A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 5 · Sermon 46
FERULA PATERNA. THE XLVI. SERMON.
REV. 3.19.
As many as I love I rebuke and chaſten.
Right Honourable, &c.
HOw unwilling the author of life and Saviour of all men, eſpecially beleevers, is to pronounce and execute the ſentence of death and deſtruction againſt any, if the teares which hee ſhed over Jeruſalem, and groanes and lamentations which hee powreth out when he powreth forth the vials of his vengeance, teſtifie not abundantly; yet his ſoft pace, and orderly proceeding by degrees in the courſe hee taketh againſt obſtinate and impenitent ſinners, is enough to ſilence all murmuring complaints wrongfully charging his juſtice, and raiſe up all dejected ſpirits dolefully imploring his mercy. For hee ever firſt ſitteth upon his throne of grace, and reacheth out his golden Scepter to all that caſt themſelves downe before him (and if they have a hand of faith to lay hold on it, hee raiſeth them up) before hee taketh hold of his iron rod; and hee ſhaketh it too before hee ſtriketh with it, and hee ſtriketh lightly before hee breaketh in pieces and ſhivers, the veſſels of wrath fitted to deſtruction. So true is that which hee ſpeaketh of himſelfe by the Prophet Hoſea, aHoſ. 13.9.O Iſrael thou haſt destroyed thy ſelfe, but in mee is thy helpe: and the Prophet of him,bPſal. 25.10. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth; in which he walketh thus ſtep by ſtep.
Firſt, when wee begin to ſtray from him, hee calleth us backe, and reclaymeth us from our ſoule and dangerous wayes, by friendly counſels and paſſionate perſwaſions, by increaſe of temporall and promiſe of eternall bleſſings: as we may read in the tenour of all the Prophets commiſſions.
2 If theſe kinde offers be refuſed with contempt, and greater benefits repayed with greater unthankfulneſſe, he changeth his note, but not his affections; he exprobrates to us our unthankfulneſſe, that it might not prove a barre of his bounty:cHoſ. 11, 3, 4. I taught Ephraim to goe, taking them by their armes, and they knew not that I healed them, I drew them with the cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them as they that take off the yoake from their jawes. and,dIſa. 5.2. My Beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitfull hill, and hee fenced it, and hee gathered out the ſtones thereof, and planted it with the choiceſt Vine, and built a tower in the midſt of it, and alſo made a winepreſſe therein, and hee looked that it ſhould bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
3 If exprobrations and ſharpe reproofes will not ſerve the turne, he falls to threatning and menacing fearefull puniſhments, but to this end onelyonly, that hee may not inflict what hee threateneth, as wee ſee in Niniveh's caſe,eJonah 3.4. Yet forty dayes, ſaith the Prophet, and Niniveh ſhall bee overthrowne: yet Niniveh was not overthrown;fVerſ. 10. becauſe the Ninivites repented of their workes, and turned from their evill wayes, God repented of the evill he had ſaid that hee would doe unto them, and he did it not.
4 If neither promiſes of mercies, nor threats of judgements; neither kind entreaties, nor ſharpe rebukes can worke upon the hard heartedneſſe of obſtinate ſinners, hee uſeth yet another meanes to bring them home; hee taketh away their goods that they may come to him for them; hee pincheth them with famine, that hee may ſtarve their wanton luſts; he ſtriketh their fleſh with a ſmart rod, that it may awake their ſoules out of a dead ſleepe of ſecurity: and this for the moſt part is the laſt knocke at their hearts, at which if they open not, and receive Chriſt by unfained repentance and a lively faith, the gates of mercy are for ever locked up againſt them.
