the most wise and iust â—â—â—poser of all things permitteth not either aire or water to haue dead and perpetuall calmes neither to bee vncessantly hurried with violeÌ„t stormes and furious windes but so moderateth both with sundry enterchanges as that neither are these familiar elements corrupted for want of some agitation neither the creatures in them interessed generally detrimented by their intemperate rage but so sweetly doth that gracious Prouidence accommodate particulars with his vniâ—ersall lawes of Nature that the fowle commendeth and endeareth the fairer season the faire comforteth and refresheth after the storme so that there is no tide â—runneth no wind bloweth from the seuerall points of the heauen which though it crosseth some concurreth not with the desires and courses of others Semblably must the mind of man be tempered it must not be too calme if it haue no anger it can haue no zeale if no impatience it would too securely reside too indulgently suffer Gods dishonour our soules danger our owne or our brothers iniuries if too impatient it would bee like a violent stresse threatniâ—g a desperate wracke and carrying away all hope of the quiet fruites of righteousnesse so that it is true hee is a foole who cannot be passionatehe is wise who will not extremely he is no good man who cannot bee impatient but hee is neither good noâ— wise who will be too much some then being vnhappil happy case flayeth the foolish some happily vnhappâ—â— It is good for mee that I haue been in trouble it appearetâ— that some mans impatiencâ— and disquiet of mind is noâ— so dangerous as other menâ— security our instance may be in Iob and Diues Therâ— is also an affected stupiditie a Stoicall sottishnesse which hath the face of patience there is an impatience which looketh like zeale and yet neither of these are good There is also a laudable disquiet of mind an holy impatience a zealous passion as when wee cannot beare the dishonour of God the meekest Moses threw downe and brake the Tables which God had written hee made the reuenging sword flie among the idolaters Eliah was â—ealously impatient because they had broken downe the Altars and slâ—ine the Prophets of the Lord Lots spirit was vexed at the vncleane conuersation of the Sâ—domites And on the other part the Lord thretned Elt that there should not be an old man of his house for euer that the wickednes of his family should not be expiated purged with sacrifice for euer Why because his sons ran into a slander â—nd hee â—â—ayed them â—â—t whicâ— was because himselfe was too indulgently mild patient in his reproouing them There being then an euill patience and a good impatience as also an euill impatience and a good patience or quietnesse of mind in bearing we may obserue that these foure things doe especially name and demonstrate disquietnesse of mind or impatience euill 1. When the ground or occasion cannot iustifie any impatience 2. When the cause of our impatience is some euill in our selues 3. Want of a prudent moderation 4. When there follow not a due end and profitable effects The first is when the external impulsiue cause which I call the ground or occasion of our disquiet is through our prauitie the inward mouing cause of the same so peruerted as that it produceth not such an issue as it ought but contrariwise that which being on such a ground must needes be euill there is no question but impatience for the dishonour of God if it bee actiue and expressed vpon others is a masculine vertue an effect of an holy zeale it was commendable in Lot at Sodom in Moses at Sina in Phinebas at Shittim or if it bee that silent agitation of the mind whose secret addresses are onely to God whose complaints are priuate it is a pregnant vertue Eliah pursued sate vnder the Iuniper tree and said It is enough Lord take my soule Why holy man of God I haue been very iealous for the Lord God of hosts because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant cast downe thine Altars slainâ— thy Prophets c. What more iust occasion to moâ—â— a maÌ„ to an holy impatience When Hezekiah receiued the sentence of death from the Lord by Isaiah he was troubled he wept and praied and God saw his teares and heard his prayer Whether the ground were the feare of innouation in the Church or the iudgements of God so quickly designing him to death whom he had lately deliuered either were a iust occasion of some holy impatience the one being out of zeale the other because his sinnes could not but come to mind with the iudgement of God which are alwayes to bee considered with a godly indignation against our selues who cause them But if the mind be vexed and vnquiet for that which is to Gods honor and should contrariwise haue occasioned our thankesgiuing and reioycing or for things friuolous and vnworthy how can it bee good Ionah was troubled that God spared Nineue wherein were an hundred and twenty thousand persons that could not discerne betweene their right hand and their left it displeased him exceedingly and he was angry hee expostulated with God