The Way to True Peace and Rest, Sermon 9
THE NINTH SERMON VPONUPON ISAIAH, CHAPTER 38.
12 Mine habitation is departed, and is remoued from me, like a shepheards tent: I hauehave cut off like a weauer my life: he will cut me off from the height, from day to night, thou wilt make an end of me.
13 I reckoned to the morning, but he brake all my bones like a Lion: from day to night wilt thou make an end of me.
14 Like a Crane or Swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourne as a Doue: mine eyes were lift vp on high; O Lord it hath oppressed me, comfort me.
IN our last sermon (welbeloued in Christ Iesus) the Prophet assureth the King of his health by a wonderfull signe,Recapitulation. which was giuen to him. The manner and forme of the manifesting of the signe was this; The King seeketh a signe and the Lord granteth a signe vntounto him: and after the same manner that he sought a signe it was giuen to him. Thirdly, the Lord manifesteth this signe by his owne power and vertue, without the support of any creature. The King seeketh a signe, not that he is distrustfull of Gods promise, nor yet to tempt God as the wicked do; but he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe in the Lords promise. He belieueth the promise, yet his beliefe was weake: and to strengthen his weake fai…h he seeketh the signe. The thing that weakeneth his beliefe was this: The Prophet in an houre and shorter space cometh to the King, and proposeth two contrarie sentences: Fi…st he saith to him, Make thee readie thou must die; in an instant of time he pronounceth the plaine contrarie and saith, Thou shalt liue: both these two could not stand. Therefore he seeketh a signe to strengthen his beliefe, whereby he might know the truth of the last promise. This signe was giuen him as ye heard; and looke after what manner he craued it, after that same manner it is granted according to his desire: The Sunne is b…ought backe, as also the shadow of it in his Fathers diall by ten degrees, and the day which otherwise should hauehave lasted but twelue houres, by this wonder it is made to endure for the space of 22 houres. The signe was wrought partly in the diall, partly in the body of the Sunne. It was wrought in the bodie of the diall, because it was a publike worke, see vp in a publike place at the head of the palace ouer against the Temple: to the end the miracle wrought in it, which was in such an open and common place, might be knowne to all the Citie, and consequently to all that were in Iudea. It was wrought in the bodie of the Sunne, that the knowledge of that worke might come to the whole world, that the whole world who saw that light, might see in that worke a God whom they saw not so before. This signe was exceeding fit and proper for the purpose, for by this signe the King saw euidently that it was as easie to God to bring backe his life to a flourishing youth, which was hastening to decay, as it was to bring backe the Sunne, which was very neare to his going down. This signe is wrought onelyonly by the vertue of God. For that generall is true, There is no creature, yea not the diuell himselfe, that hath power to shew any true miracle. Then all those miracles that are in the popish Churches, as the images of legs and armes, waxe clothes, and all the rest of that sort, are deceiuing lies of the diuell. The King purchaseth this signe by his owne prayer, to learne vsus this lesson, That suppose the Lord be of minde and purpose to giuegive vsus benefits, and suppose he hath promised to grant benefits vntounto vsus, yet he will not giuegive them but to the seekers, he will hauehave vsus first seeking them before we obtaine them. And so he would learne vsus this exercise, to stand constant in honouring and worshipping of him who hath these benefits to giuegive vsus. Before we entred into the song, we declared vntounto you the whole course of this Kings life from the 14. yeare of his reigne; and in his whole course ye saw, that his whole life was a continuall falling and rising, a continuall praying and praising of God: Praying in the time of his falles and of his trouble, that the Lord would strengthen him by his Spirit: And praysing God for his victories, that he had so mightily deliuered him. In this we see an image of a Christian life, and of a Christian exercise, to assure eueryevery one of you that while ye are here, your life shall be but a continuall falling and rising, rising by the speciall grace and merciemercy of God in Christ Iesus. And therefore it becometh you to be occupied in the same exercises wherein this King was imployed: In the time of your falles and troubles to be diligent in prayer, seeking strength of the Lord to endure; and praysing him in your victories. He that forgetteth to pray, forgetteth to rise, and therefore take heed that in all your troubles ye hauehave euer recourse to God by prayer. We tooke the song to stand of these three parts: In the first part is set downe the great trouble, perplexitie and perturbation wherein the King was, what he said during this trouble, and what he did: In the second part there is a rehearsall made of the great benefit that he obtained, how singular and how excellent it was: In the third part he maketh a faithfull promise, to be thankfull to God for this benefit, to praise him all the dayes of his life, & that so long as he liued he would neuer forget him. In the first part we marked the circumstance of time when this trouble of mind ouertooke the King; to wit, at what time the seruant of God came to him, & told him it behooued him to die: from the time he heard death denounced, incontinently the mention of death striketh a feare and a trembling in him. It casteth him in a great perturbation of mind. Suppose he was a godly King, and indeed such a King of whom there is as good mention made as of any other King in the Scriptures of God, yet notwithstanding at the hearing of death he feareth and trembleth. This death is indeed a renting asunder of those two parts which were appointed to hauehave remained together, and therefore it is no maruell, suppose the mention of it strike a feare in the heart. Our owne sinne hath procured it, and in some measure it is