According to this method Chriſt here proceedeth with the Angel of Laodicea: Firſt,gV. 15. hee friendly ſaluteth him: next,hV. 16. Ver. 17. Ver. 18. hee ſharply reproveth him: then hee fearfully threatneth him: laſtly, he ſeverely chaſtiſeth him, and all in love, as you heare in this verſe, (As many as I love I rebuke and chasten). Which hath this coherence with the former, wherein Chriſt taxed two vices in this Angel, luke warmneſſe, and ſpirituall pride; againſt theſe hee preſcribeth two remedies, zeale, verſ. 19. and ſpirituall providence: I counſell thee to buy of mee gold tryed in the fire, that thou maiſt bee rich; and white rayment that thou maiſt bee clothed, and that the ſhame of thy nakedneſſe doe not appeare; and anoint thine eyes with eye-ſalve that thou maiſt ſee.
But here becauſe the Angel of Laodicea might reply, Alas, to what end is all this? what preſcribe you unto memedicinal potions, who am to be ſpewed out of Gods mouth? what can your counſell doe me good? my doome is already paſt, and my heart within mee is like melted waxe: Chriſt opportunely in the words of my text ſolveth this objection, and giveth him a cordial to keep him from fainting; Be not too much diſcouraged at my ſharp rebukes, nor faint under my fatherly chaſtiſements: for I uſe no other diſcipline towards thee than towards my deareſt children, whom I love moſt entirely, & yet rebuke moſt ſharply to break them of their ill qualities. I chaſten thoſe, and thoſe onelyonly, and all thoſe whom I love; and I chaſten ofteneſt whom I love beſt: wherefore faint not, but be zealous; neither deſpaire, but amend, and thou ſhalt finde my affection as much enlarged, and the treaſurie of my bounty as open unto thee as ever heretofore.
Behold then in the words of this Scripture,
1 A rule of direction to thoſe that are ſet in high places of authority.
2 A ſtaffe of comfort to thoſe who are fallen into the depth of griefe and miſery.
To the former the Spirit ſpeaketh in the words of my text on this wiſe. Ye Maſters of ſervants, Tutors of Scholars, Fathers of children, Magiſtrates of cities, and Kings of realmes, who have received your authority from God, bee ruled by him by whom yee rule, take him for a preſident in your proceedings from whom yee have your warrant: hee firſt convinceth, then reproveth, after threatneth, and laſtly chaſtiſeth thoſe, & all thoſe whom he loveth: doe yee likewiſe, firſt evidently convince, then openly rebuke, after ſeverely threaten, and laſt of all fatherly chaſten with moderation and compaſſion all thoſe, indifferently, without partiality, who deſerve chaſtiſement, not ſparing thoſe who are moſt deare and neare unto you.
But to the bruiſed reed, to the drouping conſcience overwhelmed with ſorrow and griefe both for ſinnes and the puniſhment thereof, the Spirit ſpeaketh in the words of my text on this wiſe. Why doe yee adde affliction to your affliction, and fret and exulcerate your own wounds through your impatience? It is not (as yee conceive) your enemy that hath prevailed againſt you; it is not a curſt Maſter, or a racking Land-lord, or a partiall Magiſtrate, or an envious neighbour that wreakes his ſpleene and malice upon you; but it is your heavenly Father that ſtriketh you, and he ſtrikes you but gently, and with a ſmall ferular; neither offereth hee you any harder meaſure than the reſt of his children, ſo hee nurtureth them all. Neither are yee caſt quite out of favour, though caſt downe for the preſent; nay, bee it ſpoken for your great comfort, yee are no leſſe in favour than when your eſtate was entire which now is broken, and your day cleereſt which is now overcaſt. Yee are ſo farre from being utterly rejected and abandoned by your heavenly father, that yee are by this your ſeaſonable affliction more aſſured of his care over you, and love unto you. For hee never ſaith, As many as I love I ſmile upon, or I winke at their faults, but, I rebuke and chaſten: whom hee leſſe careth for hee ſuffereth to play the trivants, and take their pleaſure; but hee nurtureth and correcteth you whom hee intendeth to make his heires, yea joint heires with his beſt beloved Chriſt Jeſus. Therefore ſubmit your ſouls under his mighty hand in humble patience, & after that raiſe them up in a comfortable hope, kiſſe his rod, quae corpus vulnerat, mentem ſanat, which woundeth the body, but healeth the ſoule; makes the fleſh peradventure blacke and blew, but the ſpirit faire and beautifull. Arguite & caſtigate vos ipſos, convince your owne folly, rebuke your bad courſes, chaſten your wanton fleſh with watching, faſting and other exerciſes of mortification; confeſſe your faults, and grieve not ſo much becauſe yee are ſtricken, as that ye ſhould deſerve to bee ſo ſtricken by him: then will the affection of a father ſo worke with him, that hee will breake his ferular, and burne his rod wherewith hee hath beaten you, and the overflowing of his future favours will make it evident, that whatſoever was ſaid or done before, was in love, to make you partakers of his holineſſe, and more capable of celeſtiall happineſſe. Wherefore let all that mourne in Zion, and ſigh as often as they breath for their many and grievous viſitations, heare what the Spirit ſaith to the Angel of Laodicea, I rebuke and chaſten as many as I love.
