no man ordinarily desires to seem but good Now if it be a thing so desireable even by their testimonie who want goodnes to appear good how much more to be so in deed what is the emptie shadow to the solid body To shut up this Head As the shadow follows the body so doth the name and fame of good true goodnes with equally-mynded men And in stead of a thousand compasses of devise which men fetch about to obteyn the name of good and vertuous this one short and right-on way of being good indeed would serv the turn for the procureing it from all indifferent and wise judges The most compendious way to this honour is that in truth a man be as he would be accounted sayth the Heathen how much more ought Christians who are perswaded of Gods providence in ordering this and all his other blessings upon themselvs and others thus both to say and think and proceed accordingly And look what recompence of honour or other reward this playn and homely uprightnes which of all other vertues Laudatur alget is denyed from men God who seeth and loveth it will plenteously supply Blessed are the perfit in way who walk in the Law of Iehovah To chuse the right way of Gods law first and then to walk uprightly in it is to be guided by Gods own spirit to heaven CHAP. LII Of Sin and punishment from God WHatsoever swarveth from the law of God written in the table of the heart or of stone whether in our nature or actions eyther in the not being of that which should be or being of that which should not be which two are alwayes joyned together in originall sin and oftens in actuall is sin and evill yea the greatest yea the onely evill indeed Sin is worse then the divell as having made him evill whom God made good yea then all punishments yea then hell it self which God prepared and made and is therefore good to punish sin and sinners by And accordingly it was godlily sayd of one that if sin and hell were set before him the one on the one side and the other on the other that he must needs go through the one of them he would rayther enter upon hell then sin But blessed be God who will assuredly keep them from hell whose hearts are so set to keep themselvs from sin by his grace This sin is incident onely to reasonable creatures God the creator being above sin and unreasonable creatures beneath it For the disorders in bruit beasts they are not sin in them to whom there is no law but punishments of mans sin against God who hath subjected them to vanitie thereby to testifie how greatly he is offended at mans for whom at first he made them and all other creatures in a more excellent state The case of children is otherwise as being reasonable creatures made after Gods image in Adam and having the law written in their hearts as a subject capable both of good and evill which bruits are not Although sin be onely in reasonable creatures yet is it a most unreasonable thing otherwise it were not sin save as it crosses true reason eyther by lust against reason or shew of reason against truth So for particular enormities the more unreasonable the more sinfull as lusts against nature adulterie in a maryed person pryde in a mean prodigalitie in a needy covetousnes in him that abounds in riches prophanenes in a preacher and so of all other vices All sins save that first of Adam and mens very last are both sins in themselvs and effects of former sin and causes of latter and that not onely by Gods just though severe judgment in punishing one by another but oft times also by a kinde of naturall and necessarie coherence and affinitie Sometimes one sin brings on an other by provoking unto it as rash anger unto strife sometimes to back it as Peters denying of Christ did his after forswearing him sometimes to conceal it as all other evils draw on lying and theft murther many times sometimes to mainteyn it as pride doth covetousnes and oppression and sometimes to countenance it that it be not disgraced as Herods rash oath drew after it the beheading of Iohn the Baptist And of these commonly a lesser draws on a greater as lesser sticks set the greater on fire So also by those degrees of iniquitie do men proceed in one and the same particular enormitie in which as in a chayn drawing from heaven to hell each link moveth his next from the one and smaller end to the other greater First there is in a man concupiscence by which he is drawn away from God unto whom he ought to cleave with the whole heart And having once let goe his hold on him the true and unchangeable good he is forthwith seazed by some appearing and counterfeyt good and thereby entised as the byrd by falling on the ground is taken in the sâ—are from which whilst she held aloft she was free Vpon this inveigled affection and deceaved judgment thereby comes consent of will to have or do the thing which is evill called by the Apostle the conception of lust which that it may bring forth sin in outward act and exequution wants nothing but opportunitie This sin perfited by a continued course therein without repentance brings forth death unavoydably He therefore that begins to do evill or to forsake that which is good in the affection of his heart is like him that puts his feet into a pit and lets the hold of his hands go and without Gods gratious hand catching hold of him can never stay till he come to the bottom of the pit of perdition And no marvayl of this progresse in evill seeing everie sin how small soever in degree hath joyned with it the contempt of God As therefore the safest way against the flame is to quench the spark by which it may be kindled so against this fire of hell to quench betymes the