A SERMON PREACHED AT THE TOWER, February 20. 1641.  
Being upon the Sabbath Day.  
By the Bishop of Bath and Wells.  
London Printed for H.S. 1641.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT THE TOWER.  2 Cor. 12.8. 
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might departed from me, and he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  
THis Verse it hath dependency with the Verse before, through the abundance of Revelations he was exalted above measure, there was given a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, and for this thing he prayed the Lord thrice that it might departed from him: the occasion of this prayer was the Thorn in the flesh, and the occasion of that Thorn, was the messenger of Satan: No Apostle more greater than he, and none more greatly afflicted, none more gracious, and the danger of that was spiritual pride, the greatest sin that the Church of God can fall into: the greater grace, the greater humility ought we to have, and the more humbly to walk with God.  
The parts are two: 

First, Paul's petition to God.  
Secondly, God's answer to Paul.    
The petition consists of five branches.  

First, the causes of his complaint, no small matter, but some great thing, For this thing.  
Secondly, the remedy that he useth, and that was Prayer.  
Thirdly, the earnestness of his Prayer, not once, or twice, but he did continue his Prayer, For this thing I prayed three times.  
Fourthly, the Physician to whom he sought, to the Lord.  
Fifthly, the end of his Petition, the thing that he did desire, that he might be eased, In that it might departed from me.   
Secondly, ye have Gods answer, and therein observe two particulars.  
First, the effect of his answer, it was a denial: the Apostle prays that this thing that did so trouble him might departed from him, but it would not be.  
Secondly, God's divine aid, God gave him a better thing that he did not pray for, to comfort him against the things that he did pray for, And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: Where observe the nature of this divine aid, My grace.  
Secondly, the quantity, It is sufficient for thee.  
The third thing is, the reason of God's denial, and his divine aid expressed in a famous sentence, or maxim of divinity, and this is granted from God's goodness and mercy, both for his own glory, and man's good, For my strength is made perfect in weakness: These are all the branches of the Text, of which in order, as time and your patience will give leave, and first of Paul's complaint, For this thing I besought the Lord: What this thing was in general, that Paul tells you in the verse before, and he describes it in two ways: First, in a figurative speech, in respect of the great anguish it wrought, and he calls it a Thorn in the flesh▪ the word in the Original signifies a sharp stick, or the point of a Spear, which being fastened into a man's body, puts him to intolerable pain. Secondly, he calls it the angle of Satan: but now two things is here, one that it is Satan's vexation, and the other that it did afflict him to the very heart, so that you see it was no Thistle, no Briar, no small thing that did trouble him here, and because the English Translation calls it by the name of a Thorn, and because we have not a better word in English to express it, I will call it so, but what thing was that, that is the doubt: here I confess I am fallen among Thorns: Some divines are of opinion that this Thorn was original concupiscence, which Paul calls the Law in the flesh: but this is too far fetched, for original concupiscence is common to all the regenerate: but he here complains of some evil that happened only to himself: Secondly, he knew that that could not departed from him so long as he did live here, but he prays that this might departed from him, but other Divines take this to be some bodily disease, as a continual pain in the stomach, as the Gout, or the Stone, or some malady in the body, but this is very unlikely, because Paul doth no where in any of his Epistles complain of any bodily infirmity he had. Secondly, this had been an impediment for his planting the Gospel in all Countries, which he could not have done if he had had any bodily infirmity: Some understand it the adversaries he had, as Hymineus, and others, especially Alexander the Coppersmith, it is true indeed that this was one of Satan's messengers, but this was but a Thorn without the flesh: but Paul complains of a Thorn in the flesh, some affliction that did stick close to him: others are of opinion that this was some evil Angel of Satan that God did permit to vex the body of Paul, as he did to vex job, and to buffet with Paul as one man would with another, and bestowed many a blow upon him: others are of opinion that it was some lustful motions stirred up in the Apostle, and for this cause he did keep his body under, for say they, if it had been any thing else he would have told us plainly what it had been, but being a thing that he was ashamed of, he tells us it was a Thorn.  
