When a mans soule doth prosper in grace & goodnesse inwardly , together as his estate doth prosper in wealth & substance outwardly , that , & none but that is true prosperitie . Againe , many times it falls out so , and a man in himselfe shall finde it so , that his soule prospers best , when his estate prospers worst . Many a man is like the Pine tree , of which they write , that if the barke be peeled off , it will last a long time , else it rots : so God sees , that many a man if hee had his barke upon him , if he had the wealth of the world about him , it would rot him , and make him worse , therefore God is faine to barke him , and peele him , to keepe him naked and bare , and poore , that his soule may prosper the better .

Saint Augustine gives two reasons why it pleaseth God to withhold outward prosperity from them that inwardly prosper , and to denie outward blessings to them whom he hath inwardly blest with grace ; first , lest wicked people should thinke , ob has colendum Deum , that Gods servants did serve him onely for these things : as the Devill accused Iob chap. 1. 10. Hast thou not considered my servant Iob ( saith God ) how upright he walkes , and how carefully he serves me ? I cannot blame him ( quoth Satan ) that hee serves thee , hee doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for his owne neede , to serve his owne turne , for thou makest such an hedge about him , and so fencest him in with thine invincible protection , that none of all his enemies can make the least gap to breake in upon him ; doe but put forth thy hand ( saith the Devill ) manum laesivam , ( he meanes ) thy punishing , thy vindictive revenging hand , and touch him with that ( as the Spider toucheth the Bee ) touch him to torment him , and thou shalt see Iob will turne another leafe , and in stead of blessing thee , will curse thee to thy face . Yea , dost thou thinke so ( saith God ) doe thou take him to doe , I le give thee leave , punish him , afflict him , doe any thing to him , spare but his life , and thou shalt see Iob will serve me no lesse than hee did before ; and so it fell out . And the same mind doe all Gods faithfull servants beare , prosper or not prosper , thrive or not thrive , rewarded or not rewarded , all is one to them , they will and are resolved to serve and seeke the Lord . Secondly , Lest Gods servants should beare a mercinary minde , and serve him onely to make a gaine of his service , and so alwayes be looking and lingering after temporall favours ; this would turne patientiam in avaritiam , Christian patience into carnall covetousnesse , and make men carnally minded in their spirituall affaires : that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( as the Apostle speakes ) an affection of dishonour , and would discover a kinde of basenesse in Gods servants to seeke him onely for their owne ends ; therefore God sees it best in some cases , to restraine prosperity from them that seeke him , and that , alto consilio , upon deepe advice , and great reason , as you see ; First , to convince the world of their misopinion of Gods servants . Secondly , to rectifie the affection of them that serve him , that they may learne not to linger after that which God in his wisedome sees good to hold them short of .

But for the prosperity of wicked and ungodly men ( to returne to that ) of such as seeke not the Lord , but rather mingle their wealth with wickednesse , and mixe their prosperity with blasphemy , that set their mouth against heaven and say , as 't is in Iob , chap. 21. 15. Who is the Almighty that wee should serve him ? and what profit should we have if wee pray unto him ? Such men as these , the more outwardly happy they are ; the more undoubtedly miserable ; that which wee count the felicitie and the happinesse of such men , is indeed their ruine and their bane , to thrive well by evill courses . You know what God did to Hophni and Phineas , that were as wicked wretches as the earth could beare ; God let them alone , let them goe on and prosper and domineere over the poore people , sent them no Crosse , nor disease , nor judgement to interrupt them , but let them take their swinge in the very height of their rebellions ; Why would God suffer such flagitious villaines to have their will without controule ? God himselfe is pleased to give an account of it , 1 Sam. 2. 25. Because ( saith the text ) he would destroy them : this is the event and issue of a wicked mans prosperity . I have seene the wicked in great prosperity ( saith David , Psal. 37. 35. ) flourishing like a greene bay tree . Why like a greene bay tree rather than like a greene oke-tree , or greene apple-tree ? I will tell you what I think the reason is ; The bay-tree ( you know ) is green all the winter ▪ long , when oke-trees , and apple-trees , and all other farre more profitable and fruitfull trees , do wither , decay , and shed their leaves , stand naked and bare , and looke as if they were rotten & dead ; then doth the bay-tree flourish and looks as fresh and as green as it were in the midst of the spring ; when other trees decay , that flourisheth . So fares it with wicked men in such Winter-times of the world as we had the last yeare , times of dearth and scarcity , times of want and penury ; when many a poore Christian is faine to fast and fare hard , and goe with many hungry meale to bed , then doe you usurers , oppressors , corn ▪ mongers , and such others , those mercatores humanarum calamitatum ( as Nazianzen calls them ) those that make merchandise of poore mens miseries , then doe they prosper , then doe they thrive , then doe they flourish like greene bay-trees ; when others decay , then doe they flourish , then is their spring , their flourishing time . [ They flourish like greene bay trees . ]

