Psal. 4, vers. 7 Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart (or thou hast given ioy of heart) more then when their corne and their vvine increased. Howe, Josias, 1611?-1701. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A44702 of text R21232 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing H3048). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 40 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 24 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A44702 Wing H3048 ESTC R21232 12566571 ocm 12566571 63349 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A44702) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 63349) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 319:16) Psal. 4, vers. 7 Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart (or thou hast given ioy of heart) more then when their corne and their vvine increased. Howe, Josias, 1611?-1701. Hearne, Thomas. [7], 40 p. Printed by Henry Hall, [Oxford : 1644?] A sermon on the joys of righteousness. Caption title. Written by Josias Howe. Cf. DNB. Printed in italics. Imprint from Wing. Four pages of manuscript on preliminary leaves by Thomas Hearne who discusses the history of the work. Reproduction of original in Bodleian Library. eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Psalms IV, 7 -- Sermons. A44702 R21232 (Wing H3048). civilwar no Psal. 4, vers. 7 Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart (or Thou hast given ioy of heart) more then when their corne and their vvine increased. Howe, Josias 1644 7599 4 5 0 0 0 0 12 C The rate of 12 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2002-12 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-01 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-02 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2003-02 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-04 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion PSAL. 4. Vers. 7. Thou hast put Gladnesse in my heart ( or Thou hast given me Ioy of Heart ) more then when their Corne and their Wine increased . AS it has in all Ages discouraged some from being Christians to see some of our Professors holy but on one side , and Religion onely hung out ; so it has allwayes offended narrow and earthy mindes , to see Christianity happy but on one side : and to observe that whilst it promises its followers Thrones and Scepters , it leaves its Disciples oftentimes to Shackles and the Crosse . So that Religions Bills and Vndertakings ▪ have beene allwayes thought by some to exceed her Powers , bringing men to the condition of those ships which Plutarch saies the Stoiques were like , which after their valiant names and Inscriptions of Lyon , Elephant , Invincible were notwithstanding torne by common Tempests , and made the sport of an ordinary wave : But through the Dull Eye or the Evill Eye of the looker on , it hath beene the frequent Fate of things Excellent , to be Things mistook ; God cannot thunder downe a Church , and suffer some Robber of that Church to live and survive the storme and Bolts , but the Epicure streight will say God sits with his Backe towards the World , and sees nothing . And if He shines out upon a wicked man , and lookes on upon the ragged virtues of a poore Saint , his mercy shall be called his Sleepe , and his Providence said to be away : Halfe of that being true of the most eminent things which the Stoiques said of the best men , That they can neither quickly bee , nor quickly be understood . Hence is it , that Heaven and Happinesse proposed as removed & future things , make so shallow impressions upon carnall harts : as spirituall substaunces are of so fine and subtile an essence , that to them the Eye it selfe is but a lid : so spirituall promises , evident onely to spirituall minds , are wrapt & undiscovered to a Naturall & an eye born but once . Thus Afflictions which to the wicked are Miseries , to Gods Children appeare a kind of severe and not prayed for blessings , and the rougher sort of Love : and since they are meant onely as Cures , & are at once both Wound & Balsam , the faithfull are taught to number their favours by their stripes , and call whips Affection . David sometimes a man of so sad and throwne downe a condition , that he wept his owne Meales , ( I have made my teares my meat : Psal. 42 ) Yet is often found awaking his Lute ; his different dayes were so divided betwixt the Coale and the Chalke , that in one David there seemes to be above one man : and for the Variety of his condition we may looke upon the Prophet , as we did on our Saviour that was of his Line , not as a Man but Mankind : Yet through an even chearefullnesse he will never let his sufferings be sufferings , but seemes to looke downe upon the properity of the wicked , and reckon all delights that are showrd from the Spirit , among those things which are to be pittied , saying to God himselfe , Thou hast put Gladnesse in my heart , more then when