Conversion of Nineveh, Gods Trumpet, Physic Against Famine, Recapitulation 2 – Dedication 2
A Recapitulation of the Doctrines handled in this Scripture.
THe way to prevent Gods judgments, is to repent.
Doubtleſſe ſuch as continue in ſinne without repentance ſhall periſh.
We are rather to looke to our ſelves, then to cenſure others.
Outward judgments neither alwaies ſeaze upon the worſt ſort, neither alwayes free the beſt men.
God hath many wayes to take away mans life, and that ſuddainely, when pleaſeth him.
The wicked are by nature bloody and cruell.
Examples of Gods judgements upon ſome are profitable to others.
Jt is lawfull for the Miniſter of God to uſe parables and ſimilitudes.
The end of Gods patience ought to be our repentance.
The favour and patience of God toward his Church is infinite.
Patience neglected and abuſed bringeth deſtruction.
Evill minded men are altogether unprofitable to themſelves and others.
Gods children make interceſſion for others, and are heard.
We ſhould not utterly deſpaire of the ſalvation of others, howſoever they runne aſtray.
The promiſes and threatnings of God are conditionall.
The barren eſtate is very dangerous, neere to the fire.
Repentance obtaineth for giveneſſe of ſinnes, and the favour of God.
All that are in the Church are not true members of the Church.
The Lrod, though he ſuffer long, puniſheth at laſt.
Such as grow deſperate and are paſt recovery, God is determined to deſtroy.
FINIS.
PHISICKE AGAINST FAMINE. OR, A SOVERAIGNE Preſervative againſt all diſtruſtfull thoughts and cares touching the things of this life, preſcribed and adminiſtred by the beſt Phyſicion of ſoule and body, Chriſt Ieſus:
Comfortable in theſe dayes.
Opened and expounded in certaine Sermons, by WILLIAM ATTERSOLL, Miniſter of the Word of God.
PSAL. 37.25. I have beene yong, and now am old: yet have I not ſeene the righteous forſaken, nor his ſeed begging bread.
ROM. 8.32. He that ſpared not his owne Sonne, but delivered him up for us all, how ſhall he not with him alſo freely give us all things?
LONDON, Printed by E. A. for Michael Sparke the yonger, dwelling at the blue Bible in Greene Arbour. 1632.
TO THE RIGHT VVORſhipfull and worthy Lady, the Lady DOROTHY SHVRLEY, all happineſſe in this life, and in the life to come.
Madam;
THe ſaying of the Apoſtle is remarkable and never to be forgotten, 1 Tim. 4.8. & 6.6.Godlineſſe is profitable unto all things, having the promiſe of the life that now is, and of that which is to come: and afterward in the ſame Epiſtle, Godlines with cōtentment is great gaine. For what can it profit a man, if hee ſhould gaine the whole world, and then loſe his owne ſoule? Now the drift of this enſuing Treatiſe (as appeareth by the Title) is to ſhew to a godly Chriſtian, received already into the love and favour of God in this life, & looking for happines in heaven after this life, by what holy meanes he may ſupport his heart, as poſts doe the houſe, with ſufficient contentment againſt all the miſeries that doe or may aſſault him in time of neceſſity. The croſſes and tentations, wherewith the life, eſpecially of a poore Chriſtian is diſtreſſed, are manifold, and Satan worketh upon their ſeverall wants, to ſurprize them, and make them often cry out, What ſhall we eate? Matth. 6.31.or what ſhall we drinke? or wherewithall ſhall we be clothed? Every calling in the world, from the higheſt to the loweſt, is aſſaulted with his proper and peculiar tentations, and there are certaine unlawfull and ungodly courſes practiſed by wicked man, which we may not unfitly call The ſpeciall ſinnes of ſuch a calling. Hence it is, that the Apoſtle among other precepts beateth upon this, Heb. 13.5, 6. Gen. 28.15. Deut. 31.6, 8. Ioſh. 1.5.Let your converſation be without covetouſneſſe, and bee content with ſuch things as ye have; for hee hath ſaid, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee: ſo that we may boldly ſay, The Lord is my helper, I will not feare what man ſhall doe unto me: and our Saviour, to comfort us againſt feare of famine, ſendeth us ſometimes to God, ſometimes to our ſelves, ſometimes to the Heaven, ſometimes to the earth, and ſometimes to the Gentiles, that by all theſe wee might have ſtrong conſolation and reſt in him, that hath given us both our lives and our bodies. Conſider a little the Hiſtory of the Creation, as it is deſcribed in the Booke of Geneſis: God made all the Creatures to ſerve for mans uſe, before he made man himſelfe, wherein wee may behold a perpetuall patterne of his providence, that he never bringeth any into the world, but that firſt hee ordaineth things needfull for them, for the time alotted them to be there; even as milke in the Mothers breſts for the child to ſucke, before ever the child be borne to ſucke the ſame. A very gaod patterne alwaies to have before on eyes, againſt that diſtruſt and infidelity which commonly hangeth on, and haunteth the nature of man in thoſe matters. Let us alſo take