Psal 145. 17 the Psalmist saith in all his vvayes and holie in all his workes Yea his vvayes are righteous the iust Hose 14 10 shal walke in them but the wicked shall fall therein For as his wayes are plaine and right vnto Ecclê° 39 24 the iust so are they stumbling blocks vnto the wicked §. 4. But to the end wee should not imagine the wayes of Almightie God to be like our wayes nor his secrete intents to resemble our deuises it hath pleased the Lord himselfe in the prophecie of Esay fully to assure vs of the contrarie by his owne speech where he saith * My thoughts ô house of Esay 55 8 9 Israell are not your thoughts neyther are your wayes my waies For as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts aboue your thoughts And an example partly to approue this speech of God may be founde in the first Booke of Samuell where wee reade that when the Prophet according as hee vvas appointed went about to annoynt a nowe King in steed of Saule ouer Israell he first after he came to Bethlehem called for Elihab 1 Sam 16 the eldest sonne of Ishai a goodlie tall fellowe and presently supposed him because he was of an high stature and comlie countenaunce to bee the man whom God had chosen But when the Lorde refused him â—ee called for the second sonne and after that the third so in order vntill he had seene seauen of Ishais sonnes at the last when there remained onely but one more named Dauid the most vnlikely amongst all the rest to be elected King the Lord far contrary both to the expectation of his Father and the Prophet as soone as the lad came into their presence called vnto Samuell saying Arise and annoynt him for this is hee Giuing vs hereby to vnderstand that he respecteth not as wee doe the outvvarde appearance comly proportion of euerie beautifull person but rather the godlie inclination of mans minde and the feruent affection of his hidden hart §. 5. Now although indeede we are not able as S. Ierome saith by reason of our manie Ierome â— infirmities to conceaue Gods wonderfull counsels or attaine to the knowledge of his hidden purposes for that his secrete determinations seeme like a deepe Gulfe vnto vs yet must we alwayes in duetie acknowledge him in whatsoeuer hee doth to be iust and true in all his wayes and humblie confesse that he keepeth an vpright and euen hand in the performing of all his promises whatsoeuer And far more fitly also wil it become vs reuerently to admire the meruailous vvorkings of the Almightie then ouer busily to beate our braines about matters that are beyond our capacity saying in all humility of spirit as the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romaines saith * O the deepenesse of Rom 11 33 the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of God! howe vnsearchable are his iudgements his wayes past finding out ¶ Of the Word of God §. 1. THE Worde of the Lord our God Heb 4 12. as saith the Apostle is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then anie two edged sword It entereth through euen vnto the deuiding in sunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the hart §. 2. The Word of God as Saint Ambrose Ambrose saith is the pleasant Garden of Paradice where the Tree of knowledge is appoynted by God vnto all the elect In the midst whereof standeth the Tree of Life which is Christ our Sauiour No Cherubin with a fierie sword saith hee keepeth the enterance but it is opened by the instinct of the holy Ghost and the light of the Gospel to all that are hungry In it are the Riuers of liuely vvater by which the Church of all the faythfull is ouerflowne and cherrished and the mindes of the godly inriched with the treasures of heauenly graces Therein also are Trees of all sorts verie faire and fruitfull that is the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles planted by Gods owne hand and the voyce of God continually walking earnestly seeking the saluation of mankinde and leading them vnto the way of life §. 3. The Word of God as Saint Augustine Augustine sayth is the vvombe of God vvherein all his Children are conceaued carried borne and nourished It is the Lanthorne vvhereby our feete Fulgentius may bee directed and the true Light by vvhich our pathes may bee guided vnto Christ It is as it were the Lydian Touchstone Ambrose which rightly tryeth all the opinions and teachings of men whether they be true or counterfeit It is as the Apostle saith the * sword of Ephe 6 17 the Spirit And the * power of God vnto Rom 1 16 saluation to euery one that beleeueth It is the mistery or secrete of the vvill of Rom. 16. 