I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my Country Therefore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life from mee for it is better for me to die then to line So when the Gourd was smitten that it dyed when the East winde and the Sunne beat vpon his head hee fell into the same impatience a gaine it was no sufficient ground therefore the Lord said Doest thou well to be angrie The Pharises were vexed because Christ healed on the Sabbath because he reproued their sinnes the Israelites were troubled because they had not to satisfie their lusts insomuch that they wished they had dyed in Egypt Dauid himselfe was not cleare from this euiâ— sicknes hewas disquieted for the prosperitie of the wicked Against this there are excellent precepts Psalm 37. Fret not thy selfe because of wicked men neither bee thou enuious against the workers of iniquitie for they shall soone be cut downe as the grasse Fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way Cease from anger for sake wrath Fret not thy selfe in any wise to doe euill For all such ill-grounded disquier whether conceiued of enuy indignation feare sorrow or the like whether expressed in anger or reuenge on others or obscure and inward repining at the prouidence of God is euill and by all meanes possible to be declined as hauing in it the venome of impatience Secondly if it proceed of an euill in ward cause it is e uill All the Congregation lifted vp their voyce and cryed and wept they all murmured against Moses and Aaron What is the cause that so mightie an hoste of men should seeme so effeminate the occasion was this the Spies had reported the difficulries of the passage into Canaan
to learne this lesson rightly and throughly to examine the cause of our sorrowes wee should bee soone freed from them for discouering them either to be without good cause or the cause to bee some foule euill in which wee yet lye wee shall bee ashamed of them and turne our sorrow vpon a right obiect and so bee cured Two things are therefore to be obserued in this case 1 We must examine and sinde out the first cause of our sorrow euery man knoweth the next and immediate cause of his griefe but we must not rest there it is not enough for Israel to sorrow because the Lord said I will not goe vp in the midst of thee except they consider why God said so which was because they were a stiff-necked people It is not enough for Ioshuah and the Elders of Israel to rent their cloathes lament their danger and losse of their brethren except they looke to the cause of Gods displeasure there is an Achans wedge some neglect some sinne if Israel be smitten if the Lord giue thee a trembling heart failing eyes and sorrow of minde so that thy life hang in doubt before thee and thou fearest day and night if thou haue no assurance of thy life so that thou say in the morning Would God it were euening and at euening would GOD it were morning for the feare of thine heart which thou shalt feare know it is because thou doest not obserue to doe all the words of this law neither doest thou feare this glorious and fearefull name the Lord thy GOD. All sorrowes are the vndoubted effects of sinne therefore the readiest way to the cure is not to rest till wee haue found out the mischiefe which is hid the excommunicate thing to begin at the roote and cause of the euill which we suffer The Prophet like a skilfull Empericke went roundly to worke Wherefore doeth a liuing man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinne Wee haue transgressed and haue rebelled and thou hast not pardâ—ned And the Psalmist saith Fooles because of their transgrâ—ssion and because of their iniquities are afflicted So Ieremie The Lord our GOD hath put vs to silence and giuen vs waters of Gall to drinke because we haue sinned against the Lord. Whence it appeareth that sinne in generall is the true cause of griefe and impatience More particularly especially these three 1. Ignorance 2. Vnbeliefe 3. The distempers and indispositions of mind which follow them Ignorance hath the first place vnbeliefe the second which the order of the cure importeth to helpe our vnbeliefe wee must first dispell our ignorance the cloudes which darken our minde for How shall they beleeâ—e in him of whom they haâ—e not heard Though it be true vnbeliefe was before ignorance in time and order of causing in the first sinner who did know all things which hee ought to beleeue till beleeuing the Serpent which was his vnbeliefe he transgressed and so brought a natiue ignorance and spirituall blindnesse on all mankinde This ignorance is first our ignorance of God When wee know not or consider not his power and all-disposing prouidence gouerning all things with a sweet and vnresistible omnipotencie then wee repine and murmur then wee striue and wrastle as if wee could preuaile against him Our ignorance of Gods goodnesse and mercy working all things for the best to them that loue him curing their soules with assâ—ictions temporall healing with part of that Scorpion which did sting them our ignorance I say of the worke of