Spices pounded and beaten ſmall ſmell moſt ſweetly; and Texts of Scripture yeeld a moſt fragrant ſavour of life, when they are expounded and broken into parts; which are here evidently foure:
1 The perſon of Chriſt, I.
2 The actions of this perſon, Rebuke and chaſten.
3 The ſubject of theſe actions, As many.
4 The extent of the ſubject, As I love.
1 The perſon moſt gracious, I.
2 The actions moſt juſt, Rebuke and chasten.
3 The ſubject moſt remarkable, Whom I love.
4 The extent moſt large, As many.
1 In the perſon you may ſee the author of all afflictions.
2 In the actions, the nature of all afflictions.
3 In the extent, the community of all afflictions.
4 In the ſubject, the cauſe of all afflictions.
Of this extent of the ſubject, ſubject of the actions, actions of Chriſt, by his gracious aſſiſtance, and your Chriſtian patience: and firſt of the perſon,
1. That in all afflictions of the ſervants of God, God is the principall agent, and hathiIſa. 45.7. I make peace, & create evill. the greateſt ſtroake, needeth not ſo much evident demonſtration, as ſerious conſideration, and right and ſeaſonable application in time of fearfull viſitations. For what paſſage can wee light upon at all adventures, eſpecially in the writings of the Prophets, where wee finde not either God threatning, or the Church bewailing afflictions, and ſore chaſtiſements?kAmos 3.6. Is there any evill in the city which I have not done, ſaith the Lord? And,lLam. 1.12. Is there any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce wrath, ſaith his captive Spouſe? What face of miſery ſo ugly and gaſtly, wherewith hee ſcareth not his diſobedient people? To them that have hard hearts, and brazen browes that cannot bluſh, hee threaneth to makemLev. 26.19. the earth as iron, and the heaven as braſſe: hee martials all his plagues againſt them, ſword, famine, peſtilence, ſtings of ſerpents, teeth of wilde beaſts, blaſting, mildew, botches, blaines, and what not? And according as he threatneth in the law, he profeſſeth that he had done to the Iſraelites in the dayes of the Prophet Amos: nAmos 4.6.7, 8, 9, 10.I have ſent you cleanneſſe of teeth, and ſcarcity of bread in all your coaſts, and yet yee have not returned unto mee: alſo I have withholden the raine from you, and yet yee have not returned. I have ſmitten you with blaſting and mildew; your gardens and vineyards the valmer-worme hath devoured, and yet yee have not returned unto mee. Peſtilence I have ſent you, after the manner of the Egyptians, and your young men I have ſlaine with the ſword, and yet yee have not returned unto mee. I have overthrowne you as God overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah, and you were as a fire-brand out of the burning, and yet yee have not returned unto mee. There being a double evill as the Schooles diſtinguiſh,