their Corn and their Wine increased . The words are Davids acknowledgment of a double bounty : first , of his being favourd ; Thou hast given mee Ioy : Secondly , of his being preferr'd , Thou hast given me more Ioy . Call them ( if you please ) Davids Triumph . ( Thou hast given mee Ioy ) And because in Triumphs there is usually some Insultation , some Captivity and sadnesse , here is Ioy , more then theirs ; Corne and Wine They have , not Perfect Gladnesse , which is the Oile within , and Wine to the Wine ; That without which Corne and plenty is onely had , not enjoy'd ; and a full harvest is no more the Masters then 't is the Barns ; The godly hath massy lights of gladnesse cast from the contemplation of Gods private favours ; The prosperous villaine has some dilute rayes of Blessings , but not his Countenance ; So that as the Earths best and upper parts are Inlightened , but it 's Riches , it 's Mines lye below and shaded ; So the Best men receive from heaven the most Comforts , though not the most of those Influences which make men rich . The Text then ( as those Schemes which are made to represent the body of the Earth ) has two sides , A light one , and a shaded . The light side containes the Godly mans condition here in this life , Ioy , [ Thou hast given me Ioy ] Ioy Positively , and Ioy Eminently , More Ioy ; The shaded side has the condition of the flourishing wicked man , ( if it be flourishing to grow up and thrive to the fire ) Some Gladnesse or shadow of Gladnesse they have from their Corne and Wine . Lastly , the Pencill that drawes both these sides , Gods favour ; Thou hast put into my heart , great and more gladnes , Into theirs , Thin and Narrow and some Gladnesse , when their Corne and Wine Increase . I begin with the Godly mans Condition in this life , positively considered , 't is a Ioyfull Condition . He that said that all villany contained a kind of Iustice in it , and wickednesse carried so much of the Magistrate , that it punishes every offender it makes such , and torments every conscience , which it staines , might have said , that vertue is the other halfe of the Magistrate , and rewards those that entertaine it . Not that it layes up and sowes Recompence , but makes every good Act crowne to it selfe , and sheds a present delight wheresoever she resides ; So that Righteousnesse naked and it selfe , is a rich satisfaction to it's owner , and he that nourishes Goodnesse , reapes it ; Such a serenenesse and Calme of thoughts , ( pardon me if I say ) such a prospect within , there is in an innocent and swept Breast , that as Origen is said to have thought Hell no more then a gald and eaten conscience , So some wise Heathens have thought Happinesse nothing but a cleane one ; and therefore they have sent the vertuous no further for their Happiness then to their vertues , & bid them only look into themselves and be paid . So that Heathen who said , Drunkenes rewarded vertue , meant mirth and Content , and was but a Divine of a course Metaphor ; for if he understood a serenity arising from the Contemplation of an humble and harmelesse soule , he might easily be corrected to this Christian Truth , that a good conscience is a Perpetuall Feast , and the Prophet might have found in the righteous what he incourages them to ( in the 32 Psal. vers. ult. ) Rejoyce ye Righteous & shout for Ioy , all ye that are Vpright of heart . But this is too unconfin'd , too common a Ioy to be the Godly's Portion . This is an Almes of mirth , and a Gladnesse given at doore ; those of Gods Family have better Provision , holier and lesse humane Comforts ; Vertues lookt upon may cheare a heart , but Graces contemplated anoint and crowne one ; Christian Ioy the earnest of that to come being of the same mettall with the whole summe , and as Heavenly as what it represents : God sayes not to the Temperate man , Thou hast held out against the Nets and Traps which that Painted woman lookt , therefore thou shalt stand faire and cleare in mens Memories and Reports ; Thou hast refused so many Bowles , therefore thou shalt scape so many fits , and in flying Taverns hast onely abstained from the Dropsie ; Nor sayes He to the Loyall man , Thou hast in an unperjur'd Obedience allwayes liv'd under the Crowne , Thou hast not made thy Humour nor thy Fancy thy Scripture , nor tyed thy faith to the Ignorance and devout Bad faces of the Seditious Lectturer , therefore the discerning part of the nation and the Kingdomes Iudgements shall crowne thee with the brave name of Good Subject , and that 's thy Comfort ; Nor saies he to the Liberall man , Thou hast feasted mee in the Poore , therefore all the Bread thou hast given mee in the Porch , I will send thee backe in full Harvests , and all thy Water in Balmy and desir'd showres , and that 's thy Gladuesse . God has reserv'd richer comforts for his servants . What a Treasure , what a Mine is that Text ? The Lord is my portion , ( Lamentat . 