God herein causeth that wee looke not beyond our present condition and therefore distrust the issue whervpon wee are deiected and so impatient as if wee were vtterly lost for want of looking to Secondly of our selues and our owne vnwor thinesse which when wee know not or remember not wee thinke we are too good to be so sharply dealt withall that our sorrowes are greater then our sinnes that wee haue not deserued all the miseries wee suffer This ignorance of our selues causeth vs to build hopes farre greater then our foundation to vndertake affaires abone our strength and in the whole course of our liues to carrie a saile too great for our bottome so that when our disproportioned hopes and proiections faile and are ouerset wee grieue we vex as if GOD had done vs iniurie because he gaue vs not so much as our foolish hopes promised vs. 2 Vnbeliefe is a genuine cause of disquiet of minde wee could not be immoderatly grieued or troubled for any temporall euill if wee did confidently beleeue GOD our powerfull and gracious deliuerer at hand This is that old man which lieth murmuring and vexing within vs this is that vnregenerate part which because it is conscious of nothing but sinne therfore can conceiue nothing but iustice in God and feare in it selfe which suspition so multiplieth that vpon euery the least appearance of danger bee it but like the cloude arising out of the Sea which Eliahs seruant saw on Carmel as little as a mans hand it presently resolues of perpetual stormes hopelesse and helplesse conditions therefore our Psalmist saith Hope in God by the cure shewing the cause of the disease that is distrust and want of faith as we shall see hereafter 3 The distempers of mind are diuers 1 Want of foresight and fore expectation of calamities it must needes be that affliction fall very heauily vpon that man who neuer looked for it who made no other account to himsulfe but to be carried to heauen vpoÌ„ downy pillows he that looketh for tryals armeth his minde to entertain them when they come 2 Leuity of minde and weakenesse which cause that euery breath euen common accidents ouerthrow a man and moue him to impatience 3 Surfetting on prosperity whence men grow effeminate and like formall Souldiers trained vp onely for a quiet pomp are dead at the sight of an enemie euery distresse disordereth and confoundeth their thoughts Hee that is not deceiued with prosperity shall not be broken with aduersity therefore GOD saith it is good for a man that hee beare the yoke in his youth as we shall see in the following parts 4 Enuie which hath a long eye into other mens estates not contented with that it selfe hath except others might want that which they haue It is not onely afflicted with it own aduersity but with the prosperity of others also We may add to these and other causes of the mindes disquiet which are in our selues one externall that is the deuill who loueth to bee fishing in troubled waters especially those Marahs of mans sorrow and impatience which are his Nectar and his musick because his desire is to make man repine at GOD be at enemity with men discontented with himselfe impatient at his estate in fine to make the whole life of man misâ—rable euery occurrent hurtfull the whole man lesse then a possessour of his owne soule and all this out of a dâ—mned
malice against God man whom he would faâ—ne â—quaâ—l with himselfe in a fearâ—full aposâ—â—cie God doth sometimes to the eye of man strike wide and shorâ— yet hee euer doth iastly 〈…〉 he seemeth 〈…〉 widâ— when he punisheth Daâ—id on his subiects backes short when Ioab and Shimeâ— in their age pay for the sinnes of their younger dayes or the rich man sossereth the torments of hell after his dayes of pleasure yet it is alwayes iust and oportune which God doeth and often such as the punishment sheweth it derination from the offence Pharaohs plagues were sitted to his offence his cruelty to the Infants was rewarded him in the death of all the first borne in the land of Egypt hee that drowned was drowned Adonibezcks imanity was retaliated in the same kinde As I haue done so God hath requited mee Sodoms vnnaturall burning with a supernatutall showre of fire and brimstone Ahabs bloodshedding with the blood of himselfe and family I neede not speake of these euen for his owne children GOD maketh choyse of the rod. Daâ—ids bloody sinne is followed with a sentence which like a dreaâ—full comeâ— hung pointing downe vpon his â—ouse Now therefore the 〈◊〉 shall neuer depart from 〈…〉 His â—â—dulgence 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 the people with a dimiâ—ution of the people it is ofâ—en so that the punishment may leade thee back to thine offence Thou art grieued for a debaushed childe see whether thou didst not neglect to breed him better whether thou wert not an Eli and thy reproofes gallesse when God was dishonoured and highly displeased thou grieuest for some dishonour See whether some popular breath had not dangerously puffed thee vp thou art reiected for thy sicknesse See whether thy surfetting were not so onely