Malum
1. Culpae.
2. Poenae.
the evill of ſin, and the evill of puniſhment: to make him the author of the former, and to deny him to be the author of the later, is a like impiety. For the former errour impeacheth his purity & ſanctity, the later his juſtice and providence. It is true, that in the afflicting of his children, God ſometimes uſeth none of the beſtoJob 1.2. 2 Cor. 12.7. Hieron. lib. de vir. illuſtr. in Ignat. De Syria ad Romam pugno, ad beſtias in mari & in terrà, ligatus cum 12. Leopardis, hoc eſt, militibus qui me cuſtodiunt, quibus ſi benefeceris pejores ſunt, iniquitas eorum mea doctrina eſt. inſtruments, neither do they intend what God doth in laying heavie croſſes upon his children: yet he keepeth their malice within ſuch compaſs, that they can do nothing, but what God for juſt cauſes permits them to doe. God hath Sathan and all his inſtruments like Maſtiffs tyed in a chain, they cannot go beyond their tether; he letteth them looſe, and calls them in at his pleaſure. If God be at peace with us,pPſal. 34.20. not a bone ſhalbe broken: nay, not aqMat. 10.30. haire of our head ſhall fall. The foure Angels in therApoc. 7.3. Apocalypſe had not power to touch the earth, or any tree, till Gods ſervants were ſealed.
If this be ſo, what ſecurity doth the feare of God bring to man! and what a Potentate is the feebleſt Chriſtian on earth! Qui Deum timet, omnia timent eum; qui Deum non timet, timet omnia: He which feareth not God, hath cauſe to feare all things; for all the creatures will take their Makers part againſt him: on the contrary, hee that feareth God, all things feare him; for nothing dares or can doe him hurt. Surely no Prince or Emperour could ever ſo ſecure his ſtate, or guard his perſon, that neither outward power could annoy him, nor home-bred treachery ſurpriſe him: yet neither rebell, nor pyrate, nor rich, nor poore, nor open enemy, nor counterfeit friend, nor principality, nor power, nor man, nor divell can touch Gods children, protected by his omnipotency, and guarded by his holy Angels, except they turne rebels to God, and traitours to themſelves. For no evill can come neere them, while God is neere them; and God will be ever neer them, if they depart not from him.
2. Hath God a hand in all the ſtroakes of his children? let us not then ſo much fret and fume at the immediate agents, or rather inſtruments, as wee doe. It is all one, as if a Noble man ſentenced by the King or his Peeres to loſe his head, ſhould fall foule upon the Headſ-man, or pick a quarrell with the axe: or as if a patient, to whom a wiſe Phyſician hath preſcribed a bitter potion for the recovery of his health, ſhould fall out with the Apothecary for miniſtring it: Nay, it is like to them that uſe the unguentum called Armarium, who when a party is wounded by his adverſary with a ſword or ſpeare, apply nothing to the party, but annoint the inſtrument. I ſpeake not this to juſtifie or excuſe the malice, or iniquity, or cruelty of thoſe in whoſe hands God putteth his ſcourge for us, if they exceed his preſcript, and rather exerciſe their owne paſſions, than execute his judgements. For as God is no way acceſſary to their cruelty; ſo neither doe they participate of Gods righteouſneſſe in afflicting his children: and as God hath made them now inſtruments, ſo hee will hereafter make them ſubjects of his juſtice: as a tender mother, after ſhe hath beat her infant, caſteth the rod in the fire; ſo God dealeth with theſe men. The Aſſyrians were his rod wherewith he chaſtened the Iſraelites; the Perſians his rod wherewith he chaſtened the Aſſyrians; the Grecians his rod wherewith he chaſtened the Perſians; the Romane Emperours the rod wherewith he chaſtened the Grecians: and now all foure rods one after another are caſt into the fire.
