Balm for Bleeding England and Ireland, Sermon 10
USEFULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times.
COLOSS. 1.11.
—Long ſuffering] with joyfulneſſe.
Doct. OF Patience intrinſecally, according to 'its formality, I have ſpoken at large: of patience now extrinſecally, as an habit puts forth it ſelfe to act, as ſhoulders ſet themſelves to beare, and to beare long, I am led by my Text to ſpeake—long-ſuffering, &c. Goſpell ſufferings are ſometimes of great duration: Chriſtians are called to ſuffer, and to ſuffer long—long-ſuffering.
The Apoſtle ſpake of Patience according to its dimenſions—all patience, &c. In reference to ſuffering, as conſidering it according to its dimenſions— long: he ſpake of grace in proportion to uſe; all patience is but little enough to make long-ſuffering, all patience is but little enough to manage ſuch a profeſſion, which all along is lyable to perſecution, to ſuffering as long as being in this World.
Things here below have more then their naked being; they have their being and their dimenſions; ſo big, ſo broad, ſo long: ſo have afflictions, more then their naked eſſe in a Chriſtian, more then barely to denominate him an afflicted man; they have their dimenſions, their bigneſſe and length, to denominate ſuffering ſo great, ſo long—long-ſuffering, ſufferings for truth are ſometimes long lived. If any man will be my Diſciple (ſaith Chriſt) Let him take up his croſſe [daily Luke 9.23. A daily croſſe, daily bleeding makes long-ſuffering. Like to this is that expreſſion of David, My ſoule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace, ſpeaking of Doeg, A Chriſtian is incident to ſuffering by Doegs and divels long.
A Chriſtians condition is envied:Jnai…a eſt vitium vitio permamanens. envy is a long lived thing; 'twill live as long as there is any marrow in the bones; twill hunt a David long; through Ziffe, Engedy, many wilderneſſes, though never ſo long. twill find a dart to throw at a David, till it hath killed him, or ſtab'd it ſelfe. Envy ſights deſperately, and unweariedly, twil never give over as long as there is breath; twill eate no bread till it hath done its worke, killed a Paul or ſtarved it ſelfe. Envy is al ſpirit: al evill ſpirits in one, tis a ſpirit of the right breed for the devil; twill fight, and fight till death: twill worke to the utmoſt vires, as long as nerves and ſinewes bind bones together: 'tis everlaſting burning, which nothing will quench but its owne bloud: Saints have had the triall on't long. — long ſuffering.
A Chriſtians condition is qualifyed: —Triſtitia laetis.he hath ſweet things and bitter in every diſh, downe along to the lower end of his Table: al-long his life he ſhall know that he is not at home. He hath enough ſometimes to ſay 'tis good being here, but never enough to ſay 'tis beſt being here. His rapture hath a rupture, a ſad breaking off: his glory, a ſhadow: his ſtatue a curtain drawen before it: his heavenly viſion, is let down and drawen up, his ſunſhines and clap's in, ſuitable to this clowdy and impure region, thus it doth through out the day. Few and evill, many and evill, all evil doth good Iacob call his dayes, ſo were all his ſweets imbitter'd and qualifyed by God. If one mercy be come, another muſt be gon: if corne be come Benajmin muſt be gon; ſome thing for life is come, and he that had the fathers ſoule muſt be gone. If ſome children come home well, ſome evil is befallen the reſt — Joſeph is without doubte rent in pieces. Gen. 37.33.So 'twas with the bleſſed ſeed afterward, which inherited the promiſe: Milke and Hony, and prickes in the ſides whilſt eating on't; and ſo it muſt be all a long, as long as in Canaan; the beſt people, long ſufferers in the beſt place, that earth will afford.
A Chriſtians condition is improved, Chriſtians are Gods Vineyard; into this Vineyard God ſends labourers to worke hard, and to worke ſo, long; to the ſixth, ninth and laſt houre, to make much fruit. Afflictons are Gods day-labourers; they work and worke thoroughout mans day, to plow and breake up his fallow heart; to grub up rootes, bitter rootes, and to prepare the way of the Lord, for good fruit. As God hath day-labourers to belabour the eare, the heart, the inward man, and theſe kept at worke till the ninth and laſt houre of mans life; ſo hee hath day-labourers to be labour the back, the belly, the outward man, and theſe kept at worke as long as the other, as long as man lives, the one to prepare the way for the other; one to plow and breake up, and the other to ſow. The heart of man, hath an unexpreſſible hardneſſe, the hardneſſe of an Adamant; many blowes will not break this ſtone: it muſt be ſoakt in teares, and in bloud long.
