the perill.

First his Obedience to Gods will and word. God biddeth NOA goe and make such a Vessel to saue him and his from a Floud, that should drowne vp the whole World. Alas, if he should doe it, euery one would but [...]. Ba­sil. Sel. homil. 5. laugh at him for his labour: as no doubt of it full many did. They would thinke him no wiser than Holinsheds Chrō. in Henry 8. anno 1524. the Prior of Saint Bartholomewes here among vs, who vpon a vaine prediction of an idle and addle-headed Astrologer, went and built him an house at Harow on the Hill, to secure himselfe from a supposed Floud, that that Astrologer had foretold. As Lots sonnes in law, when their wiues Father told them of a showre of fire and brimstone that should come and destroy all Sodome, Genes. 19. 14. they thought that either he mocked but and dalied; or else that he doated and was strangely deluded. So saith Basil of NOA, when he told the World of a Floud that should swallow vp the whole World, and set himselfe thereupon about the building of an Arke, of such strange forme and bulke, a worke of so great toile and charge, to saue himselfe and his houshold in, [...]. Basil. Sel. hom. 5. they thought the poore old man doated, he had dreamed, not, [Page 113] as we say, of a drie Summer, but of a wet Winter, he was drowned in a deepe melancholy, and would be soused and drowned in his own sweat with moiling and toiling about such a building, before they should bee ouer-flowen with, or drowned in any deluge. But all this NOA con­temned, and notwithstanding all this, hee went not about only, but through with that that God had enioyned.

From which Cariage of NOA we may learne this instruction, that

True Faith and Feare will make a man contemne Point 4. worldly mens scoffes; and notwithstanding them, doe any thing that God shall enioyne.

We might for the further proofe of this point, muster vp a multitude of Examples: Gen. 12. 1, 4. Hebr. 11. 8. Abra­hams leauing his owne Countrey and Kindred, to wander vp and downe hee knew not whither himselfe, in hope of an inheritance that Act. 7. 5. Hebr. 11. 9. he ne­uer had as long as he liued: and Gen. 17. 23, 24. the causing of himselfe to be Circumcised, when hee was al­most an hundred yeere old, together with his young sonne, and the rest of his family, a thing that was neuer heard of before, and such as would of any naturall conceit be deemed not Hinc Verpi, & Apellae (ut quidā volunt) etiam per irrisionem Iudaei dicti. ridicu­lous only, but most vndecent: King 2 Sam. 6. 16, 20. DAVIDS dancing before the Arke, for which Micol derided him: The Prophet Esai. 20. 2. Esaies going naked (though not so naked as many imagine,) Absque cilicio, i. tegumento villos [...], quo Prophetae ferè utebantur. Iun. ex Zech. 13. 4. Visan­tur Drus. observ. l. 14. c. 14. & Fuller. miscell. l. 2. c. 11. without his vpper garment, his propheticall habit, and with­out shooes on his feet: Ier. 19. [...], 10, 11. Ieremies breaking of a bottle for the confirmation of his Prophecie: [Page 114] his Ier. 27. 2. & 28. 10. wearing of a woodden yoake, and going vp and downe with it about his neck: And Ier. 27. 2, 3, 4. his ma­king of yoakes and fetters, and sending them with such strange messages to foraine Princes, and those Infidels, by the hands of their owne Em­bassadours: Ezek. 4. 1, 2, 3. Ezekiels laying siege-to a modell of the Citie, vpon a tyle or a table, and making batterie against it, and placing an iron pan betweene him and it: Ezek. 4. 4, 5. His lying and sleeping vpon his left side alone, for a long time together: Ezek. 4. 9, 10. His making and eating bread of corne and pulse of all sorts mingled toge­ther, (meat fitter for beasts, than for any man to feed on,) and Ezek. 4. 12, 15. baking it with cow-sherds in the open and publike view of his people; euen of those that desired nothing more than matter to laugh and leere at him: Ezek. 5. 1, 2, 3, 4. The cutting of his haire, diuiding it by weight, burning in the fire a third part, smiting with a knife another third, and scattering another third abroad into the winde; then taking a few of them and binding them vp, and yet of them againe, pulling some out againe and throwing them into the fire: Ezek. 12. 3-7. The carrying out of his houshold­stuffe on his shoulders, thorow a hole digged in the wall, by day-light, and remouing it himselfe from place to place, while a multitude of all sorts should stand by and looke on. And, to passe by all o­thers, Hoshe as Hosh. 1. 2, 3. Liveleus videatur in not. ad Hosh. marrying first of a light houswife, a common harlot; and after Hosh. 3. 1, 2. one that had beene false to her former husband; Hosh. 1. 4, 6, 9. imposing strange names on the children that hee had by them: these, I say, and many other beside these might be alledged: but I hasten; and this of NOA may [Page 115] well counteruaile them all; a worke of so great difficultie, that would take vp so much time, be so long a doing, require so much trauaile, and so infinite expence, and all done for the preuenting of so vnlikely a danger: Many, no doubt, would flocke about him out of all quarters to see it: ma­ny would be continually gazing vpon him, when he should be at worke about it: many a broad iest, many a bitter scoffe would be broken vpon him. No man would be thought euer to haue ta­ken more paines to begger himselfe, or to haue beene at more cost, out of a vaine feare of mise­rie, to make himselfe miserable. But all these dif­ficulties, and all the disgrace it might bring with it, NOAES Faith and his Feare ouercame.