But my aime is to perſwade you to looke higher than the executioners and miniſters of Gods vengeance; and when ye ſee that hee ſitteth in heaven who ordereth and appointeth how many ſtroaks ſhall be given to you; who hath not only a glaſſe to keep every drop of bloud that is drawne from you, but alſo aſPſal. 56.8. bottle to keep every teare that falls from your eyes, to ſtruggle with the infirmity of your fleſh, and endeavour to the uttermoſt of your power to ſuffer his will, becauſe ye have not done it; & to make the beſt amends ye can, to ſupply the defect of your active obedience by your paſſive. Holy Job could diſcerne Gods arrowes, though in the hand of Sathan; and his hand, though on the armes of the Sabean robbers: and therefore when he was ſtript of all his goods, even by the worſt of men, he curſeth not the inſtruments, but bleſſeth God, ſaying:tJob 1.21. Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked ſhall I returne thither again; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bleſſed be the Name of the Lord. What Chriſt ſpake to Pilate vaunting of the power and authority he had over him, the feebleſt Chriſtian in the world may reply to the greateſt Potentate on earth:uJohn 19.10, 11. Thou couldſt have no power at all againſt me, unleſſe it were given thee from above. Wicked and ungodly men may have a will of themſelves to vexe, hurt, and perſecute Gods children; yet power they can have none, ſo much as to take a haire from their head, unleſſe it be given them from above by God, who can and doth ſometimes execute his juſt judgements by unjuſt miniſters; and though they intend evill and miſchiefe againſt his ſervants, yet hee will turne it into *Gen. 50.20. As for you, you thought evill againſt me, but God turned it unto good.good to them, as he did to Joſeph. Solinus writeth ofxSolin. c. 20. Hypanis Scythicorum amnium princeps hauſtu ſaluberrimus, dum in Exampeum inferatur, qui amnem ſuo vitio vertit. Hypanis, that the water thereof is very bitter as it paſſeth through Exampeus, yet very ſweet in the ſpring; ſo the cup of trembling, which is offered to the children of God, is often very bitter at the ſecond hand, as it is miniſtred unto them by profane perſons, haters, and deſpiſers of their graces: yet it is ſweet at the firſt hand, as it is ſent them downe from heaven.
3. Are the afflictions which befall Gods children in their bodies, ſoules, good name, or eſtates, darts ſhot from heaven? how then can they avoid them? what ſhall they doe in this caſe? Surely caſt themſelves on the ground, and hold up their buckler of faith, ſaying withyJob 13.15. Job: Though hee ſlay mee, yet will I put my truſt in him. And with thezPſal. 44.17, 18, 19. Iſraelites, All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee: our heart is not turned backe, neither have our ſteps declined from thy way; though thou haſt ſore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the ſhadow of death. Or caſt up our darts to heaven, that is, our ejaculatory prayers, as*Pſal. 38.1, 2, 9. David doth: O Lord, rebuke mee not in thy wrath, neither chaſten mee in thy hot diſpleaſure: for thine arrowes ſticke faſt in mee, and thine hand preſſeth mee ſore. Lord, all my deſire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee. When a great Philoſopher was taxed for not holding out his argument with Adrian the Emperour, but preſently giving up the bucklers, his apology for himſelfe was, Is it not reaſon to yeeld to him, who hath thirty legions at his command? I am ſure there is greater reaſon, whatſoever the cauſe may be in our apprehenſion, abſolutely to yeeld without further diſputing, to him who hath more than thirty legions of Angels at his command, and all the creatures in heaven and earth beſides. There is no conteſting with ſoveraignty, no reſiſting omnipotency, no ſtriving with our Maker. The fiſh that is caught with the hooke, the more he jerkes and flings, the faſter hold the hooke taketh on him: the harder a man kickes againſt the pricks, the deeper they enter into his heeles. An earthen pitcher the more forcibly it is daſhed againſt an iron pot, the ſooner it flies in pieces: in like manner, the more we contend againſt God and his judgements, the more we hurt, wound, and in the end deſtroy our ſelves. Wherefore let us not like dogges bite the ſtone, never looking upon him that flingeth it: but mark him who aimes at us, and hitteth us, and lay our hands on our mouth withaPſal. 