good that we taste what sin hath brought with it. It is true indeed, our death that are Christians, is fully sanctified in the death of Christ Iesus: But it is as true on the other side, that suppose our death be fully sanctified, yet so long as we remaine in this earth we are not fully sanctified. And in respect there remaineth in vsus (yea in the best of vsus all) a remanent of corruption, yea would God it were but a remanent; of this floweth this feare, trouble & perturbation of mind. It is true, that this faith and the constant hope of a better life that dwelleth in the other part of the soule, do temper the feare, mitigate the trouble, and swallow vp the paine of death: yet in respect of the corruption that remaineth, some feare must be, and the greater the corruption is, the greater feare falleth vponupon the conscience. The chiefe corruption that grieueth vsus in the time of death, is the louelove of the world, the cares of the world, the inordinate louelove of flesh and bloud: So that he that would make himselfe voide of feare, must prouide to rid his hands and his heart of these inordinate affections: for experience (although vnhappie) teacheth vsus, that there is no man that can part with that he loueth without exceeding griefe. And therefore in the point of death, experience teacheth what it is to cast our affection on friuolous things that suddainly vanish. So I say, now it is time to rid your hands and purge your hearts of such preposterous affections, that death which vntounto others is so terrible, when it cometh it may be a blessing vntounto you. I shew vntounto you that all those care were forbidden goods, expresly inhibited by the King of heauen, which are neither profi…able for you nor to the countrey whither ye go. And therefore I desired you to carrie with you the louelove of God, and the louelove of your neighbour in God: And these kind of commodities shall both profit you, and be welcome to the countrey whither ye go. In this trouble the first thing that he vttereth, he sayth with himselfe, I see I must die, I am drawing neere to the ports of the graue. Suppose he was very loath to die, as his words do testifie, yet he maketh him ready. It is foolish & false to thinke, that preparation to death is a furtherance to death: No, the contrary is true. The readier ye are to die, the more able ye are to liue, & the lesse shall be your anguish when the Lord calleth. As to the reasons I will not insist in them, onelyonly the last reason that maketh death to be so fearefull to this good King, was the great louelove which he had to the Church that was in his country; the great care which he had of his faithfull subiects, who should lacke by his death his mercifull protection. And in this I did let you see, that the country had an exceeding blessing, where the Prince is so carefull for the Church in his country, and of his faithfull subiects, that in his death he hath mind of them, and is grieued to depart from them. As on the other side, the Church must be as heauily cursed, where the Prince hath no regard of ye Church in his country, nor of his faithfull subiects. As to the reasons I will not stand precisely in iustifying of them all; I thinke as the word soundeth, that there is some thing worthy of praise and commendation in them, and some thing worthy of dispraise and reproofe; For so farre as they flow of faith and of the good spirit of God, no question they are worthy of praise, and so farre as they flow from the Kings vnruly affections, they are worthy of dispraise. And surely, it appeareth by the words, that his affections had bene somewhat vnruly. Well, the lesson that I gathered was; This is the profite that we reape of these preposterous affections, they draw our louelove from God to the creatures. And ere these affections can be drawne from the creature, they bring such a griefe vntounto them as it were another death. Therefore the thing that we craued was, that ye should set your affection vponupon God. The truth of louelove is in God, and therefore it becometh you to bring your hearts from the creature vntounto God, and imploy your affection vponupon him, in whom onelyonly is solid ioy. Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise.
The heads to be treated of in this Sermō.Now in the words which I hauehave read, he returneth to his complaint, and he taketh vp his lamentation againe: & in the first part of the 12. verse, he vttereth his trouble wherein he was. In the end of that verse and in the verse following, he vttereth the great rage & furie of his sicknes. And in the 14. verse he letteth vsus see what he did in this great rage and extremity of his disease.
Then to returne to the 12. verse: I say in the beginning of it, he returneth to his lamentation, and he vttereth his complaint as he had wont to do, bursting out after this manner: Mine habitation (saith he) is departed and transported from me. As if he would say, my life is to depart, and the Lord is to transport it to another part, I see death is instant, and the Lord is cutting off this present life of mine.
The manner of the transportation of the kings life, shewed in two similitudes. 1. Similitude.He letteth vsus see the maner how his life is to be transported, by two similitudes. The first similitude he taketh from a shepheards tent: The second similitude he taketh from a Weauer and his web.
As to the first similitude, he sayth, his life is to be transported from him like a shepheards tent: Looke how the tents of shepheards are remoued, transported and remoued, so, saith the King, he saw his life to be subiect to the same transportation. It is knowne to you all that reade histories, that in the East hote countries, as namely among the Tartars and Arabians where the shepheards in the sommer seasons remaine vnderunder tents, so often as they remoue their flocks, they remoue their tents. And in our owne countrie here, when our shepheards remoue their flockes, they remoue their other necessaries, alluding to that same custome: so would the King say, look how these tents are remoued in the sommer season & transported, my life is subiect to the same condition.Doctrine to be gathered of the first similitude.