spark of concupiscence and lust This is done partly by withdrawing from it the occasions and incitements of and unto sin which are as fewell for nourishing it as if it be the lust of anger and revenge not to give ear to words of provocation but to be as a deaf man that hearâ— not If of uncleanenes not to look upon a mayd If of drunckennes or excesse that way not to look upon the wine when it is red c. The second help is by smothering the corruption in the beginning which as fire if it have no vent goes out but getting passage breaks out into a flame Lastly as water fires contrarie quencheth it so do the spirituall means of grace as prayer meditation upon Gods word and the like quench by degrees the sparks of sin and fire of hell The greatnes of the sin is not alwayes to be esteemed by the thing done For as much crookednes may be found in a small line so may
with application to the present state of things is not to hold decorum but hath an appearance more oratour then preacher-like We are never simply to desire crosses because they are naturall evils nor to abhor from them because we know they work together with our election calling justification and sanctification for our good Not as causes thereof as the forenamed are for the effects of sin cannot be the causes of righteousnes or happines nor yet as means properly as are the word sacraments prayer and examples of good men but onely as occasions capable of sanctification to our use which sins properly are not as having no good in them as such whereas afflictions have a morall good in them as they are of God and by him inflicted Though to speak of crosses most properly God sanctifies us to them in giving us grace to make a right use of them And considering how it is both good for us to be afflicted and that God hath promised that no good thing shall be lacking to them that fear him we are thus to make account that God afflicts us as he doth not onely in justice for sin but in faythfulnes also that is both in mercy and in truth of promise and must accordingly confesse with the man of God I know O Lord that thy judgments are righteous and that thou in faithfulnes hast afflicted me and so must learn to take our severall crosses at Gods hands not onely patiently but thankfully We have cause to thank our selvs and our sins that wholesom things both for body and soul are for the most part bitter and greivous to our nature and to thank God that makes afflictions bitter-sweets by turning deserved curses into fatherly corrections to us It is commonly receaved for truth that in all adversitie the greatest miserie is sometimes to have been happy But we must here use a distinction If we onely respect the time in which we are in miserie apart from the former time we are both more sensible of our present miserie by remembring our former happines and also more tender and delicate and so lesse able to bear it But if we consider our whole life together then the lesse time we are afflicted the lesse our afflictions are in that respect and so must be mynded of us It is not nothing that God hath given us to passe over some part of our dayes in peace and with comfort neyther must we be so unthankfull as to account it no benefit because it is past but we must contrarywise something quiet ourselvs in our present affliction with the remembrance of Gods goodnes in our former peace as did our example of patience who in the extreamitie of his present distresse sayd shall we receav good at the hand of God and shall we not receav evill Reason teacheth this except in a case when God lifts up a man on high that he may the more violently through him down how much more fayth which perswades the godly mans heart that the Lord loves him as well as much in his after afflicted estate as he did before in his prosperous as the gold-smith esteems his gold as much though melting in the furnace as glittering in the shop and that the same God will both give patience and strength of fayth according to the tryall and encrease of strength if he encrease the affliction as also full deliverance in due time He will redeem Israel from all his trouble As even good men perform their whole duetie to God with some corruption mingled among so God promiseth and performeth accordingly the good things of this life with exception of the crosse and tribulation If we could amend the one God would leav out the other The Lord who tryed Abraham in his son Isaak whom he loved and the rich young man in his riches which he loved knows well in what veyn to strike a man that the blood may follow The more we love any earthly thing we are the more in danger to be crossed in or about it Not that God envyes our delights as one man often envyes anothers but eyther because we do or lest we should surfet in affections towards it Most men are moved too much with their own miseryes in this world melting in them as wax in the sun so as they are unapt to hold any impression eyther of fayth or reason but are too litle moved with other mens calamities not affoarding them so much as a compassionate affection Yet may and doth the contrary extream of over pittying others also prevayl with some Against both which it is good to consider that eyther we and they reap spirituall benefit by our afflictions or no. If the former that may and ought to moderate the greif If not there is cause of greater greif for after greater afflictions to come upon us and them A man may much encrease or lessen a crosse by the course which he suffers his mynde to run in it seeing all crosses have some conveniencies joyned with them as all commodities have