39.9. David, ſaying, I held my peace, becauſe thou Lord haſt done it. The Perſian Nobles, asbAnnot. in Tacit. Janus Gruterus reporteth, accounted it an exceeding great grace to be ſcourged by their Prince; and though it were painfull to them, yet they ſeemed much to rejoyce at it, thanking him that he would take paines with them, and miniſter correction unto them himſelfe: and ſhall we not much more praiſe the divine Majeſty, that hee vouchſafeth himſelfe to chaſten us for our good? The wounds of a friend are more welcome to us than the plaiſters of an enemy: and a ſicke patient, who will not endure a bitter potion offered him by a Phyſician, yet oftentimes taketh it from the hands of his moſt endeared ſpouſe, or a beloved friend: and ſhall not all Gods children, ſicke of too much proſperity, willingly take the bitter, yet moſt wholſome, potion of affliction from the hand of the Father of ſpirits? Saint Paul ſhall cloſe up the doctrine: When c1 Cor. 11.32.we are judged, we are chaſtened of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world: and Saint Peter the uſe:d1 Pet. 4.19. Wherefore let them that ſuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their ſoules to him in well doing, as unto a faithfull Creatour.
From the perſon I proceed to his actions, rebuke and chaſten, not condemne and puniſh, foreign; verba virtutem non addunt, ſoft words make ſmart blowes nevertheleſſe felt: if the ſtroakes be as many, and inflicted with equall force, whether ye call it chaſtening or puniſhing, all is one to the poore patient. Indeed were there but a verball difference, and not a reall between puniſhing and chaſtening, this note would little better the muſicke; but if ye look more narrowly into the words, ye ſhall find in them many and materiall differences. In puniſhing ye ſhall obſerve a Judge, in chaſtening a Father: in puniſhment a ſatisfying of juſtice, in chaſtiſement a teſtifying of love: in puniſhment a compenſation of deſert, in chaſtiſement a mitigation of favour: in puniſhment a principall reſpect had to a former offence, in chaſtiſement to future amendment. A Judge principally regardeth the wrong done to the law, and therefore proportioneth his puniſhment to the quality of the offence: but a father, whom not love of law and juſtice, but the law of love moveth and after a ſort enforceth to do what he doth for his childes good, is contented with ſuch correction, not as he deſerveth for the fault he hath committed, but that which he hopeth will ſerve for his amendment: Pro magno peccato parum ſupplicii ſatis est patri. In briefe, this word Caſtigo, I chaſten, how much ſoever at the firſt it affrighteth us, yet it affordeth us this comfortable doctrine, That God as a father inflicteth with griefe and compaſsion, moderateth with mercy, and directeth by providence all the ſtroakes that are laid upon his children.
1. He inflicteth with griefe and compaſſion: O fHoſ. 6.4.Ephraim, what ſhall I doe unto thee? O Judah, how ſhall I entreat thee? my bowels erne within mee, and my repentings roll together: and, For the gJer. 9.10.mountaines will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderneſſe a lamentation, becauſe they are burnt up, ſo that none can paſſe through them, neither can men heare the voice of the cattell, both the fowle of the heavens, and the beaſt are fled, they are gone. hMic. 1.8, 9.I will waile and howle, I will goe ſtripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the Dragons, and mourning as the Owles: for her wound is incurable.