Afflictions are bitters to weane,To moderate in lawfull things. from ſweets that are not neceſſary. There is but one neceſſary, the ſoule makes many, tis whipt and whipt long ere 'twill leave this. Some children are not eaſiy to weane; bitters muſt be laid upon the breaſt, and lie long there, ere the dug be caſt off: 'twas long ere David could ſay, Lord my heart is not haughty, ſurely I have behaved and quieted my ſelfe, as a child that is wean'd of his mother.
To take away unlawfull things.Afflictions are to take away ſinne: By this therefore ſhall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his ſinne, &c. Iſa. 27.9. Afflictions and ſufferings were onelyonly to torture ſin, this might quickly be done, but they are to take away ſinne, this is long work. The furnace is to purify; it muſt be heate and heate long, to melt and ſegregate, to diſcover, diſperſe, and take away droſſe. Afflictions are to worke truth in the inward parts, tis long ere man be good at heart: they are to heighten integrity, tis longer ere the heart become ſo upright, as to be a heart after Gods owne heart: tis long ere a foule ſtomake will be made vomit up all, tis long ere man will be brought to obſerve all Gods will, this makes great plagues and of long continuance. If thou will not obſerve to doe all the words of this Law, that are written in this booke, that thou maiſt feare this glorious and fearefull name, THE LORD THY GOD. Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull, and the plagues of thy ſeed, even great plagues and of long continuance, [and ſore ſickeneſſes and of long continuance. Deutrenomy 28.58, 59.
God puts weight,To ſerve in truth. great weight upon truth, to make it enter, and make thorough impreſſion: truth is managed with great art, to put back every ſpring, and to make the bolt goe forth as far as it ſhould, and as faſt and facile as it ſhould. Let theſe ſayings ſinke downe into your eares; for the Sun of man ſhall be delivered into the hands of men. Luke 9.44. Chriſt made a weight of himſelfe, and ties this to his words, to make them ſinke down into mens hearts: he makes a weight now of us, ſpeakes and then ſtrikes, ſtrikes and ſtrikes often and long, and then ſayes ſecretly to the ſoule, let theſe and theſe words now ſinke down into their eares. Chriſt is faine to bore way for truth, to bore a long hole, from the eare to the heart, and this many times is a long while a doing, ſix yeeres ten yeers, twenty yeers.
A Chriſtians condition is conform'd: 'tis made to ſpeake Chriſt within and without; in ſpirit, in fleſh; the booke is written within and without; in our ſoules, in our bodies we are made to beare the markes of the Lord Jeſus; markes broad and long, juſt like his in every circumſtance. The plowers made —long furrowes on his back, as long as his life: he was acquainted with griefe: griefe and hee were long acquaintance, his whole voiage about this lower world was in ſtormes. A man of ſorrowes: his life made up of ſighs, groans, teares, words, bloud; thus breath'd, thus expir'd; a mourning life, a bleeding death. The ſervant is as his Lord; ſufferers both, as long as livers in this World: the Apoſtle apprehended theſe Chriſtians would finde it ſo, therefore ſo prayd. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience [and long-ſuffering with joyfulneſſe.
Ʋſe. I have given you a ſurvey of the way to Heaven, expect dirty lanes and very long. The way is narrow, tis ſo all along; ſcratching and tearing thornes and briers on both ſides, touching one another, that 'tis hard to make one ſtep skin-whole. Can yee beare theſe ſayings? Can yee beare ſuch doings? Can yee beare till your backes ake? Can yee beare till your backes breake? Can yee beare till you ſinke and die under your burden; Can yee ſuffer long? as long as yee live? Can yee leave all and follow Chriſt? all your ſtate, all your limbes, all your comforts, al your dayes? Can yee ſpend and end your dayes in miſery, to be bleſſed in another world? you may think yee can doe ſo and be deceived; Peter did ſo, I will ſpeake to this point a little.