25 GOD. And his Letters or freendly Epistles sent Augustine vnto vs from our heauenly Countrey to instruct vs in fayth and godlines of life It is the liuelie meate or foode of mans Ambrose soule with the which it is nourished fedde and daily gouerned It is the wholsome doctrine of the holie Ierome Ghost wherein is contained whatsoeuer is needful to be knowne of vs in this life concerning our future felicitie in the vvorld to come §. 4. The very authoritie of Gods Worde alone is as S. Augustine saith more theÌ„ all Augustine the sharpnesse of mans imagination or inuention for it hath one constant plaine simple holy meaning wherein the truth consisteth by vvhich onely wee fight and ouercome And whatsoeuer in argument saith S. Gregorie hath not authoritie from the Gregory Word of GOD it may well be auoyded vvith the same ease vvith vvhich it is affirmed For as whatsoeuer gold is vvithout the Origen Temple is not sanctified so vvhat-soeuer sence is without the holy Scriptures although vnto some it seeme wonderfull yet it is not holy because it is not contayned in the sence of the Scriptures §. 5. The entrance as Dauid saith into the Psalm 119. 130. Word of the Lord sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding vnto the simple For it is * prooued to bee most pure It Ps 119 140. Ecclus. 1. 5 Ps 119 160 Psalm 119 72 104 is * the wel-spring of wisedome And the * beginning of it is truth The Lawe of thy mouth ô Lord sayth hee is better vnto mee then thousandes of golde and siluer By thy precepts haue I gotten vnderstanding And by thy coÌ„maundements thou hast Psa 119 98 made me wiser then mine enemies Therefore loue I thy commaundements Psalm 119 127 aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold I reioyce also at thy Word as one that Psalm 119. 162. findeth a great spoyle And my soule ô Lorde hath kept thy Psalm 119. 167. testimonies for
make whole and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand I destroy the tokens of the Soothsayers Esay 44. 25 and make them that coniecture fooles I turne the Wisemen backward and make theyr knowledge foolishnes I forme the light and create darknesse Esay 45 7. I make peace and create euill I the Lord saith hee doe all these things §. 8. Our God is in heauen faith Dauid and Psal 115. 3 he doth whatsoeuer pleaseth him The heauen is his seate and the earth is Esay 66. 1. his footestoole Hee remaineth for euer his throne is Lam. 5 19. frō generation to generation * And there 1. Sam. 2 2. is no God like our God For hee as Salomon saith hath the Wisd 16. 13 power of life and death he leadeth down euen to the gates of hell and bringeth vp againe §. 9. God that made the world and all things Acts 17 24 25. that are therein saith the Apostle seeing that he is Lord of heauen and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giueth to all life and breath and all things For in him we liue and mooue and haue verse 28. our beeing Yea hee as Plato saith by his almighty Plato power is in all things and in euery part of the world by his prouidence all things are preserued gouerned and moued and hee himselfe is of none other either mooued or gouerned but is the first incomprehensible mouer The eyes of all things waite vpon him Psalm 145. 15 16. and he giueth them theyr foode in due season hee openeth his hand and filleth with his blessing euery liuing thing But if he hide his face they are troubled Psalm 104 29. if hee take away their breath they die and returne to their dust For in his hand is the soule of euerie lyuing Iob 12. 10. thing and the breath of all mankind §. 10. The earth is the Lords saith Dauid and Psal 24. 1 all that therein is the world is his and so are all they that dwell therein Prosperitie and aduersitie life and death Ecclus 11 14 15. pouertie and riches come of the Lorde Wisedome and knowledge and vnderstanding of the Lawe are all of the Lord loue and good workes come of him For hee only is the Authour of all goodnesse Hermes and the giuer of all good gifts Yea euery good and perfect gift as Saint Iames. 1. 17. Iames saith is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whō is no variablenesse neyther shadowe by turning For the diuine nature and substance of Aristotle God suffereth neither change nor end because as Aristotle truly sayth it is both immutable and infinite §. 11. To come to preferment also is neyther Psalm 75. 6 7. from the East nor from the West nor yet from the South but the Lorde as Dauid saith is the Iudge hee putteth downe whō he will and hee setteth vp whom hee pleaseth It is the Lorde that giueth and it is the Iob 1 21 Lord that taketh away euen as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe §. 