Well , but what followes in the next verse ? After a while ( saith David ) I sought him , but he could not be found ; as if he had said , I sought on earth in his mansion , in his dwelling-place , thence hee was gone , there he was not to be found ▪ afterward I sought him in heaven , to see if I could finde him there among the Saints and blessed soules above , there hee was not to be found : Where was he then ? Verily he was gone downe , as is said of Iudas , Act. 1. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gone downe to his owne place , gone downe to hell , there David might have found him , but there hee sought him not . And this is the miserable end of a wicked mans prosperity .

The consideration whereof may be a stay unto us against that great temptation that troubled David and Ieremy , and still troubles them that are weake in faith , to see the prosperity of wicked men , to see it goe well with them that be evill , and ill with them that doe well . Dost thou see an ungodly man laden with wealth , honour and ease ? dost thou see an hypocrite and an evill liver blest as Esau was with the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth ; dost thou see a gracelesse ruffin , one that feasts without feare , drinkes without measure , sweares without feeling , and lives without God ; and yet his body vigorous , his coffers plenteous , and his estate prosperous ? in a word , dost thou see them prosper that seeke not the Lord , but lie wallowing in that which God abhors , and stand chargeable in their soules with that which separates and divides betwixt man and his God ? why , be not discomforted at it , be not disquieted with it , do not fret thy selfe because of the ungodly , neither be thou envious at evill doers ; but consider the end of those men , that is the Apostles expression , Iames 5. 11. You know the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made with him , though he curst him at first , yet he doubled his blessing upon him at last ; so stay till you see what end God will make with these men : surely O God ( saith David , Psal. 73. 18. ) Thou hast set these men in slippery places , thou castest them downe into destruction : a man that stands in lubrico in a slippery place , as on ice or glasse , shall have much a-doe to keepe himselfe upright though no body touch him , but if one should come upon him unawares and give him a sudden justle , or a sudden rush , he hath no power in the world to uphold himselfe , but must fall and that dangerously : and this is the case of wicked wealthy men , they thinke they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , unmoveable and fastned on a rocke that never shall be moved ; but they are deceived ; God that knowes their standing , tels us hee hath set themon slippery places , and it will not be long ere God send some death , some judgement , some evill angell or other to give them such a sudden justle , such a sudden rush , that without great mercy on Gods part , and great repentance on their owne part , they must fall inevitably into the pit of hell . And this is the first point I desire to have handled , namely , that the right way for a man to prosper indeed is to serve and seeke the Lord , whosoever prospers without seeking of God , his prosperitie in this world , shall be his ruine and perdition in the world to come .

Secondly , the manner how one that desires to prosper must seeke the Lord , and that is to be done two dayes : 1. Humiliter , 2. Veraciter ;

Humbly and unfainedly , sorrowfully & sincerely .

