and death, then the same God that brought us to the grave raised us up. When men and Devills banded themselves in opposition against us, when the Pope and his Cardinalls contrived the Spanish invafion, and when that miscarried there followed a conspiracy in the Vault,a deed of Romith darknesse, then appear'd a God of Salvation, to blow and scatter their Shipps, and afterward to bring deliverance betweene the match and the powder, Maugre all the plots and projects of all Achitophells, and underminers of Zion, bleffed be God we are here alive, as you see this day to Celebrate the Praises of the God of our Salvation. 4. And fo I am fallen upon my fourth and last Argument in my 4. My. Text, drawne from that propriety (My) I fpeak not of a good by heare fay, in which others have the fole interest, but it's our own, The God of my Salvation, the pronoune Poffeffive (My) reduceth the comfort unto my selfe, and intitles me unto it, by a particular application. The use and vertue of medicines is knowne when they are applied, and the most comfortable promises of God, and doctrines of Salvation, then proove effectuall unto my foule when I make use of them in my life, and Conversation; How frequently doth David call God the God of our Salvation? Moses having a large teftimony hereof by the overthrow of Pharaoh and his hoft, breakes forth into this triumphant Song, Exod. 15. 2. The Lord is my strength and my song, be is become my Salvation, he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation, my Fathers God and I will exalt bim: Certainly, (my brethren) Christians would lead more comfortable lifes, ever find a heaven upon earth, if they could make a profitable Observation of Gods former dealings each one with himselfe in particular. Men are apt to fink under the sense of any present evill, that presseth them, because they reflect not upon Gods former waies of mercies towards them. It were an excellent course todraw home such Experimentall Arguments as these, I have knowne a famine and felt a pinching season, when scarce I could get bread from hand to mouth, I out-liv'd that time, the divine providence cared for me, and carried me through that plunge, and distresse, I have felt a fore disease, and have been in the mouth of the grave, and yet I live to praise Gods power, I have drunke deepe of the cup of affliction, I have been even drencht in my owne forrowes, and yet out of them all the Lord hath deliwered me, and let his countenance shine upon me, I have known feares, feares, and troubles, dangers and distrations both in Church and state, yet the Lord became the Reconciler and brought all to a blessed conclusion, and still theres the same God, as full of bowells' of compaffion to commiserate our calamities, as full of power to effect, of wisdome to contrive, as full of fidelity to performe his owne promises as before, and therefore my resolution stands firme, and unmoveable, that I will wait upon God in the waies of his own mercy, and rest in the constancy immutability, & indeficiency of that God with whom there is no variablenesse nor Shadow of change. Had men such spirituall prudence, as to uphold their hearts by their experiences, and review often Gods former proceedings, they might with more stablisht and quiet affections, expect the salvation of the Lord againe. I have resum'd these Arguments as you find them layd downe in my Text; A Lord and willing, A God and able, A Saviour and my Saviour, each word severally abounds in comfort, and now when they are all united, how much do they concurre to the complement, and perfection of our joy. I told you before to this effect, that no condition was ever so disconsolate, but still some matter of joy and rejoycing was to be found in God. Me thinks I could dwell upon this sweet Theme, and say as Peter faid at Christs transfiguration, It's good being here. For the further discovery of this most excellent and neceffary truth, be pleased to weigh and seriously confider with me these five cleare and evident demonstrations. 1. All joy and comforts are treasured up in God. 2. Theres no reall folid joy to be found elfe-where. 3. Amidst the greatest crossesse, streights, and extremities, then 4. The least of Gods comforts will make a superabundant re- 5. And lastly all the waies and proceedings of God are waies 5. Demon Strations. For the further Inlargment of these particulars. 1. I say all 1. All comcomforts are treasured up in God. There must needs be water at forts are the well head, there must needs be drops in the Ocean. God is treasured the Fountaine and Originall of all our Confolations, The earth up in God. (faith the Pfalmift) is full of thy riches, so is this great and wide Pfal. 1044 Sea, 24,25. Sea, where in are things creeping, innumerable both small and great beafis. What can't thou want; if thou hast made God thy porti on, thou maist say with Jacob, I have enough I have all, In Christ all fulnesse dwells, Col. 1. 19. In Christo et quicquid requiritur ad Davenant in contitzendum perfectum Redemptorem. Theres in Chrift fulnesse of wisdome to direct, fulnesse of power to defend, fulnesse of merit to fatisfy, and effect mans salvation, fulneffe of righteousnesse to justify, fulnesse of holinesse to sanctify, fulnesse of mercy to pardon. Hee's stil'd in Scripture, a Rock for his strength, to support Loc. Matth. 13. 45,46. Icrome. Ifa. 9.6. us, a Counsellour for his wisdome to guide us, a fountaine opened Zech.13.1. for his readineffe, and preparednesse to wash away our uncleanRom. 27.2. neffe, a Tree of life bearing twelve forts of fruits every month, for the plenty and perpetuity of joy and gladnesse, and other fruits of the spirit which he minifters unto true believers. Hence Rev. 22. 