12. VVe read in the second booke of chronicles that when Asa King of Iudah was 2. Chron. 14 9 10 11. vrged to giue battaile against an Armie of tenne hundred thousand Ethiopians first before he beganne the fight hee made his humble supplication to the Almighty and in his prayer to shewe that the conquest consisted not in the great companie of his enemies souldiers but only in the might power of him that made both heauen and earth he said Help vs ô Lord our God It is nothing with thee to saue with manie or with no power helpe vs ô Lorde our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name saith hee are wee come against this multitude Ionathan likewise venturing by stealth 1. Sam. 14 6 to set vppon the Philistians garison at vnawares and beeing accompanied with none but onely his Armor bearer for his better encouragement he told him that it was not hard with the Lord to saue with many or with few For the victorie of the battell dependeth 1. Mac. 3. 19. not on the many thousands that are in the host but the strength commeth from heauen And is onely at his pleasure to be disposed whose power as * Iudith saith standeth Iudith 9 11. not in the multitude of Souldiers nor his might in strong men As may more at large be perceiued by reading the happy successe which folowed the enterprises of the aforesaide King Asa and Ionathan the Sonne of Saule against theyr enemies §. 13. Another example also concerning the power of Almightie God in this poynt is set downe in the booke of Iudges where Iudges 7 12 Gedion beeing appointed by the Lord to goe fight against the Midianites which were so mightie an host that as the Text sayth they lay in the valley like a company of Grashoppers and theyr Cammels were without number as is the sand by the Sea-side for multitude mustred vp an Armie Iuges 7. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. of thirty two thousand men And when he had done thus the Lord God called vnto him and said Gedion the people that are with thee are too many for me to giue the Midianites into theyr handes least Israell make their vaunt against me say Mine hand hath saued me Now therefore saith the most Mightie proclaime in the audience of the people and say Whosoeuer he be that is timerous or fearefull let him returne and depart Then saith the Text there departed of the people twentie two thousand and ten thousand remained And the Lord called againe vnto Gedion and sayd The people are yet too manie bring them therefore downe vnto the water I will try them for thee there and of whom I say vnto thee this man shal goe with thee the same shall goe with thee and of whomsoeuer I say vnto thee this man shall not goe with thee the same shall not goe So Gedion according as he was commaunded brought downe the people to the water and the Lord said vnto him As many as thou shalt see to lap the water with theyr tongues as a dogge lappeth put thē by themselues and euery one that shal bow downe on his knees to drinke put them likewise apart Now among those tenne thousand that came to the water to drink there was found but onely three hundred which lapped the vvater by putting their handes to theyr mouthes by which 300. men God most miraculously saued Israel deliuered the Midianites into their hands So that both by this example the former that sentence of our Sauiour is verified where hee sayth * The things which Luke 18 27 are vnpossible with men are possible with GOD. And surelie as Plato sayth hee alone is Plato most worthy to be taken for
euerlasting saluation of the godly not only in choosing but also in regenerating in iustifying and in glorifying them Also King Salomon as we reade in his booke of Wisedome after some mention made of Gods almighty power vttereth these speeches following in praise of his loue and mercie saying Thou ô Lord Wisd 11. 20 21 22 23. hast mercy vppon all for thou hast power ouer all and makest as though thou sawest not the sinnes of men because they should amend For thou louest all the things that are and hatest none of them whō thou hast made For thou vvouldest haue created nothing that thou hadst hated And how might any thing endure vnlesse it were thy will or howe coulde any thing be preserued except it were called of thee But thou sparest all for they are thine ô Lord which art the louer of soules And * for that thou Wisd 12 16 art Lorde of all thinges it causeth thee to spare all things And not much vnlike to this saying of Salomon is the confession of Esdras vnto the Angell which was sent to instruct him where hee saith I knovve Lord that the 2 Esdr 7. 