But Paul he had the gift of Chastity, I would all were as I am, saith he: 2. If Paul had been troubled with that, there was an easy remedy which he gave to others, what shall we say then? certainly in the judgement of most Divines it was some terror of Satan, some internal and spiritual affliction in his soul, and when he saith it was in his flesh, he means by his flesh, the outward man, the unregenerate part, the unregenerate part of the soul, as Rom. 7. although an inward temptation, or affliction in conscience may be truly said to be in the flesh by way of participation, because the flesh by such a cause becomes weak and pale: the best is this, that the Lord did permit Satan to bring to the ear and mind of Paul all his persecutions and wickedness, God hereby intending to humble him, though Satan's policy hereby was to have shaken him: but this Thorn is hid so deep in the flesh, that I will search no farther after it, but content myself with that of Austin, That he doth profess he did not know what this Thorn here was: Ye see then an Apostle, and such an Apostle as Paul, and after so many favours he must have a Thorn in the flesh, the Church of God in general, and every child of God in the Church is said to be a Lily among Thorns, Cant. 2.2. He is not worthy to be a member of the mysterial body, upon the glorious head whereof was plaited a Crown of many Thorns, who cannot endure the pricking of one Thorn, some light affliction, if not for his own sake, yet for our Saviour's sake: hath our Saviour drunk so deep of the cup, and shall not we be willing to sip after him in the same cup? If God did not spare his only Son for us that knew not any sin, shall we that are his adopted▪ Sons think to escape without any scourgeing at all▪ He whom the Lord hath not chastised, is a bastard, and no son Heb. 12. Give me a man that never was: afflicted with any affliction, saith Austin, and I will presently conclude, that that man is not the child of God, for every child of God must have some afflictions to humble him, and call him home to God, wherein he must rejoice: We must not think to pass from the joy of this world, to the joy of the next: no, when the Israelites went out of Egypt, they did not go through pleasant Gardens, but the Wilderness, to Canaan: this was a type that we must pass through afflictions to that Heavenly Canaan: and therefore one that was without afflictions, said to God, What Lord, am I out of thy favour? am I not worthy to be afflicted? What a Catalogue doth S. Paul reckon of his afflictions in the eleventh of this Epistle, ver. 23. In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more plenteous, in death oft, of the jews five times received I forty stripes save one, I was thrice beaten with rods, I was once stoned, I suffered thrice shipwreck, night and day I have been in the deep Sea, in journeying I was often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own Nation, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the City, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the Sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often: I am almost out of breath in rehearsing of them, and yet this worthy Apostle was never out of breath in suffering them, all the afflictions of the people of God are but pricks and thorns, they are but loving corrections of a merciful Father, we are troubled on every side, but not distressed, afflicted, but not forsaken, cast out, but not destroyed: Oh welcome, thrice welcome these bitter sweets, these loving chastisements, these indulgent visitations, these pleasant crosses, these comfortable calamities, these wholesome miseries, these glorious trials, these joyful temptations, these honourable reproaches: all light afflictions, which work for us a far exceeding weight of glory, by these we are humbled, and seek right early to our God, by these our faith and love is kindled, and Gods graces exercised, by these we are put in remembrance and sorrow for our sins, by these we are made more careful of future walking with God, by these we are made fit for the life to come, by these our desire is kindled to be with Christ, nay by these we are encouraged to embrace death. I know out of very faithfulness thou hast caused me to be afflicted, Psal. 119. I have been the longer upon the first branch, because it is the hinge upon which the whole frame of my Text doth turn.  
But what did Paul when the Thorn that was in the flesh did trouble him, this messenger began to buffet him: he went presently to prayer, the only way to draw out any Thorn whatsoever, For this thing I prayed: Is any man afflicted? let him pray: Prayer was jobs remedy, and it was David's practice, In my distress I called upon thee: And God himself saith, Hosea 5. In their afflictions they will seek me early: We make prayer our last refuge in afflictions, but it ought to be first, for God is a very present help in trouble: but will not God hear us except we pray? First, because prayer is a matter of worship and service of God: the great men of the world will not bestow favours without they be petitioned, and shall the great God without our prayers? Secondly, because our prayers shows our confidence in God: a Father can bestow mercies upon his Son without ask, but he will not, because he takes delight to hear him sue to him.  
Object. But Gods will is immutable, how can we alter it, what need we pray?  