3. ) How much weightier then all those lower halfe Solaces , which stooping Soules and Minds that obey their Bodies , can call Delights ; And that 's the second ground of the Godly Mans Ioyfull Condition , a grounded confidence of Gods Favour . That a just man should expect Protection and Smiles from his God , is the whisper of naturall reason , it being congruous to the Divine nature ( whose Image we are in this too ) to affect and cherish what is most like it selfe . So that every Good man is the care and charge of the Almighty , by whom he is look't upon , not with that publicke love which he allowes his whole masse of creatures , but with a peculiar countenance , such as we cast upon Alliance and Kindred ; Now what an extracted comfort is it , to looke upon ones selfe as the darling of heaven , one whom Devills onely aime at , cannot hit ; and whilest All things worke together for his good , ( Rom. 8. ) to be the man on whose side his very Enemies Rage and Afflictions serve under . To behold ones selfe as a thing arm'd with integrity as a holy kind of Magicke , and see ones selfe as 't were inchanted with Gods favour to a state secure from all that malice can dart . There is a malignant delicacy , by which , dangers and sufferings are made things of delight ; and it has beene a perverse pleasure in men , to stand unconcern'd lookers on upon a Perishing Army , or a sinking Fleet ; I doe not say that the righteous man is glad so cruelly , that his delights are so much his Crimes , and Ruine his Recreation ; Yet certainly ( without losse of innocence ) he does rejoyce with a Kind of Pitty at the Iudgements that fall only about him , not as they are his Enemies , but as they are not his owne : and devout persons are read to have sung their Enemies destruction , ( Then sang Deborah Iudg. 5. ) Not out of an ungovern'd and Womans Insultation , but a Violence of Ioy for the favour of a delivery . If the Roman Conquerours could scarce stand under their owne Laurells , and Ioy'd so vehemently over a fir'd Towne or two , or a few chain'd Germans , that their Triumphs were not their least dangers ; So that there has beene an Officer by , to tole them some cold & sad sentence to keepe them within themselves , and hinder transportation , Can you thinke a Good man can triumph lesse over his fetterd Flesh , and Corruptions . And when he shall see Himselfe , the Devill , and the World stand conquer'd , and bound with distinct shackles , which his Graces and Integrity have fyled . Beleeve it , for Ioy there 's no Throne to the neck of a Lust ; No Triumph to a subdued affection . Thinke then what an unmeasur'd felicity 't is to be absolute , and ones owne , not commanded by a Vice ; of a soule smooth and without a wave ; and then to be smil'd upon by that God , without whose leave nothing can hurt , who must consent before Poison can be more fatall then Cordials , who is so farre Master of all that pretends power , that all punishing Evill is but his Commissioner ; and Afflictions are Afflictions under Him , to have the Affection of Him to whose love the Best and Patterns of Mothers compar'd are cruell ( Mothers may forget , saith he himself ) and the most naturall Heart a Rock , that has bid his little flocke not feare ; and since he has dy'd for his Children , certainly he will not sleepe against them , ( He that keepeth Israel does not so much as slumber . ) Lastly , to be not onely of Gods Pastures , but his Hall too , so much more then his sheepe , as to be his Sonne ; His Sonne , all whose children are Eldest , and with whom the whole Family inherits ; This is so transcendent a Comfort that what Seneca said , was a brave thing , is here in some degree attain'd and compass't , To have the Infirmities of a Man , and the Security of a God . But here , because some unholy lips and mouth of flesh , in one that measures other mens Comforts by his owne want of them , or because some shaded soule may object , That 't is often times foule weather in the cleanest Breast ; that the Godly mans Graces make a state compounded of sunne and storme ; That David cries out often for his Lost or Hid God , and the Spouse in the Canticles mournes for her Christ , in the Clifts of the Rocke ; Therefore God carrying himselfe to his children as a remote and distant God , the state of the Godly is not so Ioyfull , and their Condition no otherwise comfortable then seasons in Almanacks may be said to be faire , when they are divided betwixt Shining and Snow . And then , because some Worme and no man , one so much slave to his false Gaine , that he calls God onely Good as he doth Fortune for being the richer by him ; that He is Bountifull only by the Oxe and Sheepe , and favour'd Iob in the Camells alone , not i' th Patience he gave him for their Losse ; And such a man when he sees a stript Christian , and so much Piety in Fetters , may say , Is this the man of a Ioyfull Condition ? Call ye Hunger and Rags Felicity ; and are we to thinke our selves so much nearer Happinesse as we are nearer starving ? I shall therforee conclude this Point by endeavouring satisfaction to both these Opposers ; First , to them which deny the Blessings of Gods Right hand , Divine Comfort : And secondly , to them which allow not those of his Left ( Temporall ones ) to be frequent enough to make a Godly Condition a Ioyfull one . For the First 'T is true , Spirituall Ioy is a Feverish thing , and the Christian Pulse beats unequally . God is to his chosen a Sunne and a Shield , in one verse of the 84 Psalme ; in this a Sun ; that he rises and goes downe , Enlightens and is clouded from his Faithfull ; In this a shield , not onely that he is so to them for their defence , but to himselfe too to be cover'd from them . 