1. is he compared in the Revelations, to a pure River of living water as cleare as Christall, for that ineftimable purity, perfection, comfort, and fatisfaction which Christ minister unto the foules of his children; Likewife to a pretious pearle, for his superlative worth, and value, and to a storehouse for his fulnesse of all spirituall treafures: Omnia habemus in Christo, & omnia in nobis Chriftus, saith Jerome, and the fame Father proposeth particular Instances; Si d vulnere curari desideras, medicus eft &c. If thou defirest to be cured of thy wounds, Chist is thy Phyfitian, if thou burne with feavers, he is a fountaine, if thou art burthened with iniquity: he is righteousnesse, if thou wantest help he is strength, if thou fearett death he is life, if thou flyest from darknesse he is light, if thou defireft heaven, he is the way: Therefore make thy wants knowne to God, though he knowes them all already, yet he will have them knowne unto thy felfe better, and God loves to heare from his children the expreffions of his own spirit. When out of a sense and apprehenfion of thy owne vilenesse thou unbareft thy fores, and confefsest thy finnes, then God in mercy may remit them. A poore foule complaines of its ignorance, and folly: so foolish was I and ignorant, (faith David) even as a beast before thee: O make haft unto Chrift, In him are bid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge. When the depth faith it is not in me, and the sea it is not in me, when all the lamps of Philofophers can give no light, when all their penetrating braines cannot found these misteries: Job instructs thee where thou must go to schoole, Job. 28. 23. God . God understands the way thereof, and he knowes the place thereof, from God cometh wisdome, and from the Lord cometh understanding: Another is of a forrowfull spirit, and goes mourning all the day long: The remembrance of their finnes is exceedingly afflictive unto their foules, still it presents onto them gall and wormewood, terrors and feares, which almost drives them unto desperation, these would prize one glimpse of Gods reconciled countenance, beyond the Empire of the world: but alas they can apprehend no comfort as appertaining unto them; mark then what seasonable counsell the Prophet gives in this kind, Ifa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voyce of his fervants, that walketh in darknesse and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. A child of light for a time may walke in darkneffe, he may poffefse his foule in bitterneffe, he may be wonderfully tost and troubled in a tempestuous sea of forrow, ever and anon ready to perish, yet when Chrift comes and rebukes the winds, and the seas there will be a great calmə. One of his love tokens, and spirituall illapses will wipe away their teares, and make them go away full of comfort with Hannah, and be no more sad. A poore doubting Chriftian must not be his owne Judge he can easilier difcerne, what makes against him, then what makes for him: O then hearken what God faith unto thee, what comfort his messengers proclaime unto thee: wait upon God in his Ordinances, stand upon thy watch, act faith upon Promises, and in Gods due time comfort may come, like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch in her mouth, in token that the waters of Marah are abated. When God hath fitted thee for a mercy, then he will give unto it a quick dispatch, and send unto thy foule tidings of peace; thus I have made it good unto you, that all comforts are to be found in God. 2. Theres no reall comfort to be found else-where; If you will 2. Demonst. not believe this truth, but hunt after the creature, as if that can theres no res comfort you, to your perill be it, you may goe further and speed all comfort worse: what said Saul to the Benjamites, will the son of Jeffe give to be found you fields and vine-yards, and make you all Captaines of Thou- elfe-where. fanbs, and Captaines of Hundreds? So let me expoftulate, can the Creature give you any reall fatisfaction and contentment, in that you so hugge your selves in the fruition of it? If these be your humors, I know not better how to resemble you, then to the men Yyyyy of of Shechem, in Jothams parable, Judg. 9. verf. 9. Who leaving the Vine, Olive, and Figg-tree, addrest themselves unto the bramble for thelter and security, and since they put their truft in it's shadow, (which can Minister no safety nor defence,) what can be expected, but that fire should come out of the bramble and devoure the Cedars of Lebanon. I meane since they expect so much from the Creature, by woefull experience they will find it to be the greatest scourge and plague unto them. Creature comforts carry a brave port, and come with Agag delicately, but they are not aware of their approaching ruines. Pleasures of the world make faire promises, presenting unto us, as Faell did Sifera butter and milke in a-lordly dish, but theres a hammer and a nayle, instruments of death are prepared against us, (i. e.) sowre fauce for sweet meate. Whats all the mirth of the wicked but madneffe? For their hearts are full of gravell, and the terrors of God affright them, amidst their Carrowsing and jollity. Saul could not be merry without a Mositian; Whereas Plato told the musitians, that Philosophers knew how to dine and sup without them. Doft thou think to recreate thy selfe by learning a lascivious scurrilous Ballads, by healthing it in Ale-Houses and Tavernes, and revelling itsin Balls and fuch like Idolized vanities, will the remembrance of these finfull jollities make thee hold up thy head with comfort, when God lets loose the cord of thy confcience against thee? Then thou wilt curse the day that ever thou cast in thy lot amongst them, to be a companion of fooles, and by woefull experience thou wilt find, that thou hast all this while fought the living amongst the dead: Ahab could not be merry without Naboths Vineyard, and when he had unrighteoufly took poffeffion of it, his forrowes were renewed abundantly. Haman could not comfortably enjoy himselfe because he wanted Mordecais bended knee; suppose he had obtain'd it, yet his restlesse ambitious humour could not be satisfied: For it is not within the sphære of any sublunary thing, any created power, to afford comfort and fa-tisfaction unto the foule of man. As the King of Ifrael faid to the woman, that cry'd out in an extreame famine help my Lord ô King, if the Lord (faith he) do not help thee, whence shall I help thee out of the barne flore, or out of the wine presse? So say l if the Lord be not thy comforter, in vaine mayest thou expect any com-fort from the Creatures. What is the vintage of Abiezer to the gleanings |