There be three ſorts of hearts which cannot ſuffer long. A naturall heart, an engaged heart, a careleſſe heart. Can nothing, endure much? much, long? Can man beare much, which hath no ſhoulders? Can a profane heart, an hypocriticall heart, or what elſe carnall heart you can name, beare much they know not for what? ſuffer long and taſt not inwardly, for what? A Iudas will kiſſe Chriſt and depart, and hang himſelfe rather then be hang'd for Chriſt. Gold endures fire long, as long as you will: caſt a Ioſeph, an upright man, into priſon, and he will lie there long, as long as the devill will, till the Iron, enter into his ſoule. Truth will live and die with truth. I will not wager a ſtraw upon any man for his parts, let them be what they will, in point of long ſuffering: what is the man at heart? that will he be for continuance in hardſhip for truth. Naturall courage may doe much in a deſperate way, but deliberate tryall, long ſuffering tyres this quite. Nature can goe no further, then ſhee can. The old man cannot travell; long paines and toile, will make him petition for a Quietus eſt, for an accommodation, for any peace ſo he may ſit downe quiet, and ſleep in a whole skin:
An engaged heart cannot ſuffer long. A Sampſon will give up at laſt, and betray his owne life, that is engaged in heart to pleaſe a wife, a friend, his own unmortifyed heart, any one before GOD. A heart that will bee drawne was never, will never be a long ſufferer: this is the worſt temper of all, for long worke: this man has his diſadvantage within, Satan will often viſit him, to ſpare himſelfe, and this heart will finde ſo much diſcretion at laſt, as to hearken to him, and chuſe ſinne rather then ſuffering, then ſuffering long. I never knew a man that could be made, but Satan could doe it firſt or laſt. Either the glory of this World, or the terrour of this World, the caſting down from a pinacle, will fetch about that man, in whoſe heart Satan when hee comes finds ſomething, ſome ſelfe-engagement. The heart ſo far as engaged, is ſelfiſh; ſo far as man is ſelfiſh, ſo far wil he admit of parley with the evil one, the divell was never admitted to parley with man, but he carried it; his Parliament will ſway every ſelfiſh man, to looke to his skin and his life above his ſoule.
A careleſſe ſpirit will never ſuffer long. 'Tis ſome mans ſpirit, to make little of much, at a diſtance; ſuch men uſually ſinke under a little, when come upon them. Confident men, never prove long ſuffering men: juſtice makes ſuch know that they are but bubles, a little ſtir breakes them, a little heate diſſolves them. They are never in that good Kings ſtrait,—We know not what to doe, ſo long as troubles keep at any diſtance, if it be but at skin diſtance, till troubles come to touch the skin, and touch to the quick, and then they know not what to doe indeed. 'Tis worſe then long ſuffering to ſome men, to be told of it, or to thinke of it; they drinke downe all; and feaſt dead their feares, and (I feare) their ſoules. Doe yee not ſee this? Is not London wanton and voluptuous ſtill? What table can yee come at, that ſpeakes this, London is like to ſuffer long? Will feaſting fit for hungring and ſtarving? will the killing of your ſoules fit you for the killing of your bodies? Ah Lord! will wicked wantons, beaſtly belly-gods, drunken careles Nabals, prove long ſufferers for truth? will perſons that cannot now live without exceſſe, without too much and too fine, doe well when they ſhall want neceſſaries, and want them long, longer then many others for much more abuſe? Surely theſe wretches will be doubly miſerable when miſery comes: they will wiſh themſelves any where, to be delivered from the fruit of their wayes. All the Armour of God ſhould be look'd after with all diligence to make fit for long ſuffering, and careleſſe ſoules looke after none, and yet they dreame they ſhall ſuffer as long, and as well as the beſt, but they doe but dreame. They will loſe their ſoules in a dreame; their careleſneſſe will make their long ſuffering as long as eternity.
I have ſpoken to take off ſecurity I will alſo ſpeake ſomething to take off ſcandall & ſo paſſe this point. Sufferings for truth fall out ſometimes to be many and long, this is the point, and this is likely to be our condition: Englands troubles looke as if they would be long, they have a long viſage in my eye two or three things make mee thinke our ſuffering wilbe long.
The firſt is this, a ſpirit of confuſion is power'd out upon us: 'tis very generall and very ſtrong. 'Twas ſo when the Jewes came firſt out of Babylon; when they came to Heruſalem to ſet about the building of Gods houſe, then fell in a ſpirit of ſtrong confuſion amongſt them; ſome were for the old houſe, ſome for the new; ſome Cried to thinke of the externall glory of the old houſe, others joy'd to ſee the beginnings of a more ſpirituall houſe; but this is very obſervable, the worſt note was the lowdeſt: a man could not diſcerne the noiſe of the ſhout of joy, for the beginnings of the new houſe, the noiſe of the weeping and crying of the people for the old, was ſo great: out of this ſpirit of confuſion ſprung up Vipers and Serpents, ſuch as tooke this advantage, and hindered that great worke of the Lord many yeares, and made their ſuffering long, as you may ſee exactly in that ſtory. This is our caſe at this day: there are many joy to ſee ſome beginnings of a more pure worſhip; ſome hopes of raiſeing and finiſhing this, raiſeth their hearts: but there be many more which cry and take on, for the old houſe, for the pomp and glory of Biſhops, garments, pipes, carnall ordinances, which pleaſe carnall ſences, and the cry of theſe is ſo loud, that the joy of Gods people cannot be heard; 'tis now as quite buried. Out of this confuſion hath ſprung up Sanballats and Tobias, ſtrong adverſaries; ſo ſtrong, and ſo many, that they are likely to hinder Gods building much, and make our ſuffering long.