1. But take it thus . To prevent wantoning with his Comforts , and avoid Pampering , God dispenses his Love and Favours by Proportions , not by Flouds of Comfort ; He gives us not Cordialls by the Pound , we are not alwaies allowed a standing Omer of this Manna , the Mercifull God denies us himselfe Physically , and diets us with his Spirit . What then God meanes Remedy , call not thou Anger ; Slander not his Cure with any jealous apprehension ; 'T was Care of Humane Bodies first brought the Lance and Probe into Surgery , and when God sadds thee with retiring , say not he wounds , but severely provides for thee . 2. Next , let Bonaventure say , why God sometimes Frownes and withdraws ; God ( saies he ) throwes a Cloud over , lest we should lye idle and sleepe in the sunne . Our Prayers and Endeavours are things he aimes at , not our Tortures ; His Favours ascend as his Sonne did , that procures them only to draw us and our devotions after them . So then a Pious man looking on himselfe with natures Eye , must needs view himselfe with jealousies & sadnesse ; as finding in his Soule Vice and deformity , and all that can offend a sight ; but then eying himselfe as a Repenting ; a wash't , and dy'd for Soule , must needs bee cheer'd with seing his Actions in Refin'd shapes and his soule of other Colours ; Penitent Teares being the onely Waters through which things look't upon appeare streight . Now for the second Opposer of the Godly mans Ioy , who urges the wants of the lesser Accomplishments which grow here below , Riches , Liberty , Honour , and whatsoever Heathen Altars smoake for ; 'T is true , The Good man does not alwaies Blaze and Glitter in the world , Oftentimes counts his yeares by other mens Harvests , and lookes upon the Sunne as a thing does nothing for him but warme him : We Christians are not Crown'd with Roses , imploy no Wreaths or Chaplets , saies Octavius in Minutius . For Answer ; Were Christianity but a better Kind of Revells , this were an objection ; or did God so glew Comforts to Riches , that so much Pasture must go to the making of so much Ioy , and men could not be merry but by the Acre , then to be Poor and to be sad were all one ; But Widenesse of Possession is not a dilated and spread heart ; And truly 't is not a Smooth Forehead , a Bright Eye , a Resolv'd Looke , that makes Gladnes ; Ioy is a Thing within , and the Heart onely Laughs ; A Persued Lyon may Eate , hee cannot Feast ; Every Bit tasts so much of Feare and the Hunter , that what he devoures is onely Prey , no good cheare ; So in the middle of an unmeasur'd Estate , I may have sorrowes as unbounded , as that I may be heavy in Purple ; and obtaine onely this by a full fortune , to bee a man of a Rich Sadnesse , and sigh with more Revenue then my Neighbour . Therefore the wise man ( in nothing more the wise man ) makes it his Prayer not to suffer under an over-weighty Plenty ; Give me convenient Food ; that he might stand i' th safe Point betweene Pining and Surfet ; and in a just supply of necessities , neither be starv'd with Poverty , nor breake with Fullnesse . God perhaps has not showr'd upon thee Grapes and Olives , or if he hath , has suffered them to be call'd back by Tempests , by Robbers , by some Vote or Ordinance ( that is , by Printed and Enacted Robbery ; ) But then withall , God has denied thee those Vices and Humours which Wine and Olives might have beene abus'd to ; For the Great Disposer of things lets downe Riches as Timber to our Qualities , which we may either hew to Vices , or Carve to Vertues and better shapes ; being equally disposed either to make Ladders to climbe to heaven by , or Staires to carry us downeward . But then , Riches advantag'd with our owne Corruptions , are proner to become our Sinnes ; They are waxe to Abuses , but Iron to Vertue , they will melt and flow to Vice , but must be beat and labour'd to Goodnesse . So that God in denying his Children these {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} , these Things of the World , things within a Syllable of Nothing , and that deserve but one Single Article in Saint Paul : He onely gives them lesse , to forget them , and should he allwaies allow a flowing estate , we should perhaps so sinke in the