And no maruaile.

For first, true Faith it is of Rom. 5. 1, 5. & 8. 37. 1 Iohn 4. 4. & 5. 4. a couragious, of Reason 1. an vndaunted, of an vnconquerable Nature. That which hath made men contemne fire and fagot; no maruaile if it make them contemne the blasts of mens breath; which are no more able "Dan. 7. 2. Una Eurusque, Notus (que) ruunt, creber (que) pro­cellis Africus▪ Virg. Aeneid. 1. Psal. 125. 1, 2. & 78. 69. to shake a well grounded Faith, than S. Ward of Conscience. the windes are able to stirre the earth, though they should all at once blow vpon it, and assault it from all points. Reason 2.

And againe, Timor timori ce­dit majori minor. the greater Feare euer expel­leth the lesse. Timor timore, ut clavꝰ clavo pellitur. Quomodo Cic. Tusc. l. 4. & ex Cic. Hierō. ad Rust. Solent amorem veterem amore novo, quasi clavum clavo, pel­lere. [...]. Pollux l. 9. c. 7. Sed & Antiphanes pari modo, [...] - Athen. dipnosoph. l. 2. Et Alcaeus ibid. l. 10. [...]. One Feare frighteth away another, as one naile is wont to driue out another. Matth. 10. 28. Luk. 12. 4, 5. Feare not them, that is, men; but feare him, that is, God, [Page 116] saith our Sauiour: as if the Feare of the one would chase away all Feare of the other. And, Esai. 8. 12, 13. Sirac. 34. 16. Feare not their feare, but let the Lord of hosts be your feare, saith the Prophet. Prov. 28. 1. Qui timet Deum, nihil timet praeter eum. Origen. in Levit. 16. Qui Deum timet, seculi potestates non timet. Idem in Rom. l. 3. Repleat vos spi­ritus timoris Dei, & timor alienus in vobis locum non ha­bebit. Bern. in Psal. 90. [...]. Synes. epist. 2. He that feareth him, saith Origen, feareth nothing but him. That feare will soone displace and dispossesse all other feares. Esai. 51. 7, 8, 12, 13. [...]. Chrysost. tom▪ 6. serm. 43. Quod & aptissima è re nata sunilitudine cō ­firmat Ibid. He that feareth the wrath of the almigh­tie and euerliuing God, will set light by the re­proach or the rebuke of any mortall man, yea of a whole world of them, as wee see NOA here did.

In like manner ought it to bee with euery one of vs. Wee must bee content to doe as God biddeth vs, and not refuse to yeeld to Vse 1. Admonition. ought that hee shall enioyne vs, though wee shall be but befooled and laughed at for our labour.

The Casuists say, that Non peccat, qui legem bumanā non servat, ut pro stulto non habeatur. Mar­tin. Navarr. enchir. c. 27. sect. 283. a man may lawfully breake an humane Constitution concerning a matter otherwise meerely indifferent, when for obseruing of it he shall bebut counted a foole and derided for his labour. But no such pretence will excuse vs from the doing of ought that God requireth of vs. Mark. 8. 38. Hee that is ashamed of mee and my word, (that is, of what I enioyne him) faith our Sauiour, before this wicked and [...]. bastardy generation, him will the Sonne of Man be ashamed of, when he commeth in his glory, and his holy An­gels with him. We must not thinke much there­fore to be Psalm. 69. 7. 2 Sam. 6. 21, 22. derided and counted fooles for his sake: wee should esteeme it rather, as the Apostles sometimes did, euen a grace to be dis­graced [Page 117] for him. Act. 5. 41. [...]. elegantissimum oxy­morum. Casaub. not. in N. T. O quantis obedientiae viribus nitun [...]ur, qui gau­dent pro Christo ad Conciliū trabi, dig­nitatem ducunt pro eo caedi, gloriam re­putant pro eo mori? quibus vilitas subli­mitas, contumelia gloria, patientia vi­ctoria, mirabili mi­rabilitate videntur. Bern. de grad. obed. Ita Hier. ad Helvid. Gloriae mihi futura convicia tua &c. They went away from the Coun­cell, saith the Holy Ghost, reioycing, that they were vouchsafed the dignitie to be dishonoured for Christs sake.