62 63 64. c. most High is called mercifull in that hee hath mercy vppon them which are not yet come into the world And that he hath pittie on those that walke in his Lawe And that hee is patient for hee long suffereth those that haue sinned as his creatures And that hee is liberall for hee will giue as much as needeth And that he is of great mercy for hee ouercōmeth in mercy those that are present those that are past them that are to come For if hee were not aboundant in his mercies the world coulde not continue nor they that haue the possession thereof He pardoneth also for if he gaue not of his goodnesse that they which haue doone 2 Esdras 7. 68 69 70. euill might be releeued from their wickednesse the ten thousand part of men should not remaine aliue And if hee beeing Iudge forgaue not those that be healed with his word tooke away the multitude of their sinnes there should be very fewe people left among an innumerable multitude §. 5. Moreouer the Lorde our God is so full of pitty and compassion that as Gueuara Anth. Gueuara saith hee neuer sendeth downe his wrath vpon any people as a punishment for their offences but hee first seeketh rather by admonishment to bring them to his mercy and fauour through their true humilitie and vnfained repentance And many also are the testimonies which we finde in holie Scripture concerning the great kindnesse and compassion of Almighty God to the penitent but among sundry other I suppose for breuities sake that this one example following may sufficiently serue to instruct vs. Ionas beeing sent of God to preach and Ionas 3 4 5 6 7 c. denounce his iudgements against Niniuie the cheefest Citty of the Assyrians entred into the same a dayes iourney saith the Text and he cryed and sayd Yet fortie dayes and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne Whereupon the King beleeuing the speech of the Prophet descended from his princely throne and speedily caused thys Proclamation to be made that neither man nor beast should taste any foode nor drink any water but let man beast quoth he put on sackcloth and cry mightilie vnto God yea let euery man turne from his euill wayes and from the wickednesse that is in their hands And * when the Almightie verse 10. saw theyr workes that they repented turned from theyr euill waies hee repented himselfe of the euill that hee had saide hee would doe vnto them and he did it not Which thing as the Text saith displeased Ionas exceedingly and hee was angry Notwithstanding he prayed vnto the lord and said I pray thee ô Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey Therefore I preuented it and fledde vnto Tarshish for I knew sayth hee that thou art a gracious God and mercifull slowe to anger and of great kindnesse repenting thee of the euill c. After this Ionas went out of the Cittie Ionas 4 1 2. and sate him downe vnder the East side thereof expecting what should bee doone vnto the same And the Lord in one night caused a Gourde to spring vp ouer Ionas that it might be a shadow ouer his head a defence for him against the heate of the Sunne but the next morning hee prepared a Worme also which smote the Gourd and it withered Then Ionas perceiuing himselfe bereft Ionas 4 5 6 7 8 c. of this succour and wexing faint through the extreame heate of the Sunne wished in his hart to die and sayd It is better for me to die then to liue But the Lord God called vnto him and said Ionas doost thou well to be angrie Thou hast pitty on the Gourde for which thou hast not laboured neither madest it to grow which came vp in a night and perished in a night and should not I sayth the most merciful spare Niniuie that great Cittie wherein are six-score thousand persons that cannot discerne betweene theyr right hand and their left and also much cattle By the which speech of the Almightie and example of his clemencie most plainlie it is approued that the Lord our God as S. Iames saith * is very pittifull mercifull Iames 5 11 And that as Ieremie saith * hee dooth Lam 3 33. not punish willingly Nay more so prone is the Almighty to pardon and so much inclined to mercie that although through mans vnrighteousnesse he be highly prouoked to anger and euen ready as it were to execute his fierce wrath vpon the vngodly yet notwithstanding it sometimes pleaseth him to spare a great company of wicked offenders by reason that some fewe righteous persons haue theyr habitation among them As may for example be seene in the eighteene of Genesis where we finde that according to the sixe seuerall peticions of the Patriarch Abraham hee was content to graunt first that if fiftie secondly that if fortie-fiue thirdly that if fortie fourthly Gene. 18. that if thirtie fiftly that if twentie lastlie that if but tenne righteous men coulde bee founde in all Sodome the whole Cittie shoulde bee spared for those tenne mens sake §. 