The True Treasury, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
AND that's a ſecond thing we were exhorting all to do. If it be God that ſpeaks reſt upon his Word, and improove it for ſtrong conſolation, Heb. 6. Pſalme 56.4. Pſalme 119.54ſinging with David, In God will J praiſe his word, in the Lord will J praiſe his word. Thy Statutes have bin my Songs in the houſe of my pilgrimage. He ſang away the time and trouble of his travell toward Heaven, as Pilgrims and Paſſengers uſe to do:Rom: 15 4. 1 Cor. 9.10 And went on merrily, as Sampſon ſucking ſweetneſſe out of his hony-combe. The Bible was purpoſely written that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. O take this booke out of Chriſts hand, and eat it as Iohn did.Rev. 10 9. It will be bitter in the belly, by breeding godly ſorrow, but ſweet in the mouth, when we come to chew the cud by the enſuing comforts. David found it ſo, and therfore not only panted and fainted, but his ſoule even broke with deſire after it, and once cryes out,Pſalm 119.20, 40, 141. Pſalm 51.8. Make me to heare of joy and gladneſſe, that the hones which thou haſt broken may reioyce. Had it not bin for thy word, J had ſurely fainted in mine afflictions. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my ſoule. foreign Pſalm 94.19.The word there uſed ſignifieth thoughts ſo perplexed and inter-twined one within another, that there is no way out almoſt. When a man is brought into the briars, as Abrahams Ram was, Gen. 22.13. As our Saviours ſoule was, what time he cryed out, Lammah ſabachtani. When a Chriſtian is in the deep with David, and all outward means are miſerable Comforters, Phyſitians of no value, Iob 16.11. Iob 20 12.God ſends from on high and helps him out by dropping ſome ſweet meditation into his mind, by putting ſome ſweet promiſe into his mouth, which he roles as Sugar under his tongue, chewes,Pſalme 62 11 digeſts, incorporates it into his ſoule, as it were by a ſecond concoction. Thus David when God ſpake once, heard it twice: G…n…ſ. 32 9, 1…And Jacob being in a great agony about himſelf with the Promiſe of God, which he therfore repeats, and pleads twice in a breath, as taſting and taken with its incomparable ſweetneſſe. Draw waters therfore with joy out of theſe Wells of Salvation: Forget not the Conſolations,Iſa 12.3. as thoſe Hebrews had, Chap. 12.5.Heb. 4.1. Take heed leſt, not a Promiſe, bet a multitude of Promiſes being left us, any of us ſhould ſeem to fall ſhort, Iſa 66.11.preſſe and oppreſſe thoſe Breaſts of conſolation (laid forth on purpoſe that we might ſuck them) till we expreſſe that reaſonable milke, 1 Pet. 2 1.that we may grow therby fat and fair-liking. Why ſhould the conſolations of God be ſmall unto us? Why ſhould wiſdome furniſh her table, and yet want gueſts? Haſt thou found hony, Iob 15.11 Pro. 9 1, 2. Pro. 25 6. Pſalme 19eat it, ſaith Salomon. Loe the Promiſes are the hony-drops of Chriſts mouth. Oh hang upon his holy lips, as they, Luk. 19. ult. as the little bird doth on the bill of the dam, as the ſucking child on the mothers breſts, as the buſie Bee upon the juycy flower. Nullus apibus, ſi per coelum licuit, otio perit dies, ſaith Pliny. Lib: 11. c 6.No day paſſeth the Bee without ſome purveyance, if the weather hinder not. No ſooner is the Sunne up, then ſhe's abroad And being once lighted, will not off till ſhe hath made ſomewhat of it: No more ſhould we let go the word of Promiſe, till we have extracted, yea extorted the Cordiall comfort that is in it.foreign Matthew 11 12 foreign Luk 16.16. From the dayes of John Baptiſt (who paved a way to Chriſt) the Kingdome of Heaven ſuffered violence, ſaith one Evangeliſt, was preacht, ſaith another: And men were ſo earneſt and eager of hearing that good news, that they preſt upon our Saviour, they ſcarce left him leiſure or liberty to eat or ſleep. As for themſelves they cared not to continue three dayes together without Food, to heare thoſe ſweete words which were better to them then their appointed Food. Iohn 6. Iob 23. Iſa 25.6.There had they that Feaſt of fat things full of Marrow, of wines on the lees well refined and purified. The Rocke yeelded them Butter,Deut. 32, 13. 