Of this similitude we hauehave matter full of good doctrine: For this similitude doth first teach vsus, that there is nothing more instable & vncertaine, then is the life of man here beneath: There is nothing more subiect to instability then this life which we liue in this body: For, as to the nature of tents, ye see (whether ye call them tents, pauillions, or tabernacles, all is one) by experience there is nothing more vnstable nor vncertaine to dwell in then is a tent. For why? it lacketh a ground, it lacketh a foundation and stability, and in stead of a ground it leaneth onelyonly to certaine pinnes which enter not deepely into the earth; and consequently by the lightest blast of eueryevery wind they are blowne vp, and when the pinnes faile the tent falleth: So the King would teach vsus by this similitude, that this life of ours lacketh a ground, lacketh a foundation, and lacketh a stabilitie. And therefore the King in this comparison, would send vsus to the life which hath the sure ground, foundation and stability, he sendeth vsus to that kingdome which as the Apostle, Heb. 12. saith, cannot be shaken by no kind of stormy blasts: And, as I remember, Heb. 11 9.10. there in these verses the Apostle maketh a flat opposition betwixt these tents that lacke a ground and the City of God, saying; that as tents and tabernables lacke a foundation and ground, so the City of God on the contrary hath a ground and a foundation; and in steede of one, he calleth them in the plurall number, foundations, Looke, (saith he) to the City that hath the foundations, whose craftsman and builder is the God of heauen. He expoundeth himselfe what he meaneth by the foundations, in the last verse, where he saith, Such a kingdome as cannot be shaken; that is, whose ground is so sure, that it cannot be shaken nor totter by no processe of time, nor stormy blasts. Then the first lesson that ye hauehave from this part of the comparison is this: Learne to seeke for the City yt hath sure foundations, seek for the City that can not be shaken. The Lord giuegive you grace so to do.
In the other part of the comparison he letteth vsus see, that so long as we are in this life, we hauehave no pernament abode nor certaine remaining whereunto we may leane. For as ye may perceiue by the historie of Genesis, the Patriarkes dwelled in tens, to testifie vntounto vsus two things: First,Why the Patriarkes dwelled in tents. to testifie that they were no countreymen there, nor natiue borne men of that country; but strangers and pilgrimes in that country, and as they professed themselues, that they were not onelyonly strangers of that countrey, but counted themselus strangers so long as they remained on the face of this earth. The second thing that they testified by dwelling in tents, is, that they were minded not to remaine there, it was not their purpose to fixe their staffe (as we speake,) there: But they were vponupon their iourney, and seeking the way that leadeth homeward, the way that led to their natiue countrie, to the City that hath the sure foundations, as they confessed themselues. Then (I say) there is another lesson that we may reape of his similitude: It teacheth vsus that we hauehave no permanent being here, and we ought not to settle our hearts, nor cast our louelove on any thing here; but seeing we are subiect to flitting and remouing, not knowing what houre we shall be warned to remoue, there is nothing more sure then that we must remoue, and nothing more vnknowne then the time. Therefore it becometh vsus now in time while we hauehave leasure, to transport our goods, and to send them before vsus where we are to remaine, to send our substance where we are to abide for euer. For proofe hereof your owne experience teacheth you, that there is none of you who hauehave warning and are certaine that ye are to remoue, but ye wil transport your goods and send your substance where ye are to abide. Therfore, seeing yt this is concluded principally in all your hearts, that there is no remaining here but we must remoue, and ye are vncertaine in what moment ye shal be warned to remoue, it becometh vsus to send our goods, substance & riches before vsus. And if it be true that our Maister sayth, that the heart followeth the treasure, let both heart and treasure be sent thither: surely this is a singular lesson, if it were learned. For he is a mad man, & more then mad, that will place his felicity where he is not to remaine, and where he knoweth not what houre he shall be warned to depart: I am assured there is none here but they will say as I say. Yet on the other side it is as true, there is none here but he doth as pleaseth himselfe. Therefore I will call onelyonly one thing to your mindes. I remember there is a parable set downe, Luke 12.16. concerning a rich man who did cast downe his barns and inlarged them for his great abundance: when all this was done, he saith to his soule, Take thy rest, eate and drinke and take thy pleasure, for I hauehave laid vp enough for thee. This insatiable foole (as our master calleth him there) knew not that he was tenant at will, and he knew not of the thing that was to come: but as if he had had the times and seasons at his command, he layeth this resolution with his soule: But ye see in this parable how soone he is disappointed, and his soule getteth not the vse of this conclusion: for that same night it is taken from him. Well, I know there are none so grosse that in words will lay this conclusion with this rich man; but I know againe, there are none so wise but in effect they do it: There are none but they say the same to their soule in deed. Alwaies I say, all these conclusions are false and proceed of a foolish braine, and the wisdome that bringeth on this conclusion is plaine follie, and their soules shall be disappointed. There is no certaine conclusion but that which floweth from the truth: This word is sure, therefore thou must hauehave thy warrant out of the word of God: this word saith thou hast no certainty, no not an houre here. Therefore this word admonisheth all to be readie. And if ye would be rich, seeing riches is the blessing of God, be rich in good works, and send your riches before you, and be rich in God, that ye and your riches may remaine together there for euer. If I might obtaine of you this lesson and no more, I would thinke this dayes exercise well employed. Then let men take such a resolution with themselues that they may be so disposed, that when the messenger of death cometh, he cannot come amisse, come when he will. Thus far concerning the first similitude.