Nor is this admonition and exhortation needlesse in our times, wherein the carefull going about the building of the spirituall Arke, expo­seth men, if not so much and so openly as the making of the materiall Arke did NOA, yet too freely and too frequently, to the mockes and scoffes of prophane people.

Noli erubescere Christianum profi­teri te &c. Aug. in Psal. 30. Be not ashamed, saith Augustine, of thy Chri­stian profession. Be not ashamed of it? will some say. It seemeth a needlesse admonition. Tam pauci non Christiani remanse­runt, ut eis magis objiciatur quia Chri­stiani nō sunt, quàm ipsi audeant aliqui­bus objicere, quia Christiani sunt. There are so few now that are not Christians, that if a man be not one, he shall rather be noted and pointed at. But for all that, saith he, Tamen dico vo­bis, incipe, quicun (que) me audis, vivere quomodo Christianus, & vide si non tibi objiciatur & à Christianis, sed nomi­ne, non vita, non moribus. Aug. ibid. Non deerunt & Christiani, qui prohibeant Christianè vivere. Idem de tem. 52. Turba ipsa quae cum Domino est, clamantes prohibet. Matth. 20. 31. i. Bonos Christianos, verè studiesos, volentes facere in Euangelio scripta Dei praecepta, Christi­ani mali & tepidi prohibent. Idem de verb. Dom. 18. trie it when thou wilt, and thou shalt finde my words true. Doe but striue to liue according to the rules of Christianitie; and see if thou be not derided and scoffed at for it by those, that are Christians in Name, but not in deed. And the like may be said truly of these times of ours, where­in Psalm. 14. 6. Non modò pietatis virtutem amisimus, sed nec speciem retinemus. Bern. apolog. ad Gu [...]elm. Abb. Ipsa religio in opprobrium venit. Idem Bern. epist. 117. Religion is growne to be, as Bernard some­time complained, not a matter of forme, but a matter of scorne: [...]. Luk. 6. 15. qui & [...] Matth. 10. 4. & Marc. 3. 18. non à patria, sed ab Hebr. radice [...] quod [...] signi­ficat. Ang. Canin. de Voc. N. T. Simon Zelotes is become an odious Name; profession of Pietie is accounted [Page 118] Pharisaisme, scrupulositie, and hypocrisie; Timor Domini simplicitas reputa­tur, [...]e dicam, fa­tuitas. Bern. de con­sid. l. 4. the feare of God esteemed folly; & [...] religious cariage made commonly matter of reproch. Dicā quod multi mecū experti sunt. Cùm Christianus quis ceperit be­nè vivere, fer­vere bonis operibus, [...]undum contem­nere, reprehensores patitur & contra­dictores frigidos Christianos. Quid insanis? aiunt. Ni­mius es. Nunquid alij non sunt Chri­stiani? Ista stultitia est, dementia ē, &c. Aug. de verb. Dom. 18. If a man liue somewhat more strictly than the looser sort x A nostris omnia fermè religiosa ri­dentur. Salvian. de provid. l. 7. doe, though not so strictly neither as his Christian profession requireth of him, (for euen the best and the forwardest haue their failings, and come farre short of what they should) 1 Pet. 4. 4. Virū circumspectum, & amicū propriae con­scientiae calumnian­tur hypocritā. Bern. de consid. l. 4. he shall not scape to haue those opprobrious rearmes and ti­tles fastened on him, of a Precisian, a Puritane, and the like, by those that affect loosenesse, and Wisd. 2. 12-16. [...]. Dion. Chrys. orat. 72. account the strictnesse of others a reall con­trolling of their cariage. If he be conuersant in Gods word, and diligent in frequenting the mi­nistery of it; he is a Bible-bearer, and a gadder vp and downe after Sermons. If he Eccl. 9. 2. make con­science of an oath, and will reproue others when they sweare; he is a superstitious fellow, too strait­laced, more nice than wise. If hee will not swill and swagger, drinke healths and play the good­fellow, goe for company to a Brothel-house, or Non vult ire spe­ctatū: frenat concupiscentiam suā, ne pergat ad theatrū, &c. Aug▪ de verb. Dom. 18. to a Play-house, Theatrū propriè sacrarium Veneris est, arx omnium turpitudinum, disciplina libidinum, impu­dicitiae consistorium; ubi nihil probatur, quàm quod alibi non probatut; ita summa gratia ejus de spurcitia plurimum concinnata est, quod si nobis omnis impudicitia execranda est, cur liceat audire quae loqui non licet? cur liceat videre, quae facere flagitium est? cur quae ore prolata communi­cant hominem, ea per oculos & aures admissa non videantur hominē communicare, cùm spiritui appareant aures & oculi, nec possit mundus praestari, cujus apparitores inquinantur? Tertull. de spectac. Spectacula vel cruenta vel turpia. Ubi exempla [...]iunt, quae jam esse facinora destiterunt; & adulterium discitur dum videtur. Quî potest esse qui spectat vel pudicus, vel integer? Cyprian. ad Donat. Nihil tam damnosum est bonis moribus quàm in spectaculo aliquo desidere. Sen. ep. 7. [...] semina praebent Nequitiae. Ovid. trist. l. 2. little better, the very semi­naries [Page 119] and nurseries of all filthinesse and prophane­nesse; he is a man altogether vnsociable, of a me­lancholy disposition, little better than a lunaticke, as Matth. 11. 18. they said sometime of Iohn the Baptist. If he wil beare an euil word, & put vp a supposed wrong, not stab or challenge at least any one that shall giue him the lie, nor be readie to right himselfe by priuate reuenge; he is a coward, a meacock, base­minded, a man of no courage, one of God Almighties fooles, at the least and the best. [...]. Plut. de audiend. These and the like censures must a man make account to vn­dergoe, euen among Christians, if he be carefull of vpholding and maintaining his Christian pro­fession, and of making good what in his Baptisme he bound himselfe vnto.