1 Cor. 10.4. and the flinty Rocke powred them foorth Rivers of Oyle. This Rocke was CHRIST, who alſo bids them wellcome,Cant. 5.1 with, Eate O Friends, drinke, yea drinke aboundantly, O Beloved! But it grieves him not a little, when either wee make excuſe with thoſe, Matthew 22.Pſalm … Or fall not too luſtily with David, but piddle for want of Appetite, or in the pettiſhneſſe of our ſpirits,Matthe… Refuſe to bee comforted with Rachel: When like ſullen children, wee will not eate our milke, becauſe wee have it not in the golden diſh:Ionas 4. Or wrangle with it at leaſt, as Jonah did with GOD, by cavilling Objections. When wee turne the backe-ſide, and not the palme of the hand to the Promiſe; which as a Staffe would ſweetly ſupport us, and helpe us on,Geneſis 29.1. as Jacobs Staffe did him in his way to Padan Aram. He lift up his feete and went on luſtily, after the Promiſe made him at Bethel: As a generous Horſe after a baite by the way.Nehemia 8 10 The Joy of the LORD was his ſtrength: Hee ſcarce felt the ground hee went on. This is my Comfort in mine affliction, for thy Word hath quickned mee. Pſalm 119.50 and 92.This fetcht him againe, when ready to fainte. When the Promiſes were apprehended and applyed as Cordials, then he felt CHRISTS left hand under him, Cant. ….6. Cant. 2.5.and his right hand over him; then was he ſtaid with flagons, and bolſtered up with apples, thoſe apples of gold, with pictures of ſilver, thoſe right words, precious and pleaſant words, ſavoury and ſaving words, that have a healing property in them, to bind up the broken hearted,Pro. 25.11. Iob 6.25. Eccl. 2.10, 11 foreign. 1 Tim. 6.3. Rev. 3.1. Iohan Bodin: de utilitate hiſtoriae. and to ſtrengthen the things that are ready to dye. Alphonſus is ſaid to have recovered of a dangerous diſeaſe by reading Q. Curtius, and others by reading Livy, Aventinus, &c. But theſe were Phyſitians of no value to that of David: Ʋnleſſe thy Law had bin my delight, Pſalme 119.92J ſhould then have periſhed in mine affliction. That Pſalm is made up of experiments: And it is not unlikely that he ſpeaks here of his diſtreſſe at Ziklag. The city was ſack't and burnt, his wives and children carried Captive, his ſouldiers imbittered, and his life in ſuſpence; for they spake of ſtoning him, 1 Sam. 30.6.but David comforted himſelf in the Lord his God. In the faile of all outward comforts, he retired into his counting-houſe, as it were, and finding there the Promiſe firme for him, he was ſtrong in Faith and glorified God: So he did another time, when he was glad to hide himſelf from Saul in the Wilderneſſe of Judah. He ſaid in his haſte, all men are lyars, Pſalm 116.11Prophets and all, who had promiſed him the Kingdome. But upon ſecond thoughts, and when better compoſed, when he had praid himſelf ſober, and bethought himſelf of Gods Promiſe to make him King, his ſoule was ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſſe in that dry and thirſty Land, where no water was: Yea he concludes the Pſalm with, The King ſhall reioyce in God, he meaneth himſelf. A poore king he was at that time, but God had promiſed to make him a king, and therfore he is confident:Pſa. 63.1, 5, 11 But the mouth of all them that ſpeake lyes (as himſelfe amongſt the reſt had done, in ſaying all men are lyers, Samuel and all) ſhall be ſtopped, and God juſtified to be true of his word, notwithſtanding all the roarings and repinings of corrupt nature to the contrary. God may bring us into ſtraits, as hee did David here, but he will not leave us in them to ſhift for our ſelves, as the Prieſts did Judas, with what's that to us? Look thou to that: Or if he leave us for a time to our thinking (as he may without breach of Promiſe, Pſal. 119.8.) yet he will not forſake us: For, he hath ſaid and it is five ſeverall times repeated in Scripture for more ſurety,foreign Heb. 13.5. as Pharaohs dreame was) J will not leave thee, (or if I doe, yet) J will not forſake thee. So many Notes there are in the Originall for our better Aſſurance. Oh incomparable comfort! Who is then amongſt you that feareth the LORD, and yet walketh in darkneſſe, and hath noe light, let him truſt in the name of the LORD, and ſtay upon his GOD. But if this moſt ſavoury and ſaving courſe pleaſe you not, Walke another while in the light of your owne Fire, Eſa 50.10, 11.and in the sparkes that ye have kindled: Not the fire of the Sanctuary, that ſhadow'd out the will and wiſdome of God in his Word, but in the ſparks of your owne tinder-boxes, of your owne imaginations, and conceits, ſtrange fire, carnall plea's, the miſ-givings of your unbeleeving hearts,Eſa 55.1. This ſhall ye have of mine hand, ye ſhall lye downe in ſorrow. The ſoule is ready to hang her comforts on every hedge, to knocke at the doore of every creature for reliefe, to uſe the meanes as Mediatours, to ſhift and ſharke in every bie-corner for Comfort, and is hardly drawne to buy of CHRIT without money, would gladly come with her coſt; or if not ſoe, then ſhee ſtands off in a ſinfull ſhamefac'dneſſe. But this is not the way: Chriſt muſt be All and in all; Epheſ 6.14. Revel 1.13 Charitatem de ſignat, Inter mamillas amoris ſedes, Cor. Pareus. 