The other similitude is taken from a Weauer and his web. And in the words he saith after this manner:The second similitude. I hauehave, saith he, wrought my life, or wouen the web of my life to the off-cutting. As the Weauer weaueth his web, so is my life wouen readie to be cut off: as if he would say in effect, I see I hauehave shortned my dayes, there is no remaining for me, I hauehave brought my life to the off-cutting; I hauehave preuented the iust time by mine owne doing, I hauehave procured my owne death. In whi…h words he would teach vsus, that by his owne doings he hath procured & hastened his owne death, and by his euill life shortned his time. It is true indeed, that as by sinne death entred into the world, so by the multiplying of sinne our death is hastened. For that disease is not that striketh on bodie or soule, but it floweth of sinne, yea the death of soule and bodie floweth of sinne. The thing that shorteneth our dayes is sinne, the thing that maketh our daies euill and troublesome, is sinne, saith Iacob. Sinne maketh our daies full of anguish and griefe, full of trouble and sorrow: Sinne wrappeth vsus in a thousand cares and exceeding vanities whereby we are deceiued, and sinne consumeth vsus with vnprofitable labors and trauels which are not necessarie. And what more? Sinne weakneth this body of ours by deceiueable pleasures, it vexeth our mind with such feare and terrors as I cannot expresse them: Shortly, all the euill that euer God inflicteth, it floweth of sinne.
And if it be true that this good King had occasion to say, that his sinne procured his death:Application. If so godly a King, so good a youth, had occasion to say this, that sinne shortened his dayes, what may the youth of this countrey say? what may I pray you, our yong Nobilitie say? Surely, if this King walked in such paths as made him to draw neare to his death, it appeareth well that they hauehave taken post in this way, eueryevery one (as appeareth) contending who should runne the speediest course to an euill end, except God preuent it. The Psalmist saith, that the bloudie man shall not liue halfe his dayes; if this be true, what shall become of the bloudie adulterer, of the sacrilegious blasphemer, much more the Papist and the Idolater? In the which and infinite other vices they runne post. If a man hauing this one vice, shall not end the halfe of his dayes, how much more shall his dayes be shortened in whom these vices concurre all in one? this is sure, it cannot faile. I leaue the great men, and come to the inferior sort; Looke to the prophane multitude, ye see in their behauiour how speedily they runne this post. There are two sinnnes which are ioyned together in them: to wit, gluttonie and drunkennesse. And there are none but they know, that these two are the fountaines of all bodily diseases, and of the chiefe diseases of the soule, whereby they perish for euer. Now what, I pray you, saith Salomon, Prouer. 23. with whom (saith he) lodgeth feare, sorow, contention, debate and strife? with whom but with the drunken man, and with him that loueth wine? & yet ye see how the greatest part in city & country are defiled with these vices, procuring so farre as in them lieth, an euill end to their owne soules. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God, and yet so many as let them loose to these vic…s must fall into his hands. For it cannot be but the wrath of God from heauen must be powred vponupon such vngodlinesse. And there is none who hath powred forth his louelove and taken himselfe to these vices, but surely, …xcept he be wonderfully preuented, he shal perish in his sinne. And this is not one of the least iudgements of God: For Iohn 8. it is counted one of the most terrible iudgements, when the Lord threatneth the Pharisies that they shall perish in their sinne. If the word which is now sounded might hauehave bene able to hauehave called men backe, surely it hath bene clearely and continually sounded: but when I looke to the effects, it appeareth well that this word hath bene sounded to the hardning of the greatest part, and to seale vp their iudgement against the day of the Lords wrath, which day they hauehave blotted out of their minds and put out of their knowledge, that they should not see it. The Lord nourish this light by his Spirit in vsus, whereby we may see that there is a heauen and that there is a hell; that seeing the danger, we may prease to eschue it; and seeing the felicitie, we may haste vsus to embrace it. Would God it were so. Thus far for the first part of the similitude.
He goeth forward and he saith, He hath cut him off from his beame, or from the throombs that go about the beame, as ye call them. As if he would say after this manner: As the Weauer doth cut off the web from the throombs of his beame, so the Lord hath taken resolute purpose to cut off my life from his beame. In this changing of the persons he letteth vsus see a great discretion and knowledge in himselfe; he ascribeth the cutting off to God, but he taketh the cause to himselfe; he ascribeth the chastisement to God, but he taketh the sinne which is the cause of the chastisement, to himselfe; and he acknowledged God to hauehave his beginning in this worke, and himselfe to hauehave his hand in it also: he acknowledgeth God to be a doer, as in all works God hath his working: And there is no worke so abhominable as it floweth from the instrument, but as it floweth from God it is both holy and iust. So this wise King taketh the cause of his chastisement from God to himselfe: Happie is he that in time condemneth and iudgeth himselfe; that he may eschue the condemnation of God. Thus far concerning the first part of our diuision.