some discommodities If a man set his thoughts a work upon the inconveniencies and discommodityes alone which are in it he shall heap sorrow upon sorrow But if on the contrary he draw into consideration such conveniencyes as usually fall in with their contraryes he shall alwaies finde some matter of ease and sometimes that meat comes out of the eater and that which at first seemed a crosse is rayther a benefit It is a most dangerous thing for any to deem his afflictions extraordinarie least by so doing he prejudice himself against ordinary comforts which we should with readynes and thankfulnes embrace and not look for angels from heaven to comfort us or for manna from heaven to feed us CHAP. XXXIIII Of Injuries AN Injurie say the Lawyers is whatsoever is not done justly In one and the same act may be found both sin against God and injurie against man And therefore in cases of wrong done either by violence or deceit the offender under the law was bound both to make restitution to the wronged and also to bring his trespas offering to the priest to make an atonement for him before the Lord. Sometimes the sin is taken away and the iniurie remayns as when the person which hath wronged another truly repents but is not able to make satisfaction Sometimes on the other side the injurie is taken away and the sin remayns viz. when the offender makes satisfaction by compulsion or for shame but repents not before God Sometimes both are taken away and sometimes neyther as both or neyther satisfaction to men and repentance towards God is performed Between the injurying and offending of a man there is this difference that we may injurie him that is altogether ignorant of it but can offend onely him that takes knowledg of some evil in truth or appearance done by us whether with injury or not The more power any hath to
person that sinneth with all his parts and powers of soul and body is Gods work so is the preservation and sustentation of both person and personall abilities so is the naturall motion it self whether within or without the person in which the sin is like the halting in the Horses going and lastly so is not onely the voluntarie permission of the sin which he could easily hinder by his omnipotent power if he would oppose it but also the ordering both of sin and sinner to his own supernaturall ends For example The act of Iudah and Thamar morally considered was sinfull and impure but naturally good and blessed of God with a Son of whom Christ came according to the flesh So the abhominable sins of Absolom were ordered of God unto most just punishments of the sins of his Father David There is a two-fold use of the world and works of God in it the one naturall the other supernaturall The former is common to men with beasts who are alike cherished with the heat and influence of the Sun alike nourished by the Fruits of the Earth The other is peculiar to men with the holy Angels by which they behold the face of the Creators power wisdom goodnesse c. as in a most clear Looking-glasse and are provoked accordingly to praise and glorifie him in his wonderfull works even as by beholding some curious piece of workmanship much more if therewith we have singular use of it of a skilfull Artificer we are led in the view of the work to the commendation of the workman And look how much the Soul excelleth the body yea the Spirituall man the naturall so much is this use of Gods creatures more excellent then the former And so the opinion of the Philosopher who thought he was born to look upon the Sun and Heavens was not wide but short nor absurd but defective For he should have pierced further even through the Heavens unto him that made and governs them whose glorious power and goodnesse shineth in them that so he might have glorified him as God in his works For though by that glimpse of light in the Creatures we cannot attain to the knowledg of God as our Father in Christ yet are we both to honour him according to it and to be provoked by it to further search and enquirie after him in such means of revelation as by which he further manifests himself which are his Word and Gospel of Salvation Even as he that lying in a dark Dungeon spies some small glimpse of light will groap toward it by the wall hoping to finde some dore or window by which it comes in For neglect of this the verie wisest of the Heathens were left inexcusable and not glorifying God whom they knew in his works of creation of the World but vanishing in their own imaginations and serving the Creature rather then the Creator who is blessed for ever were given over of God to a minde void of judgment to do the things which are inconvenient Now of how much sorer punishment shall we be guiltie if together with this lesser glimpse of Divine light by the creatures we despise also the more glorious light of the Gospel not honouring God aright either as our powerfull Creatour or mercifull Redeemer by Christ Iesus But if we so honour him and make him great in our own hearts and before men what we can as he hath manifested and made known himself in his Word and Works he will honour us with himself for ever in glorie CAP. V. Of created goodnesse EVerie thing that is and hath being is in that regard good and of God The naturall parts and powers of body and Soul of most wicked men remain in themselvs notwithstanding all infection of evill in them Gods good Creatures so do the naturall acts and motions of those parts and powers in themselvs considered notwithstanding any morall accessorie of evill in them ariseing either from the evill affection wherewith or unlawfull