1 Pet. 1.13.and it will never be well till we gird up the loynes of our minds (with the girdle of Truth, or rather with that golden girdle wherwith Chriſt is girt about the pap…; which betokeneth his entire love to us) and truſt perfectly on the grace that by him is brought unto us. Satan deales by the ſoule, as Joſhua did by the men of Ai, gets it out of the city, out of the ſtrong-hold of the Promiſe, and then doth what he will with us. Good therfore is the counſell of Saint John; Little children keepe home; 1 Iohn 2.28. 1 Ioh. 3.…3. Heb. 6.13if ye abide in Gods Commandements, ye abide in God. Now this is his Commandement, that we beleeve on the name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt, and become followers of them, who through Faith and Patience have inherited the Promiſes. The Patriarches in their tireſome and troubleſome pilgrimages, lived by them, died upon them, and would not be buried but where they had received them, giving commandement concerning their bones. Father Latymer when he ſtood at the Stake, ready to ſhed his heart-blood for the Truth (which was one of the three things he ſo heartily praid for in the time of his impriſonment, and obtained) he lifted up his eyes toward Heaven, with an amiable and comfortable countenance, ſaying,1 Cor. 10 Faithfull is God, who will not ſuffer us to be tempted above that we are able, and ſo afterwards ſhed his blood in the cauſe of Chriſt. The which blood,Acts & Monumēts, fol. 1579 ſaith Maſter Fox, ran out of his heart in ſuch aboundance, that all the godly that were preſent did much marvell to ſee the moſt part of the blood in his body to be gathered to his heart, and with ſuch violence to guſh out, his body being opened by the force of the fire. The ſame Authour reporteth of Alice Benden Martyr, that being kept in priſon nine weeks with bread and water, ſequeſtred from her loving fellows, ſhe continued in great heavineſſe, till on a night as ſhe was in her ſorrowfull ſupplications, rehearſing, Why art thou ſo diſquieted, O my ſoule, Ibid: fol. 1797&c. And again, The right hand of the moſt high can change all this, ſhe received comfort in the midſt of her miſeries.
The like he relateth of Miſtris Joyce Lewis of Mancheſter, Martyr: that about three of the clock in the morning before ſhe was to ſuffer, Sathan (who never ſleepeth eſpecially when death is at hand) began to ſtir himſelf buſily, ſhooting at her thoſe fiery darts,Ibid: fol: 1826 which he is wont to do againſt all that are at defiance with him. But by conference with Chriſtian friends and eſpecially by the ſweet and precious Promiſes of Chriſt, Sathan was vanquiſhed and ſhe comforted. She overcame the great red Dragon by the blood of the Lambe, and by the word of her teſtimony, foreignſhe loved not her life unto the death, Revel. 12.11. Death is the king of terrours, ſaith Job, of all terribles the moſt terrible, ſaith Ariſtotle. Nature ſhrinks at the apprehenſion and approach of it, at the leaſt motion or mention of it, and her boldeſt champions that ſeem to out-brave death and to dare it to a duell, calling for it as Gaal once did for Abimelech, Iudg. 9.28, ….with, Increaſe thine army and come out, yet when death comes in good earneſt, they are not able to look it in the face with blood in their cheeks. Death ceiſeth on them as a mercileſſe officer Pſ. 55.15. as a cruell Land-lord, as he that took his fellow by the throate and threw him into priſon, as Gods executioner, as the meſſenger of eternall death, yea as the Divell himſelf. Hence thoſe unutterable anxieties, and anguiſhes, thoſe doubts and perplexities, thoſe horrours and amazements, thoſe terrors and tortures, thoſe convulſions of ſoule, that hell above ground, a very foretaſt and handſell of eternall torments. This makes them catch as faſt hold on the hints of life, as Joab did on the hornes of the Altar, play as loth to depart out of the world, as Lot out of Sodome, willing to be ſlaves or any thing with the Gibeonites ſo that they