Now in the end of this verse and of the verse following, the King setteth downe the great furie and rage of his sicknesse. It was a pestilent feauer, and so the raging furie behooued to be exceeding great. He vttereth the vehemency of his disease in the words following, and he speaketh as if he would say after this manner; If God hold on as he beginneth, by the same sicknesse ere night he will make an end of me. And in the verse following he saith, I propound to my selfe and I looked for it, That like a deuouring Lion he should bruise my bones, he should bruise them shortly, yea ere night. For I take all this to be spoken on one day.
His words beside the disea…e of the bodie, vtter the disease of his soule.The words indeed (the terrible disease of the bodie excepted) vttereth more. For it is not possible that so good a King could hauehave spoken so of God, except he had felt some other thing then any distresse in his bodie. So in vttering of these voyces he letteth vsus see, that he had the paines of soule and trouble of conscience ioyned with the disease of his bodie, and that he felt God to be as it were a consuming fire, it is not possible that he could hauehave vttered such voices of God, as to call him a deuouring Lion, except he felt another kinde of feuer then any naturall feuer. Ye see Dauid when he is in the like extremitie of bodie and soule, he crieth Psalme 6. that his bones are vexed and do quake for feare.
Of all the diseases that can come vponupon any person, no question the disease of the soule and conscience is the greatest. And of all the diseases and troubles that ouertake the conscience, no question this is the greater, when with the sight of sinne which is enough and more then enough for any to sustaine, when with this sight there is a feeling of the wrath of God ioyned. O! then this sicknesse is insupportable, when with the sight of sinne is ioyned a touch and feeling of the wrath of God: Mercifull God, if the horror be not exceeding great and terrible, so t…at it is a wonderfull matter that the soule can stand vponupon any assurance of faith, but it should incōtinently run to desperation! Yet it is true, that there is neuer a one of the chiefe seruants of God but he hath had experience of this either lesse or more: and he hath bene touched with the feeling of that hell which the reprobate shall hauehave in a full measure.
The ends why the Lord suffereth his deare children to be in such extremities,Why the Lord suffereth his children to fall into the disease of the soule. are these, to let them see expresly what Christ hath suffered, while as he suffered the full weight of his Fathers wrath inflamed against their sinnes. And not onelyonly against their sinnes, but also against the sinnes of all the elect: He casteth them, I say, into this extremitie, to let them see what Christ hath suffered for them; how far they are bound to Christ, and how precious that redemption purchased by his bloud should be vntounto vsus. For it is not possible that any man can make much of that benefite which they know not to be a benefit: so it is not possible for you to make much of heauen, except you hauehave had some taste of hell. And therefore it is that he sendeth his seruants to heauen, euen by the gates of hell; to let them see that there was no conniuence betweene the Father and the Sonne. For it might hauehave bene thought (as many of the wicked thinke) that there had bene a conniuence betweene God the Father and his Sonne Christ: And therefore I say, he letteth them taste of these distractions and pangs of hell, that they may say: I see he hath felt hell in another sort, that hath redeemed vsus from hell: And where that I cannot sustaine this which is tempered in a small measure, it hath bene a great burden indeed which our Sauiour hath sustained, whilst he sustained hell for our sinnes, and for the sinnes of the whole elect. O then, this exercise is to let them see how far they are bound to God.
Application.The dissolute life of the prophane multitude letteth vsus see clearely, that there is neuer a one of them that hauehave knowne the meaning of this article, and this is a sealed letter to manie of you all: Therefore it is that they make no account of the death of Christ, and thinke that he died for himselfe. For it appeareth they hauehave no touch nor remorse of sinne, which is the thing that will destroy them except it be preuented. Their manifest contempt testifieth this ouer well, for they go forward without remorse in all kind of sinnes, the more they are forbidden. I remember the Apostle is more sharpe in his threatning against these men, then anie man can be: For he saith, Heb. 10. at the end: If he that contemned Moses or any part of his lawes died without merciemercy, how much more shall he be worthie of punishment that contemneth the person of the Sonne of God? that treadeth the Sonne of God vnderunder foote, and counteth his bloud an vnholy thing? who will not apply the merciemercy of Christ to themselues, and reiect the Spirit of Christ whereby they should be sanctified. These threatnings, suppose they take not effect suddainly, as also the promises, suppose they be not beleeued of you, yet they must be vttered by vsus, that these walles may testifie and beare witnesse to your conscience, that there was a Prophet here: These things were told vsus, and we had time to hauehave done them if we had listed.