A ſecond thing that gives, our troubles a long viſage in my eye, is this: A joſtling ſpirit of pride and frowardneſſe againſt authority; againſt thoſe which God hath wonderfully raiſed to deliver us, as wonderfully as ever he raiſed Moſes to deliver Iſrael out of Egypt. Yee take too much upon you ſaid Corah and his company, ſeeing all the Congregation is holy (i) holy enough already. This is the very ſpirit and language of many great ones and ſmall ones, at this very day, reſpecting the Parliament. They take too much upon them, things were well enough, as under the government of Biſhops, and as in Queene Elizabeths time, King Iame's time. Reformation in Church and ſtate according as our preſent condition, and the increaſe of light calles for, becauſe this attempted, renders the Parliament as odious in the eyes of many, great, and ſmall, as ever was Moſes in the eye of Corah and his company, for diſcharging his conſcience. This ſpirit became very ſpreading then, and ſo ſtrong, that God was faine to make Iſraels miſery long, till he had cut off all that were unworthy of that which Moſes and Aaron laboured to bring them to: ſo may this ſpirit make our ſufferings long, ſo long, till God hath cut off al theſe proud joſtling ſpirits, which are altogether unworthy of thoſe great mercies, which our honeſt-hearted Parliament, painefully labours to bring us to.
A third thing that makes our troubles have a long viſage in my eye, is this, That the one thing neceſſary to publique welfare, is not preferred and proſecuted, as ſuch a thing: that is, according to its dignity, and our duty. The maine thing (I conceive) to our publique wel-fare, is to perfect our reformation of Religion, to raiſe up and finiſh that building, the foundation whereof our Fathers bravely laid, in their owne bloud. Iſrael ſuffer'd much, and ſuffer'd long, a conſumption followed them, till it had brought them almoſt to nothing, becauſe they grew ſlack about the maine, and preferr'd their owne houſes, the ſeiling and finiſhing of them, before Gods Houſe. At firſt when they came togegether to Jeruſalem, they were hot upon Gods Houſe, but being diverted by troubles they grew cold, and involved their ſpirits in their owne affaires, which coſt them deare and brought them into a deepe conſumption: I am affraid this is our caſe. Our Parliament at firſt comming together, ſeem'd very hot about Church affaires (though not ſo hot then as, I could have wiſh't:) God had his Committee amongſt many other of our owne, I meane a Committee about ſcandalous Miniſters, and matters wherein God is moſt immediately concerned; this Committee was of life and heat a time, and the dread and Majeſty of that great Court hereby, great; many troubles came in, and this Committee laid downe, and other things relateing to this ſtay'd off; by meanes of which the Majeſty of that honourable Houſe is much weakened, becauſe God much neglected: I am affraide this will bring us into a deepe conſumption, and make Englands ſufferings long, becauſe wee make God ſuffer ſo long, all the Kingdome over, by blinde worſhip, and blind Miniſters, who are now the activeſt Engines againſt us.
A fourth thing which makes our troubles looke with a long viſage in my eye, is this, God hath ſuffered our troubles to grow beyond our Tiller, as the Archers terme is, our bow is made too ſtrong for us to bend, this makes long worke to bee ready. If an unruly child creep up under the lenity of Parents, to become an unruly boy, one in bodily ſtrength, ſuiteable to his ſpirit, before taken downe, this ſpeakes long ſuffering to ſuch parents: this is Englands caſe. Our wicked children are growne up, under the wing and lenity of the Parliament, to virility, to mans eſtate, to externall ſtrength ſuiteable to their internall temper, this I am affraid ſpeakes long ſuffering to thee, O poore England. Juſtice doth not looke as if ſhee would lay down her rod preſently, when ſhee is gathering more and more twigs. A few malignants are become many; many without Armes, many, in Armes: our locuſts goe forth by troopes. Juſtice doth not uſe to make a rod of ſo many, and ſo great twigs, for a little worke: ſtrong twigs and rods are gather'd to laſt, for long work.