But as the Heathen man, Socrates, sometime said, That Stultus videri, quo beatus sis, ve­lis. Socrates apud Sen. ep. 71. a man must be content to be accounted a Foole, that he may be happie; so wee must make account and be content to beare this, and much more than this, if euer wee hope or looke to be happie, and to come vnto heauen.

Yea if wee beleeue and feare, (which hereby Vse 2. Examination. also wee may trie whether we doe or no, as we would seeme and professe all to doe) our very Faith and Dicat Martyr ini­natori stans homo ante hominem, Non timeo, quia timeo, &c. Aug. de Sanct. 14. Feare will make vs set light by such paper-shot, and cary vs on thorow the pikes, not of euill tongues, but of the eagerest opposition that either Satan himselfe, or any limbe of his shall be able to make against vs to turne vs out of the good waies of God; wee will neuer a whit feare or regard the one, if wee doe throughly feare the other.

[Page 120] Timeamꝰ, ut non timeamus. Timea­mus prudenter, ne timeamus inaniter. Aug. de sanct. 14. Let vs feare, saith Augustine, that wee may not feare. Let vs feare wisely, that we may not feare foo­lishly: That we may not feare Man, with Martyres timen­do non timuerunt: quia Deum timendo homines contempse­runt. Ibid. the bles­sed Martyrs of Christ, let vs feare God. Yea▪ Ne timeamus ut non timeamus. let vs not feare, say I, that we may not feare. Illud vide, ne ti­mendo magis timere cogare. Cic. epist. fam. l. 11. ep. 20. Let vs not feare now, lest we feare much more hereafter. Let vs not feare the scoffes of men now, lest we feele the wrath of God hereafter. Better it is for vs to be mocked for doing good, than to be damned for not doing it. Let vs not be [...]. Chrys. tom. 6. serm. 43. Pueri lu­cernam non timent, laruam timent. like Children therefore, that feare an vgly vizard, that cannot hurt them, but feare not the fire, that may scorch them: feare the blasts of mans breath, and not feare the fire of Gods wrath. [...]. Greg. Naz. in Nyss. Let vs only feare this, how we feare man or ought more than God. For [...]. Idem in Maccab. there is nothing indeed fearefull but that; [...]. Idem de pace 1. no­thing at least so fearefull as it. Our not fearing the one now, may preuent the terrour of the other; as on the other side, the fearing of the one, though not worthy our feare, if we giue way to it, Prov. 29. 25. will assuredly procure the other. He that Psal. 53. 5. feareth now, where there is no cause to feare, Prov. 10. 24. shall another day haue iust cause to feare, when his vaine feare shall haue betrayed him to things truely fearefull.