Ere I leaue this, it is necessarie for you all that ye marke the examples of these heauie diseases. There are few that are touched with them, although they are very worthy of marking. I say, it is necessarie that the examples of these diseases be marked, whether it be men or women that hauehave them, we should marke them, if it were but to learne this lesson: We may see how easie it is for God to represse the pride of the flesh: we may see how easie it is to the Lord to daunt the foolishnesse and wantonnesse of youth; in an instant of time, in the space of twelue houres, a glorious King is brought to the gates of death. Then ye should say with your selues, It is time for vsus to change our course, we see how easie it is to the Lord to bring high conceits low. The Lord doth this to this King, and he seeketh no fire nor sword, he vseth no externall armor, nor he seeketh no forreine instrument to do it, but he taketh of the stuffe that is within him, he taketh the matter of sinne wherein he was conceiued & borne, vnhappie sinne which is the matter of all iudgments and plagues, it is the matter of death both in bodie and soule. This matter within our selues is as readie at the Lords hand as if it were in his owne store-house, to plague thee best, that intendedst to gainstand him. Thē ye that hauehave your health and the benefit of it, learne to vse it well: for if ye abuse it and vse it to defile your bodies, which he hath appointed to be the temples of his holy Spirit; looke how easie it was to him to bring the King low, as easie and farre easier shall it be to him to bring the best of you downe. Then I say, ye that hauehave the benefit of health, employ it to the honour of him, and comfort of his Church, that gaue you it. Thus farre concerning the second part of our diuision.
In the third part contained in the 14. verse, he letteth vsus see what he did in this great extremitie, the raging furie of his sicknesse being so great, he letteth vsus see what was his exercise: and he saith (as ye may see in that verse,) that notwithstanding God handled him so, yet he maketh his recourse to the same God who plagued him, and he seeketh and presseth friendship at the same God who threatned him. He seeketh him as ye may see in that verse, two manner of waies,By what waie… Hezechiah sought God. so long as his tongue serued him, that the extremitie of his disease tooke not away the vse of it from him. And whereas the extremitie of the disease tooke his speech from him, that he could not vtter his mind by words, yet he leaueth not off, but where he might not vtter his mind by distinct voyces and words, he seeketh him by a dolorous mourning, like to the Doue, and by a heauie lamentation, like to the chattering of the Swallow or Crane. And last of all, he in his gesture lifteth vp his eyes to heauen. By this meanes he retireth himselfe to God when the benefit of the tongue was taken from him.
The words that he speaketh so long as libertie is granted to him, are few, but very sententious. Where he saith, it hath oppressed me, refresh me or weaue me out, persisting in the similitude: As if he would say, I see well the rage and furie of my sicknesse is so great, that neither force of nature nor any naturall meanes is able to comfort me, the force of the disease hath ouercome all force of nature and naturall meanes: Therefore, seeing there is no helpe in nature, I make my recourse to the God of nature, to whom it is very easie to giuegive helpe where nature hath refused it. And therefore I desire of the omnipotent God that he would weaue out the rest of the web of my life, to restore me to my health, to his glory and to the comfort of his Church. This I thinke be the summe and meaning of his prayer, whether he mourned, whether he moned, whether he spake or chattered.
Why the K. sought the prorogation of his dayes.As to the words, the petition would onelyonly be considered. It might appeare strange that the King should seeke the prorogation of his dayes, as if there were not a life better then this, or a day after this; but if ye weigh the matter well, and consider the race of the historie, ye shall find that he had many particulars that mooued him to seeke the prorogation of his dayes; and chiefly we know that Manasses his sonne was not yet begotten, he lacketh as yet children, in whom he might see the pledges of Gods fauour and accomplishment of the promises made to him and his fathers house; and specially of that promise concerning the Messias. Now lacking children, in whom he should see the accomplishment of this promise, had he not good reason to seeke the lengthening of his daies vntill he see the promise accomplished?
As to the generall, I insisted in it before;In what respect it is lawfull to seeke the prorogation of dayes. and therefore I shall be the shorter. I say, it is lawfull in some respect to craue prorogation of dayes; for seeing it is the benefite of God, seeing the seruants of God hauehave sought it before, and seeing the Apostle counteth it a speciall mercy of God, as we may see in the person of Epaphroditus, Phil. 2. verse 29. we must also esteeme the same a speciall mercy. Whosoeuer knoweth surely in their minde, that the lengthening of their dayes will serue better to the glory of God, and comfort of his Church, then present death; I say, it is lawfull, and they may in faith craue it; Although there is a generall condition to be looked to in this, as in all other petitions, that ye submit your will and affections to be ruled by the good wil of God, in such sort, that ye hauehave your life and the commodities of it ready to lay downe at his feete, ready to offer vp in sacrifice when it pleaseth him.