bountifull stream , as to forget the Fountaine ; and in a swinish not considering who sheds the favour , what He sends Grapes and Olivs we should make our Akornes . Have then some men numbred Wealth among the Fear'd things , prayed against Prosperity , and thought it a Kind of Daring to Venture being Rich ; and shall a Christian thinke himselfe forsaken , in the losse of these slender outside things , which some Morall Philosophers have throwne away ? Say then in the first place , that when God denies the Godly man Plenty , He is noe harsher then if he denied him Pinacles and Quick-sands ; He that murmurs that he is not made rich , complaines that he is not allowed a Danger ; and is sad that he is cast into the wretched condition of being likely to goe to heaven with more ease then Camells passe through Needles ; So that Riches frequently becoming nothing but kneel'd for mischeifes , and Begg'd Evills , Things ( at Best ) of so doubtfull a Condition , that Tacitus could not tell whether 't was the Anger or the Bounty of the Gods that denied them to the Germans ; we may not measure a Christians comfort by these uncertaine and scarce-good things ; Poverty may attend a bless't and good man as Thistles a●e Bad things , but signifie Good and Rich Ground . The Godly are not alwayes the great Instances of the Wealthy ; but then they are alwayes furnish'd with a vice-estate , and deputy Fortune , that which does the office of riches , Content : A name in whose thrifty size ( as in Iewels ) plenty is wrapt up ; that which Saint Paul had learnt to make his Wealth , I have learnt in what estate soever I am , therewith to be content . This performes what Riches onely pretend , Sabbath to our desires , & makes wishing cease ; To have no Desires is to have all bestowed that Desires can reach at , & he that gives thee no appetite to the World , gives thee all the World , only not in Kind . When God does not open himselfe in outward Favours , this is but a spirituall Training , He Excercises , does not Aflict ; and we must count it rather Imployment then Suffering . Call not then the Righteous mans wants Miseries , but Hard Breeding . The Almighty loves with a masculine and strenuous Affection ; Hugging and dandling are not the softnesse which the Lord of Hoasts practises ; He favours not the Mothers way . Afflicting with him is but Reducing ; David had wander'd , if he had not suffer'd ( in the Psalme ) and S. Ierome hath delivered it observingly ; that there 's not a more infallible symptome of his being angry , then his not discovering it . Lastly , Spirituall and Divine Comforts are joyes of another temper from these Lower ones ; Wealth , Honour , Bloud make up but Pleasure ; a poore , course name , the happinesse of Heards and Cattell . Ioy hath a Refin'd and Clean Being , so abstracted from these lees and dregges of Things , as to be compounded of Grace , Peace , Gods Countenance , and whatsoever is map of Heaven here below . Quarrell not then ( whosoever thou art that valuest these things highest ) that thou art not favour'd to Purple and good Cheere every day ; this is to complaine that thou art not fatted to the Altar ; Thy Pleasures cannot flow into Pleasures , Saint Ierom tells thee , thou canst not Transire à Deliciis in Delicias , Passe from Paradise to Blisse , from a Haven to a Port. And in another place , Thou canst not enjoy two Heavens : Murmure not that these under-boughs of Comfort are not indulged thee , if thou hast Christ ( in an holy sense ) that he is thine , thou hast the whole Tree : Thou art to receive an inheritance , stand not with God for farthings ; As thou lookst upon thy Saviour not as on a single man but as Mankind ( because he represented it in the flesh ) so view him not as a single Comfort but as Comfort-kind , because he comprehends them all , and then thou wilt confesse the Godliest man is the Merriest man , and that there is no dancing equall to dancing before the Ark ; which mentions to me the Godly's Ioy considered Eminently , or in its degree of Comparison , More Gladnesse — Thou hast put more Gladnesse , my second part . When Drunkenesse was first called a short & merry Madnesse , as much might have been said of all those brittle Ioyes which carnall minds call delights : For what are worldly Iollities but certaine one-day Vanities , borne this light and not seene the next ; Things of so swift and dispatching a frailty , that they last just long enough to have it pronounced of them that they have been ; The Ioy of the Hypocrite is but for a Moment , having only these two Characters stampt on them by Saint Augustine , that they make wretched and Forsake ; whereas Spirituall Ioy is lasting , having alwayes this Divine thing in it Not to Cease ; Corrupt joy that must be answered for , is but a Song , The pious man is the Musick of Orbes , more heavenly and as lasting : That other , is a Guilty and therefore an unsound and short one : Such is the bloudy Gladnesse of them at the