Pinner of Cate­chis. He is a foole, we say, that will be laughed out of his coat: but he were a double foole, that would be laughed out of his skinne; that would hazard the losse of his soule, and of his eternall saluati­on, because hee is loth to be laughed at, to quit himselfe of the mockes and scoffes of prophane persons. Yea vndoubtedly if we doe in deed and [Page 121] truth beleeue the truth of Gods word, and stand with holy NOA here in awe of his wrath: Praesentia spernis, qui futura metuit. Minut. Octav. Prae­sentia speruit oppre­bria, qui futura [...] ­tuit supplicia. we will neuer giue ouer our godly courses for such windie stuffe as this is; our very feare it selfe will not suffer vs, though we would.

And so passe we to the second thing that Care. wee obserued in this Act of NOA, to wit, his Care to preuent the euill imminent; to­gether with that point of Instruction which thence may be gathered, that

Tim [...]r [...] & solli [...]itum facit. Bern. n [...]od. viv. c. 4. Feare breedeth Care.

As Fides facit for­midinem: formido facit solicitudinem. Tertull. ad Marc. Faith breedeth Feare, so Feare bree­deth Point 5. Care. NOA, as hee beleeued and fea­red, so hee was carefull with all speed to vse all good meanes for the preuenting of the perill that otherwise would haue beene. So Iacob, when Genes. 32. 6. he heard of his brother Esaus comming against him with foure hundred men after him, Genes. 32. 7, 8, 9, 22, 23. being sore afraid of him, was carefull of vsing all meanes, either for the pacifying of his wrath, or the sauing of his family, some part of them at least, from his furie. So the Aegyptians, when Exod. 9. 18, 19. Moses had giuen warning of such a storme to come as would destroy all that were found abroad in the fields, Exod. 9. 20. so many of them as beleeued and feared the word of God tooke warning, and caused both their seruants and their cat­tell to take and keepe house for the preuen­ting of that perill.

[Page 122]Nor can it in reason be otherwise. Where Reason 1. Faith hath wrought Feare, Feare cannot but worke Care. Where the head hath wrought vpon the heart▪ there the heart cannot but worke vpon the hand▪ And Corpus, sive Cor­por, ut olim loque­bantur, quasi Cordis por, i. puer, sive [...]; [...] for­ma, quâ Marcipor, Quintipor, &c. Ca­mer. problem. the hand is euer at the hearts command, ready to its vtmost ability to execute whatsoeuer the heart exa­cteth of it.

Againe, where there is a feare of euill, Reason 2. there is a desire also to escape euill; (for [...] ▪ Aristot. ethic Nicom l. 1. c. 1. & pol. l. 1. c. 1. Omne animal se diligit. Naturà sua quisque sibi car▪ est. Ab inte­ritu natura abhor­ret. Hinc ingenita cuique curasui; me­tus mortis, fuga ma­li, &c. Cic. de fin. l. 5. Cura▪ fui [...]nte omnia cunctis inest animalibus: nec in­seritur, sed innasci­tir. Simul autem conciliatur saluti suae quidque, & quae juvant, illa petit, l [...]sara formidans re­fugit. Sen. ep. 124. euery thing naturally affecteth it owne good) and a desire proportionable to the feare: and where a desire▪ to escape euill, an endeuour to vse all meanes of escape: and ^z an endeuour likewise proportionable to that desire. Where there is a strong perswasion then, and appre­hension of some great euill impendent, there cannot but be a great measure of feare: and where so great feare▪ no lesse vehement a desire of escape; and where such vehement desire, Qui sic timet, ni­hil negligit. Bern. in Cant. 47. [...]. Aristot. rhet. l. 2. 6. 5. a most earnest and carefull endeuour of preuenting, if by any meanes it may be, that euill.

Adde wee hereunto that Faith, as it ma­keth things absent present, and things farre off as at hand; and so maketh men to be Reason 3. affected with euils, as are by God, or from God, reuealed to them, though yet absent, or farre off, yet as if they were present, and at hand: So it maketh them as care­full instantly, without longer delay, to be­take [Page 123] them to such courses, as for the preuen­ting and auoiding of those euils are deemed re­quisite, which to the eye of their faith are as im­minent, or as present.

And lastly, That no affection is more Timore nihil va­lidius, nihil vehe­mentius. Bern. de divers. 12. Metus cum venit, rarum habet somnus locū. P. Syr. Rapit enim somnos pavor. Sen. Herc. vi­gilant, Reason 4. more violent, more forcible than feare, either to curbe and restraine men of what o­therwise they would, or to vrge and constraine them to what otherwise they are vnwilling vnto.