Of this I shall gather one or two notes, and so I shall end this present exercise. The first thing that I wil you to marke,First lesson. is the contrary voices that this King vttereth in the 14. verse and in the verse foregoing: Reade these verses, and ye shall see how contrary he is to himselfe. In the 13. verse ye see he vttereth voices full of doubting, and as it appeareth, full of despaire, at the least full of doubting, he vttereth such voices as if God had bene his deadly enemy. In the fourteenth ver. he vttereth the flat contrary. And he maketh his recourse to the same God, whom he seeemeth to make his enemy, in the 13. verse, and he seeketh a blessing of him; which testifieth that he trusted in him: for none can call on him in whom they trust not. So this is his behauiour in this disease: one while he thinketh God a consuming fire, another while he hath his recouse to him as his onelyonly refuge. One while he vttereth voices full of doubting, another while he vttereth voices full of confidence. Now the question ariseth: Is it possible that faith and doubting can hauehave place both in one soule?Whether faith and doubting may be in a soule or not. I say, it is very possible, & there is neuer a one of ye seruants of God but they hauehave had it. And this is sure, that there is no conscience so at rest, that it is without al trouble, and no estate of men so quiet that is without some inquietnesse in this life: for it is the custome of God, to bring his dearest children sometime into doubting, & suppose he do so, yet in the meane time he susteineth them from despaire. Know we not that this faith of ours is imperfect, subiect to a continuall growing and progresse, but neuer coming to a perfection so long as we are here, subiect to stammering, to manifold errors, wrastlings, and doubtings? Yet all these imperfections are freely pardoned in the righteous merites of Iesus Christ. Where is that soule, or who is he that hath that soule, …hat if he will examine his faith with the absolute perfection that is in the nature of God, to whon nothing is pleasant but that which is perfect, who shall not fall in doubting so soone as he beholdeth him? Examine your faith with that perfection which is commanded in the Scriptures, and with that progresse that is wished for in the holy Scriptures, & who shall not doubt? By this examination, let him but cast downe his eyes on the manifold corruption yt is in him, and on the heauy iudgement of God that hangeth ouer both body and soule for sinne, and who will not doubt? It is not possible but he must doubt, hauing his eyes bent on himselfe and his affections, wherewith he is defiled. So I say, doubting is common to all the best seruants of God. There is none of you that will esteeme Paul to hauehave bene one of the worst; and yet his words declare, that there was a doubting in his soule: for 2. Corinth. 4.8. he sayth plainely, we are alwayes in affliction, but not in distresse: We are in doubt, but we despaire not. So he granteth that there is a doubting in the soule that hath faith; onelyonly he denieth despaire: As if he would say, I giuegive you to vnderstand, that doubting may stand in the soule with faith, but not to despaire: for the word despaire, importeth of it selfe, the cutting of the pillars of our beliefe. Therefore faith and despaire cannot both stand in one soule: But faith and doubting do lodge in my soule, and shall lodge in all the soules of the faithfull to the end of the world. VnderUnder doubting,What the Apostle comprehendeth vnderunder doubting. he comprehendeth all the errors, tentations, stammerings and wrastlings wherewith our faith is assaulted full oft, which makes vsus sometimes incline to despaire, sometimes to hope: whilest we looke on our selues, to despaire, and whilest we looke on the mercy of God in Christ Iesus, to hope. Now the Apostle taketh this doubting to himselfe, as a thing whereunto all Christians are subiect.
There are few of you that know what this meaneth, although it is certaine ye may be visited this way; therefore keepe in memory this, that suppose ye hauehave not to do with it your selues, yet ye may vse it when you visite others: for seeing we carry about with vsus these bodyes of sinne, (for the spirit of faith and sanctification filleth not all the soule in this life) and the largest part of the soule being defiled with this remanent corruption, it must vtter such stuffe as it hath, to wit doubting and stammering. Now seeing there remaineth in the greatest part this corruption, of necessity it must be occupied in doing, it must be working. And what bringeth it forth? Sinne. And what doth the multiplication of sinne, but hindereth our faith and perswasion, and casteth a veile and a mist betwixt the sight of God and vsus? and therefore the Prophet calleth it a separation, whereby we are depriued of the sight of God which we hauehave in the Mediator Christ. Seeing then so long as we are in these bodies of …lay, we are subiect to sinne, we cannot but doubt. For suppose we fall not into these grosse iniquities, yet sinne and the guiltinesse thereof bringeth a doubting, and casteth a veile ouer the eye of our faith; and this veile being on the eye of our fayth, out of question it hindreth our perswasion, and maketh vsus not to be so stedfast in our beliefe as otherwise we would be, for he that seeth euill, will oft times take one thing for another. So this corruption is the cause of our doubting, which in some measure is euer in the soule.