6. Thus proue we our God to be as Dauid saith a pittifull God and mercifull slowe Psal 86 15 to anger and great in kindnes and truth Yea such a God whose compassion also is of no short cōtinuaunce but as the Psalmist saith * endureth for euer euer vppon Psal 103 17 them that feare him and his righteousnesse vppon theyr childrens children Shewing mercy vnto thousands of them Deut. 5. 10. that loue him and keepe his commaundements All yee therefore that worshippe the Dan 3 90. Lord blesse the God of Gods praise him and acknowledge him for his mercy endureth world without end And onely by the reason thereof all men liuing are
killed heere on earth for the word of God and for the testimonie of his truth And to shew that they liue there he further addeth in the next veâ—se folowing that they cryed vnto God with a loude voyce verse 10 saying Howe long Lorde holy and true tariest thou to iudge auenge our blood c. King Salomon also in his booke of wisdome affirmeth that the soules of the righteous Wised 3. 1. 2 3 4. are in the hande of God and no torment shall touch theÌ„ Though in the sight of the vnwise saith hee they appeared to die and their end was thought greeuous and their departing from vs destruction yet they rest in peace and though they suffer paine before men yet is theyr hope full of immortality §. 7. Besides these former places of holy scripture wee finde also diuers other proofes in the booke of God concerning this poynt as namely the hopefull speech of Dauid vvho when newes was brought him that his base-borne child for whom hee fasted prayed and wept was dead hee lamented no longer but presently washed his handes and called for meate And being demaunded 2 Sam 12. 23. the reason thereof by his seruants hee aunswered I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to mee Also when old Tobias was derided of his kinsfolkes and acquaintance and scoffingly Tobie 2. demaunded by theÌ„ where his hope was for the which he had doone almes and buried the dead considering he was now euen after the finishing of a good vvorke suddainly smitten blinde hee nothing there-with dismayed confidently rebuked them saying Say not so for wee are the children of holy men and looke for the life which God shall giue vnto them that neuer turne their beleefe from him The same Tobias also at another time to witnesse vnto the worlde vvhat confident hope hee alwaies had of the soules immortalitie earnestly requested of the Almightie Tobie 3 6 that his spirit might be taken from him and that his body might be dissolued and become earth The like may be read in the prayer of Elias wheÌ„ he desired to die saying ô Lord 1 Reg 19 4 I pray thee take my soule for I am no better then my Fathers c. §. 8. And to shew yet a little further that it resteth in the power of God to take the soule from the body and to giue it againe at his pleasure vvee finde in the first Booke of Kings that the fore-said Elias found such 1 Reg 17 22 23. fauour in the sight of God that vvhen the sonne of his hostesse was dead he through his earnest prayer obtained that the childes soule was restored to him againe So did Elisha in the same manner obtaine 2 Reg 4 32 33. his peticion of the Lord and reuiued the dead body of the Shunamites sonne We reade also in the Gospell written by S. Mathew that after our Sauiour had giuen vp the Ghost the Scpulchers of dead Math 27 52 53. men through the miraculous working of the Almightie opened themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came foorth of the graues after his resurrection and vvent into the holie Citty and appeared vnto many So that by these sayings and examples Gene 5 24. 2 Reg 2 1â— Num 16 32 33 with the taking vp of Henoch and Elias both body and soule into heauen the swallowing downe of Corath Dathan and Abiram quicke into hell and sundry other proofes in the Booke of God to this purpose we may sufficiently assure our selues that the soule of Man is immortall that there is not onely a place of rest ordayned of God for the godly but also a lothsome pitte or place of punishment appointed by him for the wicked after this life The veritie whereof is likewise further witnessed vnto vs by the wordes of S. Augustine Augustine where he sayth The soules of the godly beeing separated from their bodies are in rest and the soules of the vngodlie doe suffer punishment vntill such time as the bodies of the righteous doe rise againe vnto life euerlasting and the bodies of the vnrighteous vnto eternall death which is also called the second death ¶ Of the first Iudgement after death called by Diuines particuler Iudgement when the soule of euery man after it is parted foorth of his body shall presently receiue sentence from God eyther of eternall ioy or euerlasting payne §. 