A fift thing that makes Englands troubles looke with a long viſage in my eye, is this, A heavy ſpirit ſeemes to be fallen upon us, —Make their eares heavy (ſaith God) their Eares? that is, their hearts: I am affraid that plague is heavily fallen upon us. Heavy jades are ſhap'd to much beating; a little will not make them goe. Men come up to their light, like a beare to the ſtake: how heavy hath our motion beene, to blaſt the Common Prayer Booke by publique vote? how heavily brought on to judge it an agreement? how heavily brought on, to clip the power of Biſhops? how heavily brought on to vote them quite downe, although ſuch as had voted and almoſt acted downe God and all good in the Land? how much farther hath many Parliament men gone, in matters of Gods worſhip, then droven? I keepe honour in my breaſt towards them, who have done throughout truely honorably. For the execution of thorough Juſtice, are they not now by the ſword droven? and will they goe now? My heart bleeds to conſider this, what a heavy ſpirit is upon us, in the proſecution of that worke which God hath thruſt us upon. Our eyes are halfe open, as heavy-headed mens eyes are, to ſee our advantages, and our handes in our boſom, like heavy ſluggards when wee ſhould take and proſecute advantages, which God wonderfully gives us. A heavy ſpirit ſpeakes heavy miſery, ſuffering much, and ſuffering long: a heavy ſpirit makes heavy miſery neceſſary; ſuch a temper otherwiſe will never go ſo far in good, as it ſhould.
The laſt thing which makes our ſufferings looke with a long viſage in my eye, is this, ſuffering doth not ſoften: our fire doth not melt, but harden and make brawny the heart of the moſt. The weekly newes of our bleeding, is become as the weekly bill of the plague, read over and throwne a ſide. Many bodies kill'd, how many ſoules more alive then were? What heart goes in ſecret, and bleeds in his brethrens wounds? Many kill'd, many more worſe then kil'd; maim'd, ſpoil'd, turn'd out of all, and likely to ſtarue to death; goe weeping, wailing, and wringing their hands up and down the Country, yea up and downe here, and doe fully looke ſome of you in the face, and yet I ſee no ſigne of all this in your faces. Their tone is dolefull, doe wee eccho to them? The ſpoiled mourne to the ſaved, doe we weepe with them that weep? doe we beare their burden as our own? Let every mans conſcience ſpeake, and acquit him if it can. Doth not this ſaddly ſpeak more ſuffering, becauſe no man will ſuffer, till Juſtice bring ſuffering to his own doore? No man will be afflicted, till it come to his owne turne; no man will afflict himſelfe, all is put upon God, he muſt doe it man by man; many will not be afflicted in few, this will be long worke. I can ſadly tell you of hearts, more brawny then theſe: hearts that would not have ſpoiling ceaſe, becauſe it inricheth them: no, not killing ceaſe, becauſe 'tis their gainfull trade; that ſee bloud and deſolation dayly, and yet have no bowells, but feare this wil end too ſoon; that cut out their worke, to laſt: this is not the ſpirit of a Souldier, but the ſpirit of a Butcher, that lives by killing as his Trades, and pockets up the prize of bloud and miſery, with joy. This a Souldier? a Judas, a Wolfe, that growes fat upon the carkaſſes of the ſlaine. Men that ſtrive after places, to kill bodies for gaine, Ah Lord! who hath kill'd ſuch ſoules? This is the ſpirit of a Souldier, to goe about a bleeding worke with a bleeding heart, and yet this is conſiſtent with the ſpirit of a Lyon, to a mans place: Muſt I kill bodies to ſave ſoules? O that wickedneſſe ſhould thruſt ſuch deadly worke upon me, how many ſuch Souldiers have we? if deliverance from ſuffering, come no faſter then true ſenſibility under it, ſurely Englands ſufferings will be long. That ſenſibility that is, more ſelfiſh then divine. When will our troubles have an end? when this? and when that? who is that man, that lookes upon the plaiſter, as ſuited to a ſore? When will the ſore be well? whoſe heart beates thus? but every mans tone is, when wil the War end? Why? when all bad bloud is out of thy veines, will not that be long firſt? and yet wil not that be ſoon enough?
Theſe things and ſuch like, make me feare, Chriſtians, that your ſufferings will be long: but be not offended, we cannot be too long in the Hand of God. If long lying among the pots, bring us forth with ſilver wings at laſt, our long ſuffering will recompenſe it ſelfe: who wil then complaine that Englands ſufferings have beene too long? Gold ſeven times purified, wil gliſter gloriouſly: thorough refining, wil make England the the glory of al Landes. If Ioſeph lye priſoner long, and be raiſed to be Prince at laſt, hath he cauſe to complaine of hardſhip? that his ſuffering was too long? A heart apt to take offence at Gods dealing is willing to depart; let ſuch goe, God wil have enough to doe his worke. Revolt under your long ſuffering, and your ſuffering wil be long indeed, as long as England laſts, as long as Hell laſts.
FINIS.