Great City , whose Accounts run thus , For so many Loyall Subjects Murder'd here , so many Drowned yonder , so many Starved in Prison : which after a while ends in a sadnesse made of a contrary List , For so many Rebels Slaine at one Place , so many Sunke at another , so many Famished in a third : No other Gladnesse must They expect , that pray for successes with much Impiety , and Rejoyce for them with more ; that are devout for spoyle , and kneele only that they may Oppresse and ruine prosperously ; that like Iezabel Fast for another mans Vineyard , and then devoure that Vineyard in triumph that they have wickedly obtained it . Such Ioy is no more then one Flash made up of the two Glassy properties , Glittering and Breaking , and to which as to some Woods that imitate Light , there belong but these two poore Accomplishments to shine and be rotten ; Security may give the Wicked some Truce and Cessation of Terrours , but what Solid and Compounded League is there betwixt the Wicked and himselfe ? There is no Peace , saith my God , to the Wicked , Isaiah 48.22 . Such a clamorous conscience attends their Iollities , as in Rainebowes , so much thunder there is next to their most gawdy delights , that their very Mirth is scarce merry , and their Laughter seemes rather to breake forth then be consented to . The Godly mans Ioy as himselfe ( in the first Psalme ) is planted by the River side , where there is lasting supply of moisture and freshnesse ; The Wicked are planted shall I say , or rather stucke in , but by the Brook side , which after a short hurry of Waters , dry up and are not . When they are Glad they doe not Rejoyce but for those minutes only forget to be sad . Stretch then this Prophet upon that Child , lay this holy Gladnesse upon that fleshly , and how unequall will their dimensions appeare , how short , how dead , what a Child will that Ioy confesse it selfe that is Weav'd of any thing beside Gods Countenance ! 2. Next , As unsanctified Gladnesse does not dwell and continue , so when it is at all it scarce is Gladnesse ; So mingled 't is and compounded of it selfe and its contrary , that now for a fresh reason it cannot be said to Last , because indeed it hardly ever was ; it being so twisted with Cares , and Starts , and Doubtfulnesse , that 't is the least part of it selfe ; that it perishes in the very Embrace , and while 't is enjoy'd is gone . So that in the Prophets phrase you may not onely compare it to the Crackling of Thornes under a Pot , because 't is short and passes , but because 't is halfe Thornes it selfe . For either you shall find it chill'd with a feare that 't will shortly dye and leave off , and then what forehead so ere it weare , 't is but disguis'd Trembling ; Like the motion of one of the Orbes which they call Musicke but is Trepidation . Or else 'ts so fretted with Iealousies and suspicion of sharers , that 't is not a Severe thing alone ( which the Moralist would have it ) but a Cruell . Or lastly , 'T is so flatted with it selfe , and growes so dull with being injoy'd , that it loades the Brest that it should satisfie , and cloying the Appetite that it undertakes to feed , in the middle of Triumph does the Office of a Torment . So that we are to looke upon these inferiour Pleasures , as we doe on some bright Armory , which is Pleasant with a kind of Horrour , and in the same Eye Pleases and Affrights . Looke now upon the Spirituall Ioy of the Godly , and you shall find it solid and massie , Full onely of it selfe , not stuft with Scruples , such as is so Divine , hath so much of Blisse and the Blessed Vision , that it whets , and satisfies , Fils the Faithfull , and sharpens them : Blessed are they which hunger and thirst ( Matth. 5. ) Blessed they are , yet hunger . Survey but one Instance of a man of the Worlds making ; Haman ( in the third of Esther ) a Man within a Name of being great as the Prince that made him such , and yet one poore surly Iew can leaven all the sweetnesse of his honours , one Private coverd head corrupts the Pompe of a whole City of Bare ones , and Mordecai's frowne sowrs all the Content the King of Babylon can raise him to ; If Mordecai mutter , the Trumpets sound harsh , Give him the Royall Robe , if one crawling Captive doe not put off to it , 't is to the wearer but so much Sackcloth , and they can be no Trappings except the Dogged Israelite rise up when they passe by . See how much Carnall Gladnesse was hindered from being such by how little a disturbance . Looke next upon a Righteous heart , how firme and Collected is such a Brest ; Nothing more Serene and Even then a Persecuted David : Iob cannot be afflicted out of his Confidence and Comforts , and after Sores and the Dunghill , and ( which are worse ) ●mpertinent Friends and his Wife , is still unshaken and the same lob that he began . 