might live here, rather then to depart hence: Which if they muſt needs and there be no remedy, they go out of life with as ill a will, as the unjuſt ſteward did out of his office, as the Jebuſites did out of their Jeruſalem, as Adam out of Paradice, yea as the Divell out of the demoniack, raging, raving, rending, tearing, fuming, foaming. Yea, it is a juſt wonder how any ſuch can dye in their right wits that dye not partakers of the Promiſes,Luk. …. Egredere ó anima mea, &c. that ſee not their owne names written in them, as in Gods Book of life. This, this is that, that will make a Simeon ſing out his ſoule, an Hilurion chide it out, a Bradford put off his cappe and praiſe God when the keepers wife came to tell him he muſt be burnt the next day, a Taylour fetch a friske at the ſtake, a Hawkes clap his hands over his head in the flames, and others ſing Pſalmes till the fire and ſmoake had ſtopt their breath.A cordibus ſuis facti ſunt fug… tivi, Tertull. When a Cain, caſt out from Gods preſence, and bereft of the comfort of his Ordinances, becomes a fugitive from his own conſcience, and thinks every buſh a man, and every man an Executioner,Iſa. 7.2. a butcher to doe him to death. Ahab mournes and goes ſoftly upon a meſſage of death;1 Sam. 28.…0. 1 Sam. 15.37. Ahaz and his company tremble as the trees of the wood, Saul faints and fals flat upon the Earth, as a beaſt. Nabal lyes dead in the neſt like a block. Adrian warbles out that dolefull ditty,Carion. Chron. Animula vagula; blandula, Quae nunc abibis in loca, &c. Silly ſoule whether art thou wending? Another ſeeing her deare children ſlain afore her,Cratificlia mater Cleomenis apud Plutar. in Cleom. and her ſelfe ready to be ſerved in like ſort, uttered only this word, Quo puerieſtis profecti? Poore children what's become of you. Anxius vixi, dubius morior, neſcio quo vado, ſaith a third: Carefull I have lived, doubtfull I dye, whether I go, I wot not.2 Cor. 5.1, …. But we know (ſaith the Apoſtle for himſelf and his Corinthians) that when our earthly tabernacle, foreign.our clayie cottage ſhall be diſſolved, we have a building of God, a houſe not made with hands, eternall in the Heavens. And for this we groane earneſtly, deſiring to be diſſolved, to looſe from the ſhore of life, and to launch out into the main of Immortality, foraſmuch as we know (not we think or hope only, but by the certainty of Faith grounded on the Promiſe, we are well aſſured) that we ſhall be then at home with Chriſt,foreign. Phil. 1.23. which is far far the better. Look how the Diſciples when they had bin toſſed all night afore upon the Sea,A tranſcendent expr ſsion. Ioh. 6.…1. after they had once taken Chriſt into the ſhip, were immediately at ſhore. So he that hath foū ded his faith upon the word of Chriſt, which dwelleth plentifully in him, what meaſure ſoever he hath met with here, yet no ſooner takes he death (as conquer'd by Chriſt) into his boſome and bowels, but he is immediately▪ landed at the key of Canaan, at the kingdome of Heaven. The fore-thoughts hereof fils his heart with unſpeakable and glorious joy: fortifies his ſpirit againſt the fear of death; which he hath learn'd out of Gods word to be to him neither totall nor perpetuall, Rom. 8.10, 11.foreign …. His Funerall preached by M. Rich. Stocke. and cauſeth him to over-abound exceedingly with comfort, as S. Paul ſpeaketh. O that ioy! O my God, when ſhall J be with thee! ſaid that heavenly ſparke, now ready to be extinct, the young Lord Harrington. I am by the wonderfull mercies of God, ſaith another upon his death-bed, as full of comfort as ever my heart can hold, and feele nothing but Chriſt, with whom I heartily deſire to be.M. Rob. Bo…ton. Another reverend Divine of our Church, the day before he died, called eagerly for the holy Bible, with theſe very words, Come, O come, M. Iohn Holland Bachelour of Divinity.death approacheth, let us gather ſome flowers to comfort this houre. All other comforts, he knew were but Ichabods without this: and therfore turning with his own hands to that 8. chap. to the Romanes, M. William Leigh B.D. and Paſtour of Standiſh in his Souls ſolace againſt ſorrowhe gave me the book (ſaith the Reverend man that relates it) and bad me read: At the end of every verſe, he made a pauſe and gave the ſenſe in ſuch ſort & with ſuch feeling, as was much to his own comfort, but more to our joy and wonder. Having thus continued his meditation and expoſition for the ſpace