1. IT is appointed vnto men saith the Apostle Heb 9 27 that they shal once die and after that commeth the iudgement For wee must all appeare before the Iudgement-seate of Christ that euery man 2 Cor 5 10 may receiue the workes which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Also at the very houre of death the soule Cyprian must render vp a particuler account vnto God concerning all her doings in this life and then shall it be iudged knowe assuredly what shall become of it for euer If it finde fauour in the sight of God it Basill shal presently enter into the rest and ioy of the righteous if otherwise it shall be condeÌ„ned by the Iudge to perpetual torments Yea Of euery idle vvorde that men Math. 12. 36 shall speake in this life they shal giue an account at the day of iudgement For GOD will bring euery worke into Eccles. 12. 14. iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Hee vvill render vnto man according to Iob 34 11. his worke and cause euery one to finde according to his way That is to them which by continuaunce Rom 2 7 8 in well dooing seeke glorie and honor immortalitie shall be eternall life but vnto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish also shall be Rom 2 9 10 vpon the soule of euery man that doth euil of the Iewe first and also of the Grecian But to euery man that doth good shall be glory and honour and peace c. §. 2. Againe so soone as the soule of man saith Augustine S. Augustine is parted froÌ„ the body it passeth presently to the tribunall seate of God vnder the custodie both of good and euill Angels and after it hath there abidden the triall of a straite examination it shall forthwith receiue the sentence either of eternall blessednes or els of endlesse vvoe and miserie Yea euery one of vs shall giue accounts Rom 14 12 of himselfe to God And euery man shall receiue his wages 1 Cor 3 8. or reward according to his worke But in most happy state shall the soules Beda of all the godly bee after theyr departure hence vvho through grace giuen them from GOD haue earnestly in this life resisted euill and followed goodnes for they shall then enter into that place of perpetuall happines which Christ their Captaine hath prepared
Of trouble and affliction §. 1. MY sonne saith Sirach if thou wilt Ecclus. 2. 1. 2 come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes feare and prepare thy soule to tentation Settle thine hart be patient bow downe thine eare and receiue the words of vnderstanding shrinke not away when thou art assayled but waite vpon GOD patiently Ioyne thy selfe vnto him and depart not verse 3 4 5 away that thou maist be increased at thy last end Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently and be patient in the change of thine affliction For as gold siluer are tryed in the fire euen so are men acceptable in the fornace of aduersitie And as the fornace proueth the Potters Ecclê° 27 5 vessell so dooth tentation try the thoughts of men §. 2. The Lord will try the righteous sayth Psalm 11. 5 Dauid but the wicked and him that loueth iniquitie doth his soule hate Hee ledde the chyldren of Israel whom Deut. 8. 2. he deerely loued fortie yeeres together in the Wildernesse before hee brought them to the Land of Promise onely to humble them and to proue and know what was in theyr harts whether they would keepe his commaundements or no. §. 3. Hee commaunded the Patriarch Abraham Gene. 22 1 2. as we reade to kill and offer vp vnto him his true-borne best-beloued sonne Isaac whom not many yeeres before hee had giuen him for the comfort of his age promising withall that in that child and in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed yet on the suddaine when Abraham least thought of any such matter he willed him to the performance heereof and told him also in what place hee would haue it done All this it pleased him to do not for any desire hee had to receiue at his seruaunts hand any such kinde of offering or bloodie sacrifice but onely to prooue what faithfull loue was harboured in the hart of Abraham towards him For when hee perceiued the Patriarchs Gene. 22 15 16 17 18 readie obedience here-vnto hee speedilie sent his Angell and caused him to forbeare to doe it saying and swearing vnto Abraham by himselfe that because he had been found faithfull in his triall and had not refused at his commaundement to offer vp his onely sonne his seede should surely be multiplied as the starres of heauen and the sand vpon the Sea-shoare and all Nations should be blessed in him according to his former promise §. 