First , Humiliter , as the blessed Virgin Mary told our Saviour , Luke 2. 48. Thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing . They that would find the Lord must seeke him sorrowing , with sad and heavie hearts , bewailing and bemoaning their owne miserable estate through sinne before God , as it is said of the Israelites , 1 Sam. 7. ● . When the Arke of God was departed from them , they lamented after the Lord : the best and truest lamentation in the world is to lament after the Lord , and a man hath never so just a cause to lament as when the Lord for sinne is departed from him . We read in the story of Micha , Iudg. 18. 24. that when the Souldiers had taken away Micha's gods , he ranne crying and weeping after them , as a man distracted and deprived of all his comfort ; the Souldiers hearing him , turned backe and asked him , what he ailed : saith Micha , Yee have taken away my gods , and doe yee aske me what I aile ? can yee blame a man that hath lost his gods to be out of quiet ? If Micha could find in his heart to lament for the losse of a false god , a god of his owne making , as good gods as that lying at the backe of the fire , warming a man or roasting of meate , ( as Esay speakes ) shall a Christian finde in his heart to lose the true God , the God of all comfort and consolation , and that by sinne which is the worst losse of all , and that not by any others taking away ( as in Michas case ) but by his owne act and wilfull default , and not be grieved , nay not moved a-whit ; breake none of his sleepe , none of his wonted sports for it , as if he reckoned God as good lost as found ? God forbid . Certainely , hee that can lament for the losse of his goods , and cannot lament for the losse of his God , is worthy to lose both his goods and his God for ever . God was angry with the carnall Iewes , Hos. 7. 14. because they howled upon him for corne and wine , but did not cry unto him with their hearts ; they howled because God had scanted them in his mercie , but they never howled because they had scanted God in their duty ; they howled for want of meanes not for want of grace , which is the greatest want of all : observe therefore what a despicable , contemptible terme God gives their prayers , hee cals them ululatus , howlings , like the howlings of a Dogge , or a Wolfe , which is a most harsh unpleasing note in the eare of a man ; such are the prayers of obstinate sinners in their extremitie to God .

They howled unto me upon their beds , but they did not cry unto me with their hearts : t is not the howling of the mouth that God regards , but t is the cry of the heart that pierceth heaven and entreth into the eares of Almighty God : you may see it in Moses , Exodus 14. 10. When the Israelites were straighted at the red Sea ; having the Sea before them , their enemies behind them , Rocks and Hils of each side of them ; the text saith , The people cried , and made a dolefull howling and lamentation to the Lord , Moses held his peace ; and see the issue : Populus clamabat & non audiebatur , tacebat Moses & audiebatur , The people cried and God heard not them ; Moses held his peace and hee was heard , Vers . 15. Why dost thou cry unto me ( saith God ) when he uttered never a word , nor made any noise that we can read of , onely his heart cried , and that was it that God listned unto : and therefore if anie man find himselfe to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of such a hard and dry and brawny temper that he cannot cry with his eyes let him cry with his heart , and it is enough . As it is said of our Saviour , Heb. 4. 6. That in the dayes of his flesh he offered prayers and supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with strong cries and teares unto God , hee did not onely cry but he cried strongly , he did even straine himselfe in this prayers with the greatest vehemency that possibly he could : it is not a faint and feeble cry , but it is a strong and hearty cry that wakens the Lord to listen to us , as the Disciples awaked our Saviour when he slept in the ship , Mat. 8. If a mother heare her child cry out right , cry heartily and strongly , what-ever shee is a doing shee will lay it aside and run to still her child : God is more compassionate and tender over his children than any earthly mother over hers ; if hee doe but heare us cry heartily , cry in good earnest , hee hath not the power to containe himselfe but will arise and have mercy on us ; that is the reason our prayers want successe , because they want heart , their blessing is according to their vigor . You will say it were a good comfort for a man thus to cry & lament and make his moane to God in this sad and sorrowful maner , if a man were but sure to prosper ever the better : for that I refer you to an instance in Scripture , 1 Sam. 1. 9 , 10. In 1 Chro. 4. 9 , 10. It is said of Iabez who was a man of sorrow , that he was more honourable than all his brethren , God prospered him and blessed him more than all the rest ; how came that to passe ? see ver. 10. And Iabez called on the God of Israel , saying , Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed , and inlarge my coast , and that thy hand might be with me , and that thou wouldest keepe me from evill , that it may not grieve me , and ( saith the text ) God granted him that which he requested : that is , granted him prosperitie , granted him a prosperous and happy life ; there is the fruit of a godly sorrow . A sorrowfull man ( as Iabez was ) when he prayeth in good earnest , that God will blesse him indeed , and be with him in all his wayes , such an one shall be sure to prosper in his suite , and shall undoubtedly receive either what hee doth aske or what hee should aske : he then that desires to prosper let him seeke the Lord this way , dolenter sorrowfully .