of two hours or more; on the ſudden he ſaid, O ſtay your reading, what brightnes is this J ſee? have you light up any candles? To which one anſwered, no, it is the Sun-ſhine, for it was about five a clock in a cleare Summers-evening. Sun-ſhine, ſaith he, nay my Saviors ſhine. Now farwell world, welcome Heaven, the Day-ſtarre from on high hath viſited my heart. O speake it when J am gone, and preach it at my funerall: God dealeth familiarly with man. J feele his mercy, J ſee his Maieſty, whither in the body or out of the body, J cannot tell, God he knoweth: but J ſee things that are unutterable. So raviſht in ſpirit, he ſhut up his bleſſed life with theſe bleſſed words, O what an happy change ſhall J make? from night to day; from darknes to light; from death to life; from ſorrow to ſolace; from a factious world to an heavenly being? Miſtris Kath. Brettergh of Bretterhoult in Lancaſhire in her life annexed to her funerall Sermon.&c. One more yet, and that of the weaker ſort and ſex, but ſtrong in Faith, and ready in the Scriptures, wherin ſhe uſed to read eight chapters a day at leaſt. This was her conſtant task in her health and the fruit therof ſhe reaped and received in her ſickneſſe and at her greateſt need. Once indeed, being conflicted by a temptation of Satan, ſhe caſt her Bible from her, and ſaid, it was indeed the book of life, but ſhe had read the ſame unprofitably, and therfore feared it was become to her the book of death. But another time, when the temptation was vaniſhed, and comfort recovered, ſhe tooke her Bible in her hand, and joyfully kiſſing it, and looking up toward Heaven, ſhe ſaid that of the Pſalme, Pſ. 119.71, 72.O Lord it is good for me, that J have bin afflicted, that J may learn thy ſtatutes. The Law of thy mouth is better to me then thouſands of gold and ſilver. During the time of her ſicknes ſhe rehearſt for her comfort many texts of Scripture, but eſpecially the eighth to the Romans, and the 17. of S. John, many times concluding and cloſing up that ſhe read or repeated with prayer and moſt comfortable uſes and applications therof to her ſelf: crying out eſt-ſoon, O happy am I, that ever I was born, to ſee this bleſſed day! O praiſe the Lord for he hath filled me with ioy and gladnes. O the ioyes! the ioyes! the ioyes, that J feele in my ſoule! O they be wonderfull! they be wonderfull! they be wonderfull! O how mercifull and marvellous gratious art thou unto me, O God, &c. And this my ſoule knows right well, and this my ſoule knows right wel: which ſpeech of her aſſurance ſhe often repeated. Her laſt words were, My warfare is accompliſhed, and mine iniquities are pardoned. Iſa 40.1. Pſ. 7 5.Lord whom have I in Heaven but thee? and I have none in Earth but thee. My fleſh faileth and mine heart alſo: but God is the ſtrength of my heart, Ʋna eſt, in … pida mihire, medicina, …e vaelor patri… o… verax, … …otenſ que , ma… Nath. Chyt…and my portion for ever. He that preſerveth Jacob and defendeth Iſrael, he is my God and will guide me unto death. Guide me, O Lord my God, and ſuffer me not to faint, but keep my ſoul in ſafety. And with that ſhe yeelded up the ghoſt, a ſweet Sabbaths ſacrifice, on Whitſunday being the laſt of May, 1601 Now what but the mighty word of God (which is his power to ſalvation) could have thus filled the heart and mouth of a weak woman, at the time of death with ſuch unconceivable comfort? and who would not read and reſt ſtedfaſtly on ſuch a word of Gods grace,…. 19.7. …oh. 5.25. Pſ. 119.50. …ev. 12.11. …oh. 8.31, 34. …rov. 6.21. …. 59.21. as rejoyceth the heart and enlightneth the eyes, quickneth the ſpirit, and comforteth the conſciēce, armeth us againſt Satan, and ſubdueth ſin, preſerveth us from all evill, and abideth with us for ever. O hide this word in your hearts, Pſ. 119.11. have it ready at your heads, as Saul had his ſpeare and pitcher:… Sam. 26.11. Prov. 6.22, 23. let it lead you walking, watch you ſleeping, talke with you waking. For the commandement is a lamp, and the Law is light: yea every word of God is pure: he is a ſheild to them that put their truſt therin: we had better, ſaith one,Malemus carere …lo, terra, omni… elementis, &c. Se…ecce. …s in Paedago. …to Chriſtians. want meat, drink, the light of the Sun, we had better be without aire, earth, all the elements, yea life it ſelfe, then that one ſweet ſentence of our Saviour. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Trapp, The True Treasury (1641)