Gen. 32. 7, 23. Iacob could not rest all night long, when he feared Esaus approach: nor Iudg. 16. 19, 20. Sampson lon­ger repose himselfe on Dalilaes lap, when hee heard once that the Philistines were vpon him. Temptations of Feare are esteemed the most Res est imperios [...] timor. Martial. l. 11. ep. 59. violent. And Contracta per me­tum irrita obligatio est. Althus. dicaeolog. l. 1. c. 118. §. 15. in humane lawes there is a nul­litie therfore held of actions extorted and wrung from men by feare: because in such case a man is held not to be a free man, to haue no power or command in some sort of himselfe. The feare of Gods wrath therefore in these cases, where it is fresh in the soule, cannot but Omnem formido somnolentiam excu­tit. shake off all securitie, cut off all carelesnesse, banish and a­bandon all slothfull and retchlesse delay, and Cave [...]is s [...] pav [...] ­bis. Rom. 1 [...]. 21. vrge and enforce to all speedy and diligent vsage of those meanes, whereby it may be pacified, and the euill preuented that may accrue from it.

Now hereby try wee our Faith againe, yea Vse 1. Examination Application. and our Feare too. Compare wee NOA and our selues together; and see how contrary hee and wee are either to other: yea see how like [Page 124] wee are in these dayes [...] to the world that then was, than to him, as Matth. 24. 37, 38, 39. our S [...]iour himselfe also fore [...]old that it would be.

Consider his carefulnesse. God speaketh Compar. 1. thus to NOA; Gen. 6. 3, 13, 14. An hundred and twenty yeeres hence will I bring in a Floud that shall drowne the whole world: and therefore if then wilt be then saued, goe thy way out of hand, and build thee such an Arke as I shall shew thee. And this God told NOA, when he was about some fiue hun­dred yeere old; for O [...]nes. 7. 6. six hundred yeere old hee was when the Floud came. So that NOA might well haue thought thus with himselfe; I am fiue hundred yeere old already, and it will be yet an hundred and vpward before the Floud come; Why? I may well be either dead and r [...]tten in my graue before that time, or at least-wise very neere the end of my dayes. And who would goe t [...]ile and [...]ile so about building of a vessell of such bulke and bignesse, to prolong his life so short a time? Or else, It was an hundred and twenty yeere yet to it; and what neede he then go [...] in all haste about it? hee might goe and take his plea­sure for this hundreth yeere, and then set vpon it some twenty [...] ten yeere before, and get more helpe then and disp [...]th it the sooner. But NOA did not, he could not, he durst not de­ferre the doing of it, but Genes. 6. 22. & 7. 5. went instantly in hand with it.

On the other side see our carelesnesse. God foret [...]eth vs that a second generall destruction shall come▪ not by water▪ but 2 Pet. 3. 7. Adam pradixit geminum, [...]. Io­seph. antiq. l. 1. 6. 3. Ab isto No [...] Deu­ [...] [...], [...] ill [...] [...] [...]jusdē [...]. Brough▪ by fire, the [...] [Page 125] element of the twaine; [...]. Sybill. [...]rac. l. 4. Et ibid. [...]. Iu­stin. apolog. Et ca­taclysmum factum, & deflagrationem futuram Sibylla vaticinata est. Lactant. de ira Dei, cap. 23. [...]. Sybill. in airostich. apud Euseb. in vita Constant. De­cidet è coelis ignisque & sulphuris amnis. Exuret terras [...] [...]polumque. Apud Aug. de civit. Dei l. 18. c. 23. Stoici omnia inflammanda, iterum (que) futura asseruerunt. Athenag. de resurr. Hinc annus ille maximus, cujus hyems summa est Calaclysmus sive diluvio, aestas Ecpyrosts, i. mundi incendium: (unde & [...] dicta. Ex Menipp. conviv. Athen. dipnoseph. l. 14 Nam his alternis temporibus mundus tum exignescere, tum exaquescere videtur. Censorin. de nat. die c. 18. [...]. Tragicus apud Clem. strom. l. 5. & Eu­seb. praepar. lib. 13. cap. 13. Essè quoque in satis reminiscitur affore tempus, Quo mare, quo tellus, correptaque regia coeli Ardeat, & mundi moles operos [...] laboret. Ovid. met. l. 1. Com­munis mundo superest rogus, olsibus astra Mixturus &c. Lucan. bell. Phars. l. 1. Aqua & ignis terrenis dominantur. Ex his ortus & interitus est. Quandocunque placuere res novae mundo, sic in nos mare emittitur, ut desuper fervor ignis, cùm aliud genus exitij placuit. Cùm enim fatalis dies dil [...]vij venerit, aestus solutus legibus fine modo strtur, ratione eadem qua con­flagratio futura est. Alterutrum fit, cùm Deo visam ordiri meliora, vetera finire. Sen. quaest. nat. l. 3. c. 27, 28. Cùm tempus advenerit, quo se mundus renovaturus extinguat, ignibus vastis torrebit, incendet (que) mortalia &c. Idem ad Marc. c. 26. Euenturum putant S [...]i, ut ad extremum mundus omnis ignescat. Cic. de nat. De [...]r. l. 2. & ardoré deflagret. Idem Acad. lib. 4. De Stoicis idem Numenius apud Euseb. Sed & de Epicareit Minutius in Octavio. which euen Heathen also haue taken notice of: and that none then shall be saued but those that haue 1 Petr. 2. 5. a spirituall Temple or Sanctuary built in their soules, Ephes. 2. 22. an house for his Spirit to inhabite, as hard and diffi­cult a peece of worke, as euer the making of the Arke was. As NOA before he could goe about that building, hee must first fell his wood, saw out his planckes, hew out his timber, &c. So be­fore we can raise this spirituall building, we must pull downe 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. an old frame, an erection 1 Iohn 3. 8. of the Deuils rearing, that standeth where it must stand, and rid the place of the rubbish and re­mainders of it: Now this requireth much toile and labour, and will take vs vp much time: And yet wee deferre and put off all, and thinke wee [Page 126] shall haue time enough for it hereafter, though Psal. 90. 9. none of vs are like to liue neare [...] hundred▪ yeeres, none sure to liue halfe an hundred houres to an end. And what would we do, or how would we liue, if wee were sure that wee should not die, ere an hundred yeeres were expired and had past ouer our heads, when wee haue no care to prouide for the preuenting of this perill, be­ing Nihil ne in totū quidem diem certi est▪ Sen. ad Polyb. c. 29. Nihil in diem, nihil in horam pro­mittitur. Idem ad Marc. c. 10. not sure of a day, not of an houre?