2 Veraciter , truly , sincerely , and with all his heart , Deut. 4. 29. If thou seeke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him , if thou seeke him with all thy heart . He that would find God must seeke him entirely , unfainedly , and not by halves but with his whole heart , because God though he love cor contritum , a broken heart , a heart rent and torne with griefe and godly sorrow for sinne , yet he cannot abide cor divisum , a cloven heart , a heart parted and divided within it selfe , which makes a man to be ( as Saint Iames cals him ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a double minded man ; so we translate it , but the word signifies a man with two soules , or with two minds ; such a man must never looke to prosper by his seeking of God . I will give you an instance in one or two , 1 Chron. 10. the two last verses , it is said , that Saul died for the sinne that he sinned against the Lord : what was that ? one was for sparing Agag and the Amalekites cattell , pretending devotion when hee did it for gaine ; but the maine sinne was this , that hee sought to the witch , and sought not to the Lord , therefore the Lord slew him . Some man may say , did not Saul seeke to the Lord ? that he did , looke into 1 Sam. 28. 6. You shall see that Saul tried all waies to seek the Lord , & the Lord would not be found of him nor answer him , neither by Dreames , nor by Vrim , nor by Prophets : how then can this hold good , that Saul should die for not seeking of God , when he sought him , & God would not answer him ? the bestanswer that I can give is this , Non videtur fieri quod non legitim● fit , that which is not done rightly and sincerely as it ought to be done is counted as not done in the sight of God ; Sauls seeking of God was counted as not seeking of God , because he sought him not sincerely as he ought to seeke him , you may see the like in another kind , 2 Kin. 17. 32 , 33. it is said the Samaritan-Assyrians that mongrell brood , which were transplanted out of Assyria into Samaria , that they feared the Lord and served their owne gods also , and the next vers. saith , they feared not the Lord at all ; how can these things concurre ? one verse saith , they did feare God , another saith , they did not feare him . Answ. Their feare of God is counted as no feare of God , because it was no sincere feare of God : had they truly feared God they should never have need to feare their owne Idols , for hee that truely feareth God hath his blessing , that he shall neede feare nothing else but God in this service of God ; as contrarily , he that feares not God hath this curse , that God will give him such a trembling heart that hee shall feare every thing but God , idols and divels and all , as those people did , and therefore was their feare of God counted as no feare of God , because no sincere feare ; as Sauls seeking is counted as no seeking because it was no sincere seeking of God .

By this you see , that lip-labour is but lost labour , and lame prayers are but lost prayers in the sight of God : the Apostle gives us a caveat , 2 Ioh. 8. to take heed that wee lose not the things wee have wrought ; a man were better lose any thing that hee hath wrought , than lose his prayers for want of true devotion : Labia dolosasi in sermonibus sint , saltem in orationibus non sint , deceitfull lips and a double tongue if they be found in our other speeches , let them not be found in our prayers in any case ( saith S. Aug. ) God forbid that a Christian should double and dissemble with God and the world in his devotions ; he that doth so let him never look to prosper ▪ Salomon speakes it peremptorily , Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sins shal not prosper : that is , as we may apply it to our purpose , he that makes Religion a cloake to cover and colour his deceit , he that makes devotion a veile to hide his sinnes , such an one shall never prosper ; he therefore that desires prosperity , let him seeke the Lord veraciter sincerely .

Thirdly , the time when wee must seeke God , and that is to be considered in two Circumstances , Generally , and Particularly .