3. Lastly , the Condition of the Godly is most Ioyfull because it will be so ; There will be a Time , when the great Divider of Right shall weigh out rewards , and Iustice shall so ballance her now questioned Scales , that Righteousnes and Sinne shall as easily be distinguished by Enjoying and Suffering as they are naturally related to it , when God shall shine out to the Good and Blaze out to the Wicked in eternall Flames ; Paying every Faithfull Soule with Mercy and Peace , but throwing Tribulation and Anguish on every Soule that sinneth ; when popular Ambition guilded with holy Intents , shall drop its disguise , and become direct aspiring ; And Malice which in the Angry brest of a Rebell is miscall'd Zeale , shall be seene through and appeare Spleene : when all Hearts shall suffer the Eye , and all thoughts grow Publicke ; when Pulpit Treasons , tedious vehement forsaking of Texts shall no longer be call'd Preaching to the Conscience ; Nor barren Curiosities in Learning any more be Styl'd Depth ; When Madnesse and Licence shall put off the name of Christian Liberty ; When there shall be no Private Villaine , no body shall be wicked to himselfe , when there shall be no Pompey , who ( as Tacitus saies ) was onely a Secreter bad man then Cesar , not a Lesse ; When the Iust shall shine as the Sunne , and the Wicked I say not shall Shine , ( 'T is some Comfort to be Tortur'd in Light ) but burne in Flames as Eternall as that God they have offended . Now when a Righteous man with an humble and hoping Eye lookes up to Heaven as his Reversion , and views himselfe a Triumphant Saint ( only under Age ) he must needs reape Plenty of Ioy from his Faith , which instates a man in that which he expects even while he expects ; It being a Grace which gives what it stayes for , and to which nothing is Absent . Now what horrours must tenter the heart of the Wicked , when he shall coldly and seriously contemplate Hell fire as his owne , and see himselfe live here onely a Repriv'd Devill . I hope you are all too innocent to understand . You see then , the Allmighty Places his Comforts here , does not hurle them , and gives him the Ioyfull Condition , not that Catches best , but that Lives so : He sets Crownes and Solid Gladnesse upon Righteous Hearts in this life , and Coronets of slender Ioy on Wicked ones , which mentions the Shaded side of my Text ; The Worldlings Thin , and Narrow , and some Gladnesse ; Thou hast put More Gladnesse in my heart , which implyes some in Theirs ; my third Part. The Coursest of Gods Blessings are still Blessings , and Comforts are not Comforts from their Size and Measure ; 'T is Fire in Sparks , as well as in Flaming Citties ; and Lease Gold is of the same Mettall with the whole Wedge : 'T is so with Temporall Good Things ; Riches are meant for Kindnesses , they may be Corrupted to Curses ; and Honours that came downe Favours may be misimployed to things of another name ; We may not say that where God showres a full Estate that he goes onely to baite and intangle that Rich man ; and that in the shape of ample Possessions he sends but a Great Trappe : Or that Esau , when his Father prophecied to him , the Fatnesse of the Earth and the Dew of Heaven ( Gen. 27. ) Kneel'd all that while to be Curs'd : Certainly as God forbids us to fall downe to Money and worship VVealth , so he will not himselfe make Riches so far an Idoll as to have the face of Blessings and not be such ; to represent Kindnesses and be onely the Statues of Good things . Pronounce not then of outward Accomplishment , and those things which Aristotle calls Ornament and Vernish to Vertue , That they doe but Act Goodness , that it may be said of Heathen prosperity that 't is little more then a faire evill , as some say ( but why God knowes ) of Heathen Vertues , that they are but handsome sinnes ; That nothing which the Wicked have is Good , as some say , Nothing is Theirs ( the opinion of some twice Baptized but never Christened ; ) Thou mayest as well say that the same Crowne upon Constantine's Beleeving head was of Gold , and upon the Apostate Temples of Iulian became Pastbord . For God in these low and just-good Things is an expos'd and every bodies God ( as Tertullian calls him ) and these runnings over of his mercies are as common as the Senses by which they are enjoyd : For as every thing 's being Made makes it a Copy of the Allmighti's Power , so every thing 's being bestowed makes it a draught of his kindnesse . Corne and Wine then and these poorer Favours have something in them towards Comforts , and our Saviour that was so severe an Interpreter , that he call'd A Glance Adultery , A Wish the Act , Pharisees and Doctors Vipers ; Yet He calls Glory the Thinnest of Good things , The Hypocrites reward ( Mat. 6. ) So that these Vnder Mercies are saint Ingredients of a pale Happines , as Milke & Honey in Canaan , though they did not compound Blessednesse , yet they made a Good Land . Though then the haughty Stoique pronounce that he can find richer Pleasure in Hunger and the Wheele then the Epicure in his Wine and Roses ; Yet certainly ( not to envy the Stoique