2. He mitigateth with mercy his childrens payment,
1. In reſpect of time,
1. Indefinitely.
2. Definitely.
2. In reſpect of the grievouſneſſe of their ſtroakes.
He mitigateth in reſpect of time indefinitely: In a little iEſa. 54, 7, 8.wrath I hid my face from thee, for a moment; but with everlaſting kindneſſe will I have mercy on thee, ſaith the Lord thy Redeemer. For a ſmall moment have I forſaken thee, but with great mercy will I gather thee: and, The God of all k1 Pet. 5.10.grace, who hath called us into his eternall glory by Chriſt Jeſus, after that ye have ſuffered a while, make you perfect, eſtabliſh, ſtrengthen, ſettle you. Sometimes he preſcribeth the definite time; as tolGen. 41.1. Joſeph for his impriſonment two yeers: to themJer. 25.11. They ſhall ſerve the King of Babel ſeventy yeeres. Jewes for their captivity ſeventy yeeres: tonDan. 4.25. Nebuchadnezzar for his humiliation ſeven yeers: to theoApoc. 2.10. Ye ſhall have tribulation ten dayes. Angel of Smyrna ten dayes. And as he mitigateth their ſufferings in reſpect of the time, ſo alſo in reſpect of the grievouſneſſe of their puniſhment: The Lord hath pPſa. 118.18ſeverely chaſtened mee, ſaith David, but he hath not given mee over unto death. God he is q1 Cor. 10.13.faithfull, and will not ſuffer his children to be tempted above their ſtrength.
3. He directeth by his providence and fatherly wiſedome all the croſſes that are laid upon his children to ſpeciall ends for their good: namely, to cure their dulneſſe and ſtupidity, abate their pride, tame their wanton fleſh, exerciſe their patience, enflame their devotion, try their love, weane their deſires from this world, and breed in them a longing for the joyes of heaven, and fruits of Paradiſe. Proſperity flattereth the ſoule, but trouble and affliction play the parts of true friends: they rightly enforme us of the inſufficiency of all worldly comforts, which leave us in our extremities, and can ſtand us in no ſtead at our greateſt need. And therefore S. Bernard very well reſembleth them to rotten ſtakes, flags, and bull-ruſhes, which men catch at that are in perill of drowning, hoping by them to ſcramble out of the water: but alas, it falleth out far otherwiſe; theſe help them not at all, nor beare them above water, but are drawne downe under water with them. This moſt ſerious leſſon of the vanity of earthly delights & worldly comforts, we reade in many Texts of Scriptures, heare in divers Sermons, ſee in daily ſpectacles of men troubled in mind at their death: yet we never thoroughly apprehend it, till Gods rod hath imprinted it in our bodies and ſoules: then finding by our wofull experience, that earthly felicity is nothing but miſery masked in gaudy ſhewes, and that all the wealth of the world, together with all carnall delights, cannot eaſe a burthened conſcience, nor abate any whit of our paine, we begin to diſtaſte them all, we grow out of love with this life, and entertaine death in our moſt ſerious thoughts. Here the eye of faith, enlightened by divine revelation, ſeeth beyond death the celeſtiall Paradiſe, & in it a chryſtallſApoc. 22.1, 2. river of the water of life, & by it a tree of life, which beares twelve ſorts of fruits: and beſides theſe a heavenly City, ſhining with tApoc. 21.18, 19.ſtreets of gold, and foundations of pearle and precious ſtones, the ſight wherof leaveth an unſpeakable delight in the ſoule, which ſweetneth all temporall afflictions, and ſtirreth up in us an unſpeakable deſire of thoſe ſolid comforts and ſubſtantiall joyes.uRamus in orat. Heliogabalus was wont to ſet before his paraſites a banquet painted on cloth, or carved in wood, or cut in ſtone; and whatſoever hee fed upon in truth, they had drawne before them in pictures and images: ſuch are the joyes and delights which the Divell & the World preſenteth unto us, falſe, ſhadowie, & vaine. The true are to be found no where but in heaven, where thoſe joyes are in ſubſtance, which we have here but in ſhadowes:xAug. confeſ. l. 2. c. 5. Fornicatur anima, quae avertitur abs te, & quaerit extra te ea quae pura & liquida non invenit, niſi cùm redit ad te. pure, which we have here polluted: full, which we have here empty: ſincere, which wee have here mixt: perpetually flouriſhing, which we have here continually fading: to theſe ſubſtantiall, full, pure, ſincere, everlaſting joyes, God bring us for his Son Jeſus Chriſt his ſake. Cui, &c.