4. He proued likewise the loue patience Tobie 2 of old Tobias by suffering him in his sleep to be depriued of his eye-sight and after his triall restored his sight againe vvith greater cause of comfort reioycing then he had before Howe many troubles also the Prophet Dauid sustained as seuerall proofes and tryalls of his vertue patience before hee coulde peaceably possesse the kingdome which God had promised vnto him may be seene at large in the sundry conflicts 1 Sam. chap. 16. 17 18 19 20 c. which he had with his hate-bearing enemie King Saule §. 5. But among diuers other examples in the Booke of God concerning this matter we finde that it pleased the Lord to proceede very farre in prouing the constant loue patience of holy Iob when he gaue sathan leaue to try him by sixe seuerall temptations as namely thus First hee maliciously brought the Shabeans vpon his Heardsmen Iob. 1. 14. 15. and other seruaunts as they were busie at theyr labour who violently slew the keepers of his cattell and carried his Oxen and Asses away Secondly he caused fire to fall from heauen Iob. 1. 16. vpon his sheepe their sheepheards which speedily burnt and consumed them leauing but one amongst many to bring him the bad newes Thirdly he procured the Chaldeans to sette out three bands of men who likewise Iob. 1. 17 by violence ouercame his seruaunts carried his Camels away Fourthly hee caused a furious and tempestious Iob 1 18 19 winde to ouer-turne the house wherein all his children were banquetting and suddainly in the midst of theyr mirth depriued them of theyr liues Not content with all this because Iob still continued constant he obtained leaue of God to proceede with his fift plague which was the afflicting of Iobs own bodie Iob 2 6 7 with greeuous botches and boyles not in one place or two but all ouer euen from the sole of his foote to the crowne of his head These fiue plagues beeing fully practised to proue him and sathan notwithstanding still preuented of his purpose determined once more to try him by a more terrible temptation then all the rest namely with the temper of his wiues tunge which last plague onely of it selfe exceeded all the former as far as they in theyr degrees surpassed one another As for the first affliction Iob beeing a man of such wonderfull wealth as the beginning of his booke reporteth him to be Iob 1 3. it could surely of him be counted no more harme but euen as it were the sting of a nettle or a flea-byting The second was a shrewd pinch The third was a sore bruze The fourth more greeuous to be borne then all the former The fift exceeded them all and went so neere his hart that it caused him more to complaine then any of the rest But the sixt and last went manie degrees beyond the whole number of the other in that it leueld at his vtter ouerthrowe and finall destruction both of body and soule For after hee had lost all his substance and his children and was brought to such a miserable estate through the sundry sores vpon his body that he knew not where to rest himselfe or by what meanes to finde any ease but was constrained to forsake all company sitting vpon a heape of ashes or dunghill to scrape away the filthy matter Iob 2 7 8 that issued from his fleshe with a potshard now euen nowe in the midst of all his anguish and sorrowe his wife vvhich in all humaine reason should haue been his most kinde comforter forgetting both her owne present state her husbands future felicitie came vppon him in rayling manner with an open mouth saying * Doost Iob 2 9 thou continue yet in thine vprightnesse Curse God and die But holy Iob more regarding his soules good then the pacifying of his bodies paine also to make manifest to all men howe much in hart he honoured his Maker presently rebuked her for her follie saying Thou speakest like a foolish vvoman Iob 2 10 What shall we receiue good at the hand of God and not receiue euill Also in the thirteenth chapter of his Booke and as it seemeth euen in the extreamest time of his fierie tryall hee vehemently brake forth into this confident and prayse-worthy resolution saying * Loe Iob 13 15 though GOD kill mee yet will I trust in him And after all his troubles were ended and