First , Generally ; Hee that desires to prosper must seeke God at all times . As we say , Nullum tempus occurrit Regi ; so no time comes amisse to God , morning or evening , midday or midnight , all times are alike for that matter , a man can never come unseasonably with a suite to God , Exod. 18. Moses sate from morning till night to heare the causes of the people , but he grew weary of it , and was faine to give it over ; but there is one above , Iesus Christ the righteous that sits continually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Heb. 1 , on the right hand of Majestie on high to heare the causes and complaints of his poore people and to receive and present our petitions to the divine Majestie and is never weary of it , come when we will he is at leasure to heare us . It is a prety observation that S. Augustine makes out of the parable proposed by our Saviour , Luke 11. where he that knockt at midnight to borrow bread of his neighbour , found all the whole family asleepe , onely the master of the house was awake , and he answered , and opened , and gave him that he craved , though it was at an unseasonable time ; Nullus de janitoribus respondit , none of all the porters , none of all the servants , none of all the children made him any answer , they were all asleepe , onely the master was awake , and heard him when hee called . Iust so it fares with us when wee knocke and call at the doore of heaven for any mercie , none of all the Prophets nor Apostles , none of all the blessed Saints departed make us any answer ; alas , they heare us not , they sleepe in peace and are at rest from their labours , onely God Almightie , who is the Master and Maker of that blessed familie , hee , and onely hee doth heare and answer , at what time soever we cry unto him ; Hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth , call when we will God is alway awake to heare and helpe : No time unseasonable to seeke God .

Secondly , but more particularly , for one that desires to prosper , there is a choise time and season to seeke the Lord above all the rest , and that is early in the morning . 'T is a pretty conjecture that the Hebrewes make upon that saying of the Angel to Iacob , Gen. 32. 26. Let mee goe for the morning appeareth . I take it the true reason was , because Iacob should not be too curious in looking and gazing upon that humane shape , wherein this great Angel Christ appeared ; for he it was that wrastled with Iacob , but their conceit is , that the Angell which wrastled with Iacob all night , desired to depart when the morning appeared , because hee was now to goe to the rest of the blessed company and quire of Angels , to sing their morning-hymne unto God . 'T is but a conjecture , but we may apply it thus ; We all hope to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , like the Angels in heaven , let us be like them on earth too , and how ever we are imployed at other times , when the morning appeares let us hasten to God , and aske him blessing every morning , as our children doe us , and no doubt but God will blesse us the better all the day after . Iob 8. 5 , 6. If thou wilt seeke unto God betimes , and make thy supplication to the Almighty , surely now he will awake for thee , and make thy habitation prosperous . I make no doubt but a many of you are early risers , that are up before the morning watch , I say , before the morning-watch , ( i ) before the day-starre or the Sunne appeare : and 't is possible for a man to be early up and never the neere , but hee that riseth early to pray and seeke the Lord , shall be sure not to lose his labour , for he shall prosper the better all the day , If thou wilt seeke the Lord , &c. Yea , but there 's a place of Scripture that seemes to crosse and contradict it , Prov. 1. 28. They shall seeke me early , but they shall not finde me . Is the Scripture contrary to it selfe ? Doth God say in one place , If ye seeke me early ye shall finde me ; and in another place , Though you seeke me early you shall not finde me ? How shall we know which to beleeve , which to build upon ? I answer ,

There 's a two-fold early , Gods early , and mans early ; Gods early is to seeke him in the first place , Ante omnia adoremus Deum ( was the old rule ) before we eate or drinke , before we worke or play , before we doe any thing , doe that first ; first seeke the kingdome of God , and that 's Gods early . Mans early is at the beginning of trouble , the beginning of sicknesse , the beginning of sorrow , and then the wickedst wretch upon earth will seeke the Lord , but then perhaps he shall not finde him ; hee that will not seeke him in peace , shall hardly finde him in trouble ; hee that will not seeke him in health , shall not easily find him in sicknesse , yea , though he seeke him early , at the very first , at the very beginning of it , as Ioab fled to the Altar in his perplexity , but it saved not his life because he never came at it in his prosperity to offer upon it . So that you see , if wee take mans early to seeke God , we may chance to misse him ; but if wee take Gods early , we shall be sure to finde him .