Answ. It is a sure rule, things that are not contrary, work together, Prayer is as it were the midwife to deliver God's decree, Christ knew before he did pray, that those things that he did pray for should be granted, yet he prays for it: but as our prayers must be fervent, so they must be frequent, For this thing I prayed thrice, a medicine must be often applied, or it will not work the cure, he prayed thrice, here is a certain number for an uncertain, as thrice happy, that is very happy, so I prayed thrice, that is often, Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss: Go then, and pray again, and then often praying thou shalt find out the error of thy prayer: if God deny thee at the first, and second, give not over, peradventure Heaven gate is therefore shut, that thou mayst bounce the longer, and louder, and therefore give not over knocking, until that God be opening: great blessings are obtained with earnestness: The unrighteous judge did yield at last to the importunate prayer of the widow: And shall not the Judge of all the world yield to the importunate prayer of his servants: The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force: What force? Of prayer. Unto whom? Unto the lord That is the fourth branch, For this thing I prayed thrice unto the Lord, We have neither precept nor practice in all the Canonical Scripture to pray unto any other, but only unto the Lord in heaven, or in earth: Whom have I in heaven but thee, Psal. 37. But the Papists, they are not of David's Religion, for they have Saints, S. Benedict, S. Francis, and a thousand more: He must be a Booker's Arithmatition that can reckon up all the names of the several Saints that they call upon in their danger: That Courtlike argument of the Papists, that we cannot go to the King with a Petition without Master of Requests, doth not deserve a Scholarlike answer, for God is every where present, and he need no other Ma: of Request but Jesus Christ. Then come to the last, that is, the end of his Petition, Depart from me: Afflictions in themselves are not pleasing, but contrary to our nature, and therefore not to be desired: but when God sends them we are to bear them with comfort, we take them willingly, but we would not have them stay with us, but when they have done their work, we would have them go, but if this messenger of Satan do not strait ways depart from us, they shall not make us departed from God.  
He did elect us before the world was made, Ephe. 1. And here by the way the Romish Schoolmen doth not handle this grace at large, because it makes against their proud doctrine of Justification by good works: Some understand this grace, which if a man have, he is safe from the hurt of any affliction, it is true, this grace of God is first meant, but it is not the only grace: secondly, there is the grace of God within us, all the gifts of God's Spirit, which is rightly and truly called Grace of God, the love and favour of God towards us: now of this of grace God doth the Apostle speak here in my Text: We are kept by the power of God to Salvation, by the power of God, what is that? the power of Grace. And against what? Against all afflictions whatsoever, This Grace is S. Paul's token. 2 Thes. 3. This is the most precious jewel of a Christian, and as the soul is the life of the body, this is the life of the soul, this stirs up to good, and restrains from evil, this keeps from pride in prosperity, and supports in affliction, this makes all our weak endeavours acceptable with God, and without this all our best actions is but sin: it is not the grace of the body, that is but vanity, it is not the grace of the world, the grace of the world is not able to keep a man from one poor little fit of an Ague, and when a man lies upon his deathbed, and Satan gins to tempt, and his conscience gins to trouble, then what good will all the grace of the world do a man: but by this grace of God we are equal to the Angels, but without this grace we are worse than Toads, of Serpents: Nay, worse than the very devils of hell, and therefore let us pray for this grace of God, that no man, nor creatures, nor devils can take away, but it continues for ever: whom God loveth, he loveth to the end.  
The second divine Aid God gave the Apostle, was the quantity of this grace, My grace is sufficient for thee: sufficient, it walks between two extremes; abundance and want, and where there is sufficient, there is neither too much, nor too little: and here we may admire the wisdom of God, he is a free agent, the Sun shines according to his natural ability, but God giveth every one grace according to the measure of Christ, what is that? according to the pleasure of his own will: For God is an ever-flowing fountain, an Ocean of grace, there is grace enough for you, and me, and for as many worlds as God can make: Wherefore let us not murmur against God, because we have not that abundance of grace that the Apostles and others have had, they had the showers of grace, we will be content with the dew of grace, they had the full sheaves, but we will be glad of the glean, they had their full banquets, but we shall think ourselves happy if we can have but the crumbs, and if we have grace, we shall have glory: for it is with grace, as with Manna, he that gathered much had not over: and he that gathered little had no lack, and so every grace is sufficient as it is effectual, and this doth arise from the power of God, and not from man's free will: He doth not say my grace is sufficient with thee, but My grace is sufficient for thee, and therefore we must take heed we do not part stakes between God's grace, and man's free will, for it is he alone that gives us both to will and to do according to his good pleasure, Ephes. 2. And therefore let us not be covetous, give me this sufficiency from grace, for if we have grace enough, we have enough: Give me the man that can truly say he hath enough: he saith when he hath a house, Oh that I had a little land, and so as the world grows upon him, his desires grow upon the world, so that every year, nay, every day, every hour he thinks of another enough: but if a man have grace enough, he hath all enough, this makes a penny seem to be as beg as a shilling, a prison as a country, and this grace is sufficient against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and against all afflictions: and although God could keep us from afflictions, yet he will not, for if there were no conflict, there will be no victory, but in the end grace hath always the upper hand, and in all these things we are more than conquerors: be not then dismayed O Christian soul, whoever thou art under some heavy affliction: what wouldst thou be better than Paul? behold, the Apostle suffered and despaired not, nay behold, Christ himself was tempted, and afflicted that he might secure us when we are tempted and afflicted: Oh then behold Christ with a sure comfort and a lively faith, and he will secure us in all our afflions, that neither flesh, world, nor devil shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  
FINIS.