heed of ſetting our heart upon the world, and the things in the world, and be ready evermore to confeſſe in word, and ſhew it by our, practice that we account our ſelves to be but as Strangers and Pilgrims in this world: Heb 11.13. Pſal. 62.10.if riches increaſe, we muſt looke to it, that we ſet not our hearts upon them: and we muſt uſe the world, as if we uſed it not, becauſe the faſhion thereof paſſeth away. And if we doe not ſet our hearts and affections upon our riches, ſundry good fruits will follow thereupon. Firſt, it bringeth comfort and contentment with our eſtate, as being that portion which God allotteth unto us, & maketh us not to repine againſt his providence, becauſe we have not a larger allowance; for he that doth not too much affect their preſence, will not too much bewaile their abſence, neither be diſcontent becauſe he hath not abundance of that which hee doth not much regard; but as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Tim. 6.8.Having food and raiment, will therewith reſt contented. Secondly, having ſtore of this worlds good, if wee doe not ſet our hearts upon them, then we will be content to leave them, whenſoever God the ſupreme and ſoveraigne Owner calleth againe for them, and not exceſſively mourne for them when they leave us. And as we will not refuſe and reject them when we have them, ſeeing they are the gifts of God, ſo when they betake them to their wings and flee away, we will looke after them with a quiet minde, as it was with Iob; who, becauſe hee rejoyced not when his ſubſtance was great, Iob 31.25. & 1 21.and when his hand had gotten much, therefore he did not much grieve when his wealth was taken away, but in his greateſt loſſe praiſeth the Lord. So alſo it was with Paul, who, becauſe he uſed this world as not abuſing it, and eſteemed the beſt things thereof no better then dung in compariſon of Chriſt and his benefits, 1 Cor. 7.31. Phil. 3.7, 8. & 4.11, 12, 13.it was no great paine to him to take forth a farther leſſon, in what ſtate ſoever he was, therewithall to be content: he could be abaſed and abound, every where in all things he was inſtructed, both to be full, and to be hungry, to abound, and to have want: yea, hee could ſay, I can doe all things through Chriſt which ſtrengtheneth me. Thirdly, if worldly riches be wanting, we will not ſeeke them by evil meanes, nor glory in them when we have them to make us high minded, or to put our truſt and confidence in them. Laſtly, it will make us keepe a vigilant eye over them, that through our abuſe they doc not degenerate from their owne nature, and become Satans baits to allure us, nor his ſnares to intangle us, nor his thornes to choke us, that the ſeed of the Word cannot proſper, neither the graces of God grow in us. Hence it is that I goe about to perſwade to lay hold on Gods ſpeciall providence watching over his children, to ſuccour and relieve them out of hopeleſſe and remedileſſe troubles, when they appeare deſtitute of all ſuccour, and in a manner in a deſperate eſtate, without all meanes left unto them. When the Sonnes of Iacob ſtood gazing one upon another, that is, Gen. 42.1.they fared as men amazed, and at their wits end, that they know not what to doe for themſelves, their wives, and their children; then the Lord by his good hand opened a way for their reliefe, that there was plenty of Corne in Egypt, when there was none in the Land of Canaan, verifying his gracious promiſe, Gen. 8.22. So when the poore widdow in time of a great famine was brought to that extremity, 1. King. 17.12, 13.that ſhee had but an handfull of meale in a barrell, and a little oyle in a cruſe, and was now going purpoſely to gather a few ſtickes to dreſſe it for her ſelfe and her ſonne, that they might eate and die; when ſhe was in this great perplexity, neceſſity, and extremity, the Lord (that never leaveth his) by his good providence directed the Prophet Elijah (who immediately before had himſelfe beene fed by Ravens that brought him bread and fleſh in the morning, verſe 6.and bread and fleſh in the evening) to tell her good newes, that the barrell of meale ſhould not waſte, verſe 14.neither the cruſe of oyle faile, until the Day that the Lord ſendeth raine upon the earth. Thus it was with the widdow of one of the ſonnes of the Prophets, ſhe was left ſo farre in debt, that her children were to be ſold to ſatiſfie the griping and greedineſſe of the mercileſſe Creditor: and ſhe had nothing to diſcharge it, 2 Kings 4.2.but a little pitcher of oyle: yet ſhe was provided for by wonderfull meanes: all which examples, as a cloud of witneſſes, doe verifie the ſaying of the Pſalmiſt, Pſa. 33.18, 19. and 37.25.Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him, upon them that hope in his mercy, to deliver their ſoule from death, and to keepe them alive in famine: and Pſal. 37. I have beene young, and now am old, yet have I not ſeene the righteous forſaken, nor his ſeed begging bread.