his delicacies ) Riches and the govern'd Contents that grow from them considered meerly and lifted above the Abuses , they may be Rack't to good ; and those Thomes which they are , they are so onely if lean'd upon ; They are Maps at least if not solid Globes of Comfort , and the Liturgy's Forme for Plenty , is a Prayer no Execration . The Rule that Results to us is this ; These Fallings of Bounty are Blessings , and make no wretched state . What hands then , how cleane and how thankefull does it concerne Vs to lift up , that injoy God in Graces too , and see Him not only in Plenty & his back parts . But then they are poore Blessings , and no match for thine immortall spirit , Thou mayest not Marry the things of this World , they are too much thy Kindred , Things of thy Bloud , that is , thy Dust ; and if they must be Wives , make them such as those wicked men are said to make theirs in Italy , Vse and Contemne them . Trust not a great Fortune , for 't is a Fortune , and Feare not a great Fortune , for 't is a thing sent downe from above , which Casts mee on the Penicell that draws both the sides of the Text , Gods Favour Thou hast put Gladnesse , my last part , to be breifly dispatcht . As Philosophers have no swifter way of prooving the Heavens to be above frailty and corruption , then because they are the Heavens , and therefore suppos'd in reverence to such glorious Bodies , to be too excellent for change ; So the Christian most roundly evinces all good Things to flow from God , because they are Good ; For as Gods will is the reason of his doing , so his doing is the reason of any things being Good ; Goodnesse being a notion of a double face , which lookes not only forward to some Will which may affectt it , but backward too , to the Divine Minde to which 't is already squar'd ; Every good and perfect gift ( that is indeed every Guift ) saies Saint Iames , comes from above . All thy Parts are Rayes and Beames from Heaven , and all thy Graces Influences ; Thy Strength is dropt downe from the God of Hosts , and thy Wit from the God of Lights ; Not thy Acres , but the Blessings uppon them fill thy Barnes , and the fruits of thy ground may rather be said to Rebound from the Earth , then to Come : Call not thy Exact and measured Shape the worke or Chance of Nature , but a figure of Gods owne Geometry : nor thy Wives powerfull Colours , Creatures of her Bloud or Parents ; The powers that are ( even in this sense ) are from above . Call not thy health thy Temperance's health , nox thy honour thy Meritts honour , nor thy Liberty thy Innocencies Liberty ; These may be Pipes , they are no Fountaines of Good things : Through whatsoever God conveighs his Favours , they are still his Favours ; and if the Heathen Prayd downe their Poëms , and would scarce attempt an Epigram without an Invocation , certainely 't is no huge Christianity to allow God as generall a Bounty as he hath a Presence . Thy Intellectualls are not the Births of thy sweat and Candles , but God hath shed a bigger Talent upon thy Soule , to try whether thou wilt improve it in a diffusive Communication , or bury it in a sullen and unactive Contractednes ; whether thou wilt Plant upon thy naturall Powers by Industry , or in a lazy presumption upon thy rich ground , loose thy fallow and unmanur'd faculties ; Nor was it the Noise and Hats and Affection , and all the tumult of love from the Following and Vnjudging Multitude , that hath blowne thee to the Helme , and made thee start up a Senatour and Statesman ; but the God of all hearts that hath steer'd thy Countries Votes upon thee , to try whether thou wilt study the Kingdomes Peace , or thine own Reigne ; whether thou wilt obey & counsell thy Prince , or else like those Busy Wicked men in a dull ambition thinke Knight of a Shire signifies Emperour , and that in some poore market Village that sells Cheese and Voyces , thou wast Crown'd a Burgesse . Your honours are given you not for Leaven , to make you sowre & swell , but to reward & inflame your Vertues , ; and your Offices are bestowed not to make you able to oppresse the better , but to give you power to releive and succour : as upper bodies are created to throw kind Influences upon these lower , and the Heavens Rowle not about for themselves : All you that stand before Princes are Iosephs raised for the good of your Countrymen . Whether then thy Condition be to possesse the Vineyard or to sweat in it ; to make Lawes or live under them ; to Prescribe or be Prescribed ; of what size soever thy state is cut , thy God , not thy Care is the Carver ; Learne we to acknowledge that the Deity lets it selfe downe in all Shapes to its creature ; That our successess are the Smiles of a bountifull God and our afflictions the plasters of a Curing God , and from the bottome of our either Erected or else suffering Soules ascribe to God the Father , Sonne and Holy Ghost , all Honour , Glory , Might , Majesty , and Dominion ▪ now and for ever . Amen . FINIS .