You then that desire to prosper , remember Gods early ; the first thing you do in the morning , let it be seeke God , never thinke your selves drest till that be done , let thy soules have a morning draught as wel as thy body , I mean a morning prayer to fence it against the infectious ayre of the world : Salomon gives the reason , Prov. 27. 1. For who can tell what a day may bring forth ? 'T is a Metaphor taken from a wombe , when a woman is in travell , who can tell what shee will bring forth till shee be delivered , may be a sonne , may be a daughter , may be a monster ; so when the wombe of the morning is in travell , who can tell what a day may bring forth , may be albus , may be ater dies , may be a white , a happy , a comfortable day ; may be a blacke , a dismall , a dolefull day ; wee doe not know what a day may bring forth , whether judgement or mercy , whether good or bad events ( therefore to prevent the worst , 't is good to make sure worke for our owne safetie , namely to seeke the Lord in the morning and then come what will come , all shall be for the best , God will turne it all to good Omnia cooperantur , &c. Rom. 8. All things worke together for good to them that love God .

He then that would be prosperous and speed well , let him be religious and pray well , for he that prayes well can never speed amisse : and therefore if you see one that followes his calling , and is not followed with Gods blessing , it may justly be suspected , that such a one restraineth prayer from Almighty God , as Eliphaz told Iob in another case , Iob 15. 4. Now 't is just with God to restraine prosperity from them that restraine their prayers from him , 't is just with God to withhold his blessing from those that have not the care nor the grace to aske it . So much for the time and order of our seeking of the Lord .

Fourthly , where , or in what place wee must seeke God . Generally , wee are to seeke him every where , for God is omni-present , in all places to be found of them that seeke him faithfully ; as David saith ; Psalme 139. 3. Thou art about my bed , and about my paths , and spiest out all my wayes . We little thinke when wee lie downe in our beds as a dogge lies downe in a kennell , without any prayer , any ejaculation , any good motion to God-ward , we little thinke that God is so neere us that hee is about our beds , and doth observare excubias , watch our watchings , and observe our lying downe , and our rising up .

Againe , when wee walke in Circuitus , walke the Devils round from one sinne to another , from one vanity to another , from one ill company to another , we little thinke that God is about our paths , and spieth out all our wayes : but whether wee thinke it or no , so it is for certaine ; and therefore to apply it the right way ; In what place soever we seeke God , in bed or up , within doore or without , in the field or in the road , we shall be sure to finde him to our comfort and protection . But more especially , there is a proper peculiar place appointed for Christians to seeke the Lord in , and that is the Church of God , the Sanctuary or house of prayer , ther 's his dwelling place , and thither must wee resort to seeke him . We have an expresse law for it , Deut 12. 5. In that place which the Lord your God shall chuse to put his name in , in that his habitation shall ye seeke unto him . Neither was this a law judiciall , or ceremoniall , that bound the Iew onely for a time , but morall and perpetuall , that bindes the Christian for ever , to seeke the Lord where he is to be found , ( i ) in his Sanctuary ; they that refuse to come there , may justly be termed ( as Esau was ) profane persons , as being procul ● fano , farre from the Sanctuary , and consequently out of Gods protection ; for they that are thus out of the one , are out of the other also .

As S. Austin notes out of the parable , Luke 10. 30. concerning the man that fell among theeves , and was wounded and left halfe dead , 't is noted of him that hee was going down from Ierusalem to Iericho ; from the Church I warrant you : Ierusalem was the Church of God , the holy Citie ; Iericho was a cursed place , branded with an ancient curse since the dayes of Ioshua , and thither lay his journey : whereupon Saint Austin notes , Si non descendisset , fortasse in latrones non incidisset , had he not been descending and going downeward from God and from his Church , peradventure hee had not fallen into the hands of theeves . God would have protected him , the Lord would have safe guarded and defended him , that no such evill should have betided him ; but because hee was going from the Church to a cursed place , and like enough about a naughty businesse ; therefore God gave him over , and he fell into the hands of theeves . As many therefore as desire Gods protection and blessing , let them resort to the Church to serve and seeke the Lord .