Now what learne we of this? first we learne this cōfort, yt it is no new thing to the seruants of God, Doctrine.to vtter contrary voices in their great trouble, to vtter voices proceeding of a deepe sense of the louelove and the mercy of God in one word, and in another word to vtter a fe…ling of his hatred and wrath, as if he were our deadly enemy. Sometimes this King vttereth words full of doubting, sometime he seeketh benefites of him as he were his good friend. Christ vsed these contrary voices. There was neuer a speciall seruant of God, but they had them: And Christ had them himselfe, more then any seruant that he hath; not proceeding of any doubting or mistrust in the mercy of his Father, (because in him there was no roote of infidelity,) but coming of the feeling of his extreme wrath for a time. Looke Matthew 26. There he sayth twise ouer, Let this cup depart from me. The contrary voices that Christ vsed in his trouble.And againe, he taketh vp himselfe and he sath, Not I as will, but as thou wilt: These are quite contrary; he saith to God, why hast thou forsaken me, and yet he calleth him, my God, my God. So I say, it is no new thing, to the seruants of God being in trouble, and hauing some roote of infidelity abiding stil in them, to vtter voices sometimes full of doubting, and sometimes full of faith. Thus farre for the first. Now againe, to testifie that the soule hauing faith hath bene subiect to doubting, and as faith is on the one part, so doubting is on the other: this is a thing that hath bene in all the seruants of God, and shall be to the end of the world. The example of this ye hauehave in Dauid, ye hauehave the example of it here in Hezechiah, & in all the rest of the good seruants of God. Then suppose many of you know not what I say, yet keepe the lesson in memory, for it shall stand you in great good steede. For this is sure, that suppose the paines of the body be great, yet there is as great difference betwixt the paines of the body and the paines of the soule, as is betwixt God and the creature. Ye would choose rather all the torments of the body that can be deuised, ere ye felt one touch of the consuming wrath of God in the soule. But yet these words will not effect it, for words will not mollifie the heart, except the Lord by the power of his Spirit worke in the heart. And therefore I hauehave to craue of God, & ye hauehave by your prayers to assist me, that ye be not vnfruitefull hearers of the word; but seeing there is a Hell, ye may study to preuent it. Now last of all,The King teacheth vsus how to pray in extremity. ye see the King learneth you a new fashion of prayer, and I beseech you marke it. When the extremity is so great that he may not vtter nor speake distinct voices, and his speech is taken from him, yet he leaueth not off to pray: but hath recourse to his lamenting & mourning, conterfeiting the distinct voices of the Doue, Crane & Swallow; by this diuersitie of tunes, vttering his great anxiety. And what fashion of prayer is this? I say, this kinde of sighing, mourning, and lifting vp of the eyes, is as good language to God, as any language spoken by the tongue. He vnderstandeth the meaning of thy sigh and grone, better then thou vnderstandest me that speakest. And how is this? It is his owne Spirit that raiseth these sighs & grones, that moueth these mournings. And I pray you, knoweth he not the meaning of his owne Spirit? This the Apostle declareth, Rom. 8. He knoweth the meaning of his owne Spirit, and therefore whether this Spirit moue vsus to sigh, to mourne or to speake, the Lord vnderstandeth all alike.Note. Then learne this forme of prayer, when the Lord visiteth you with sicknesse, in such sort that the vse of the tongue is taken from you, and ye may not lift vp your hands to praise him, nor lift vp your eies to looke vntounto him, yet let your moane be made; yea further, suppose the heart would not make moane with the mouth, yet let the mouth, suppose it hath no helpe, honour and glorifie God. Yea, I say more, suppose the case stand so, as it may be that the heart be contrary to prayer, and the mind will not assist the mouth to pray, yet ere God be not honoured, let him be honoured with the lip; & if the mouth wil not do it, let the hand do it. And eueryevery member in like maner, to the which the Lord ha…h giuen leaue, let thē honor God; because euen this striuing against the hardnes of the heart, and prouoking of it with the outward members of the body, is pleasant to God: & no doubt it is he who giues this will as a speciall grace, howbeit we get not incontinently the performance. If ye can learne this, it is not possible that ye can want prayer: for prayer is such, as sometimes is vttered by teares, sometimes by sighes, sometimes by words, and sometimes by gesture. And euer let thy Spirit be well occupied, musing vponupon God and spirituall things: and whether thou eate, whether thou drinke, take thy rest, or what euer thou do, let thy Spirit hauehave euer thy minde on God, comfort thee with this. When the Lord visiteth thee with such kinde of disease, that thy tong is taken from thee, let the rest of thy members honour him. And if ye be not so diseased your selfe, yet in your visitation comfort others herewith, assuring them that this kinde of language is as well vnderstood as if it were spoken with the tongue. I end here: This king is not exempted from trouble, he is not exempted from tentation both of body and soule. There is none that cast them to liue godly, but of force they must suffer trouble: There is none that will make them for heauen, but of all estates, prince or people, or what euer they be, they must walke in the strait way. As to them that walke in the broade way, they shall grow worse and worse, as the Apostle saith, till they come to such an height, vntill at the last the Lord anger them by the same sinnes, whereby they anger him. For this is his iust iudgement, that as thou hast angred him by Adultery, he shall anger thee by the same sinne: Hast thou angred him by blood, he shall anger thee by bloud also. Hast thou angred him by blasphemy, he shall anger thee with the punishment of blasphemy. Hast thou angred him with drunkennesse, he shall anger thee with the punishment of drunkennesse. For eueryevery sin hath the owne punishment in the selfesame. Then as ye would eschue the punishment of sinne: so cast you to eschue sinne, that so farre as the Lord will giuegive you grace, ye may keepe your selues free. And so ye shall hauehave, not onelyonly ioy & long dayes here, but euerlasting ioy after this, purchased to vsus in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus: To whō with the Father, & the holy Spirit, be al honor, praise & glory, for euer & euer; Amen.