But if there were no other reaſons or conſiderations, then ſuch as are handled in this Scripture, to be as a preſervative or counterpoiſon againſt diffidence and diſtruſt, touching earthly things, which doe more diſquiet & diſturbe, not onelyonly the naturall man, but even the Regenerate themſelves oftentimes, then any thing in the world beſides, herein we may finde matter ſufficient to take from us the carnall feare of future wants: firſt, becauſe we are his Flocke, and he is our Shepheard. Will the good Shepheard ſtarve his Sheepe, and not make them lye downe in greene paſtures? This confidence in God doth the Prophet ſhew, and concludeth from this ground the point in hand, The Lord is my Shepheard, Pſal. 23.1.therefore I ſhall not want: how then can they aſſure themſelves to be in the number of the Sheep of Chriſt, that doe not rely upon the care of this great Shepheard? As then the Prophet ſaith in another caſe, Eſay 40.11. Ezek. 34.2.Should not the Shepheards feed the Flocke? So we may be aſſured, that the Shepheard of Iſrael, that leadeth Ioſeph like a Flocke, will never be wanting to his ſheepe, that call and cry unto him. Secondly, becauſe the Title given to God, aſſureth us hereof, he is called a Father. Pſal. 80.1, 2.Will the father give over the care of his children, and forſake or forget the fruite of his owne body? nay, doth not the Prophet ſay, Eſay 49.15.Can a woman forget her ſucking child, that ſhe ſhould not have compaſſion on the ſonne of her wombe? yea, they may forget: yet will I not forget thee, whom I have graven upon the palmes of my hands. And Chriſt our Saviour ſpeaketh to the ſame purpoſe, What man is there of you, Matth. 7.9.10.11.whom if his ſonne aske bread, will he give him a ſtone? or if he aske a fiſh, will he give him a Serpent? If ye then being evill, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more ſhall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him? Laſtly, becauſe we have the promiſe of a Kingdome, and of the glory of heaven which is unſpeakeable, incomprehenſible, and everlaſting. He that hath promiſed us a Kingdome, will he with-hold from us food and raiment? nay, Rom. 8.32.as the Apoſtle teacheth us to reaſon, He that ſpared not his owne Sonne, but delivered him up for us all, how ſhall he not with him alſo freely give us all things? So ſhould we cōclude, that ſeeing he hath called us to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved in heaven, 1 Pet. 1.4. He will never leave us nor forſake us in this life, but if we firſt ſeeke the Kingdome of God, Matth 33.all other things ſhall be added unto us. He that promiſeth and provideth the greater, can he faile us and not performe the leſſe? He that maketh us Kings unto his Father, and hath promiſed a Crowne, Auguſt. de verb. Domini Qui dabit regnum, non dabit viaticum?will he deny us a bit of bread, and a cup of drinke?
Theſe points are more particularly diſcuſſed and opened in the enſuing Treatiſe, which I have preſumed to dedicate to your Lady-ſhip, and not without good and waighty reaſons. You heard the publike preaching of them with ſpeciall attention, (though many yeeres ſince,) and therefore I muſt needs acknowledge you among my beſt hearers and friends, and withall conſecrate vntounto you ſome part of my labours, which I have beſtowed in writing. Beſides, conſidering your earneſt deſire, to know that God, whoſe goodneſſe you have alwaies tried, your zeale to glorifie him, on whom you have alwaies called, your care to walke in his waies, whom you have alwaies ſerved, and the fruits of a lively faith, that have plentifully flowed from you, whereof there are ſo many eye-witneſſes among us, the hearts of many diſtreſſed Miniſters, and the loynes of many poore people being ready to bleſſe you, and God for you: I cannot but beſeech your Lady-ſhip, to accept of this ſmall teſtimony of my unfained obſervance of your many praiſes in the Goſpell, and as a pledge of my thankefulneſſe, which I leave behind me to the world, being now ready to goe out of it. The God of eternall glory, the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, make you abound yet more and more in all the riches of his ſaving graces in this life, and fill you with the inward comforts of the bleſſed hope of the appearance of Jeſus Chriſt.
Your Lady-ſhips in all Chriſtian duties to command, WILLIAM ATTERSOLL.