Againe, God gaue NOA warning by word Compar. 2. only of [...] euils, wherof no print or foot-step was to be seene at the present. And NOA is stri­ken with feare, & prepareth presently to preuent it. God giueth vs warning not by word only, but by deed, by euident arguments of his wrath al­readie broke forth, and burning vp our brethren almost on euery side of vs. And yet Psal. 90. 11. who layeth it to heart, or prepareth to preuent the euill that so euidently appeareth to approach?

Now what is the reason of such difference both in the one kinde and in the other? (NOA so carefull, and we so carelesse:) but that he be­leeued and feared; and we doe not? What else was it, that made Lots Sonnes▪ in law stay still in Sodome, though they were told what would be­come of it? What else, that made some of those Aegyptians so carelesse, as to leaue men and beasts abroad, when Moses had giuen war­ning of the storme that should come? But that Genes. 19. 9. the one beleeued not Lots word; Exod. 9. 21. the o­ther feared not the Lords word: the one belee­ued not, and therefore feared not; and the o­ther [Page 127] feared not, because they beleeued not? nei­ther of both cared, because neither of both fea­red. And what else is it that maketh men stay still in their sinne, and make no prouision to pre­uent Gods wrath, both reuealed in his word, Vse 2. Conuiction. Rom. 1. 18. and manifested in his worke; but that they be­leeue not the one, they dread not the other?

And this may conuince multitudes, euen of professed Christians, to haue neither Faith nor Feare. Heu, vivunt ho­mines, tanquā mors nulla sequatur; Et velut infernus fabu­la vana foret. They liue so securely, so carelesly, as if there were neither heauen nor hell: they prepare no more to meet God, when in wrath he seemeth to approach, then as if Esai. 5. 18, 19. they cared not whether he came or no▪