to be ended whether thou didst not abuse thy health and strength thou grieuest for thy pouerty it is an heauy triall bâ—t consiâ— r well whether thou didst not desperatly cause it whether thou weâ—t not an cuill an expensiue seruant before GOD called his goods out of thine hands whether thou didst not dishonour him with riches See whether thy possessions be too little or thy minde to great whether the misery of which thou complaiâ—est be in the estate or mind of a foolish and vnthankfull possessour whether if thou wouldst lessen thy desires thy riches would not bee great enough thou grieuest at thine imprisonment exile persecution and absence from holy assemblies See if thou didst not abuse thy liberâ—y disregard the peace of the Gospell wert not a negligent frequenter of the Church or a prophane and carelesse hearer search out thy sinne enquire out the cause Why art thou cast downe O my soule How haue I displeased God and prouoked him to strike me rest not till thou finde the cause deceine not thy selfe Many a man is miserably pâ—rplexed in minde â—nâ— by imputing his 〈…〉 â—rong caâ—feâ— addeth somâ—thing to the euill by labouring in vaine for helplesse remedies as it often befalleth a man with some paine in his sleepe â—â—ising from the â—neuen position of his body of which his phantasie presently frameth some externall anoyance which the troubled minde labo â—râ—th to cast off as if it were an external euil such are these supposed Ephialts of a disquiet heart vnder which wee often groane when the best way is to awake out of the sinne in which we sleepe so may wee finde cure with the discouery of our errours Search therefore into the bottome of the Ship for the sleeping Ionah which causeth the storme and iâ— thou sinde the cause in thy selfe â—now that he suffereth iustly what hee would not who sinneth not except he will 2 Consider whether the pretended occasion or cause be a sufficient reason why thou shouldst bee so deiected and disquiet Why art thou cast downe It was not for an Absolom it was not for the sicknesse of a loued Insant it was not for that in his banishment hee wanted the company of his deare friends but because hee was depriâ—ed for that time of the vse of the Tabernacle and the ontward exercise of Religion this Psalme sheweth first with what griefe hee was absent from holy assemblies God was present with him in exile but his sorrow was hee could not come to the Sanctuarie for that hee was sensible that externall meanes and exercises of Religion are like Iacobs lâ—dder whereby holy mindes climbe to heauen the face of God was seene through those types the Tabernacle sacrifices altars clensings and other rites as now more clearely in the word and holy Sacramâ—nts therfore good men loue the externall worship of God as his ordinances and Churches as his amiable Tabernacles and the places where his honour dwelleth so that how euer some with vaine opinion of holinesse some for pleasures some for profits are withdrawne it is the sharpest among the many sorrowes of the children of God if either some cloud of feare fill the Temple that they cannot enter or any prescription barre them from this house Secondly here appeare the things which aggrauate his sorrow that is an heauie remembrance of the happinesse he had when he went with the multitude and led them ouant and reioycing into the house of God a condition which cannot be wanted and remembred with patience and the opprobious taunts of his enemies who measuring Religion by externall conditions said Where is thy God Hence that sorrow it is a bitter triall to fâ—ele the insolency and heare the blasphemy of the adâ—ersary if any thing in the world would breake a good heart and disquiet a religious minde doubtlesse this would yet he reprehendeth himselfe for it by this question intimating that there is no iust cause of immoderate sorrow no not in the most heauie tryals If so iust a grâ—efe which onely the Saints of GOD could conceiue cannot iuâ—â—ifie excesse of sorrow what must wee thinke of theirs whose mindes like some crazie body or sore part are hurt and almost killed with euery light touch or their bitternesse of spirit whose mindes like disaffected pallats relish euery thing bitter who are presently drowned with griefe for those things which are not worth a teare from a sound braine nay perhaps duly examined were a most iust cause of reioycing How vniâ—stly do wee deale with a gracious Father when we are murmuring and querulous not onely without cause but when we haue great reason to praise him for that of which we complaine at last to put our mouthes in the dust and keepe silence since we caused that which grieueth vs. If the spirit of GOD should search for this fauls as Ierusalem with lights as the Idolatry of the Elders in Ezekiels vision he should finde a good Baruck crying Woc is me for the Lord hath added griefe to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing and I can finde no rest Because when the Lord would destroy hee looked for great things for himselfe Hee should finde the poore man in his