Yet should wee aske any of these, whether they beleeued the word of God or no, whether they feared the wrath of God or no? they would answer, they did; and be angrie that any man should make doubt of it: they should be Qui pudorē ami­sit; bestia par est, qui timorein, bestiâ pe­jor est. Bern. de di­vers. 12. worse than beasts▪ no better than flat Atheists, if they did not. But, Psal. 36. 1. [...]. Clem. Alex. paedag. l. 1. c. 9. Timor enim Domi­ni expellit peccatū. Sirac. 1. 26. sive quod jam admissū est, sive quodtentat intrare; illud poeni­tendo, hoc resistēdo. Bern▪ de divers. 8. the wickednesse of the wicked man assureth me, saith the Psalmist, that there is no feare of God before his eyes. And the loose and dissolute, the secure and carelesse courses of such euidently shew, whatsoeuer▪ they may say, that there is neither Faith, nor feare of God in them, that they neither beleeue his Word, nor stand in awe of his wrath, they durst not for their liues doe so as they doe, if they did. Si timetis, quare non cavetis? Aug. de discipl. Christ. c. 2. Cur Sodomam inco­litis ruituri jam rui­turam? Cur citò non fugitis perituri rem periturā? Mi­socosin. contempt. mund. If you feare, saith Augustine, how is it that you take no more care? Gen. 32. 23. Could Iacob sleepe quietly, when hee vnderstood of Esaus approach? Or Iudg. 16. 20. durst [Page 128] Sampson for all his strength and stontnesse lie still, when he heard that the Philistines were vp­on him? Much lesse durst any man, or could any man, that feared Gods wrath, lie sleeping in sinne, when warning were giuen of Gods wrath, or while (it is the state of euery impenitent per­son, had hee a spirituall eye to discerne it) the blacke clouds of his vengeance readie to seize on him, hung continually ouer his head. Say what thou wilt therefore, whosoeuer thou art that so liuest, diddest thou feare God▪ as thou pretendest and professest to doe, Vigilabis, si time­ [...]is. Aug. de [...]. Ap. [...]8. Et tu vigi­lares, si timores. thou couldest not liue so securely, thou durst not liue so loosely; thou durst as well eat thy nailes off, as we say, as doe many things that daily thou doest; Timor torporem excussit & nolenti­bus. Nec tutu [...] pa­titur esse securum pav [...]r. thy very feare would not let thee, it would not suffer thee to rest: it would be as a thorne at thy heart, and a spurre at thy side, to rouse thee and awake thee, and to keepe thee from rest, till thou hadst pro­cured thine owne safetie▪ and to vrge and enforce thee to all speedie, carefull, and industrious en­deuour, whereby the same might be effected.

Well, to winde vp all in a word: Let vs all be Conclusion. like NOA; take warning when God giueth it; Beleeue what hee [...]; feare before his face, especially when we see signes of his wrath, as we doe pregnant ones at this present; vse all care and endeuour to [...]uert his▪ wrath, and to pre­uent the perill, when▪ we perceiue i [...] to approach. That can no way be done but by repentance of our sinnes, reformation of our liues, and altera­tion of our sinfull and secure courses. This [Page 129] course therefore let euery one of vs take with­out further delay; and pray that others also may doe the like. It may be that God hearing the prayers, seeing the teares, and regarding the repentance of some few, may be moued to shew mercie on the whole, though the generalitie re­maine still vnreformed. Act. 27. 24. All his fellow passen­gers their liues were bestowed vpon Paul. Gen. 18. 32. So­dome had beene saued, if but ten onely had so done in it; Ierem. 5. 1. Ierusalem, if but one alone. Or if the Lord be so peremptorily bent to destroy, and to bring in some generall iudgement, that Ierem. 15. 1. though Moses and Samuel should sue for a peo­ple, they should not preuaile with him, Ezech. 14. 14, 16, 20. though NOA, Daniel and Iob were among them, they should not saue sonne nor daughter, (not so much as was saued in the Floud,) but themselues sin­gle only: yet shall we, by so doing, with NOA build an Arke, at least, for our selues, and our owne soules. We shall be marked out for salua­tion, as Ezech. 9. 4. those were that the Prophet speaketh of, in the generall destruction. And one of these three shall vndoubtedly befall vs: Either wee shall be Esai. 57. 1. taken away, with 2 King. 22. 20. Iosias, before the euill come, and depart hence, to be laid vp with our Fathers, in peace. Or, with Ierem. 15. 21. & 40. 4. Ieremie, Ierem. 45. 5. Ba­ruch, and Ier. 39. 18. Ebed-melech, we shall haue our liues giuen vs for a prey: for 2 Pet. 2. 9. the Lord knoweth euen in generall iudgements how to saue his: Or our afflictions, shall be seasoned, sweetned, and sanctified vnto vs; and Tametsi non bo­num, tamen in bo­num▪ Aug. de temp. though of themselues not good, yet shall they be turned to our good; and [Page 130] our decease, if wee doe perish in them, shall be but a meanes of translating vs, from [...]. Euripid. a wret­ched and a miserable life here; (where Quid est diu vi­vere, nisi diu tor­queri. Aug. de temp. 113. to liue long, is but to be long in paine, and where [...], &c. Greg. Naz. epitaph. Caesar. Diu vivendo multa quae non visvides. P. Syr. by li­uing long, we are constrained not to heare and see only, but to suffer; nor to endure only, but to doe many things that willingly we would not;) to a more happie, comfortable, and blessed life else­where; wherein Apoc. 7. 17. & 21. 4. [...]. Sophocl. [...]. Euripid. we shall neuer so much as see or heare of misery any more.