object upon which they are performed There can be no evill in the Work which is not first in the Worker as the cause And so a wicked person being worse then a wicked action if the sin prevail not so far as to make the part or facultie of the person in which it is to cease to be a part or power created of God neither doth it so far prevail in the action or work as to make it cease to be in it self a created motion and therein a naturall good thing God is and so by all is to be acknowledged for the giver of everie good gift that is of everie thing save sin which sin is nothing that hath being in nature but an absence of and crosnesse to that which should be as darknesse is of and unto light And so the good Father would not say that his Mother gave him Milk but God by her And though the good which we enjoy come unto us by never so ready and ample means yet must we alwaies religiously minde that both the means are of Gods raysing and ordering and the blessing upon them for our good And if Iob saw by Faith that all the evils and harms that came unto him and his though by the Divels and wicked mens means were from the Lord as supream orderer of all things how much more should we look upon God as the Authour and worker of all the good that befalleth us Notwithstanding if God so far honour any persons as to make them hands and instruments specially voluntarie for the reaching of any blessing unto us from himself we also and that even therefore are to love and honour them as David not onely blessed the Lord as the Authour but Abigail also as the Minister of the good counsell which she gave him for the not avenging of himself upon Nabal Actions besides their naturall entitie or being are by one distinguished and that aptly according to a four-fold goodnesse First An action is sometimes good in it self and to them to whom it is done but not to the doer as works of mercie done but not for God Secondly Good in it self and in the doer but not to him to whom it is done as the Preaching of the Word to them that despise it Thirdly Good in it self and the doers and to them to whom it is done as the same Preaching to him that receivs it Fourthly Though neither good in it self nor in the doer nor for him to whom it is done as an evill or injurie yet good as it is ordered by God to an end supernaturally good Who as saith another would not suffer evill but as knowing how to work good out of it In actions of the third kinde onely goodnesse is entire in all it parts and relations A man should never glorie in that good how great soever which is common to a beast with him nor a wise man in that which is common to a fool with him no
discerned by them that enjoy it till sicknes come for then not onely Orpheus his song but much more our own experience teacheth us that nothing is avaylable to men without health neyther riches nor honour nor the greatest delights for belly or back which the earth can affoard This blessing therefore where it is may be set alone against many other wants and God acknowledged to deal graciously with us in bestowing it though with the want of many other outward good things which though others enjoy yet without it they want the comfortable use of them have lesse joy of their lives by far then we by it without them The best rule in physick is to preserv health by the use of things wholesome and eschewing what is noxious and hurtfull either in matter or manner or measure and that betimes and before distempers have taken too deep root or that the strength of nature be too much impayred by the inordinate appetites and licentiousnes of unadvised youth We say in the proverb At fortie years every man is either a fool or a physition But because most are fools so long before that in their best years it is too late for them to become physitions at this age the after years are constreyned to bear the manifold infirmities diseases which are owing to inordinat youth And a happy thing it were considering how few young folks will regard or beleev these things till they be taught them by miserable experience that wise parents and governers would so shew their care over their children pupils and servants that where they cannot disswade the affection they might yet prevent the using of those unwholesom hurtful youth-banes unto which inordinate appetite carryes young folk headlong I have marvailed oft at the aversnes of many specially of the meaner sort from physick in time of sicknes but more at their unreasonable choyse of physitions when they use it How ordinarie a thing is it with a number that if but theyr horse or cow be sick or but in danger they will let them blood or get them a mash or run to a leach for them who yet for themselvs or their nearest freinds will neyther seek nor willingly be perswaded to use the counsail or help of a physitian The reasons hereof I conceav to be eyther for that men are prone and ready to perswade themselvs and to be perswaded by their freinds that they shall do wel enough without such helps and that manie times out of a superstitious presumption of Gods speciall help where mans is neglected or on the contrary when they are heartlesse and dispair of good thereby But yet more strange is the choyse which many make when they use means For though in all other courses men seek for such as are most skilfull yet in this they are not onely more readie to beleev any that professeth himself a physition then of any other facultie but also chuse rayther to trust theyr bodyes and lives in the hands of ignorant Empericks men or women then of the most expert and learned physitions that are Which I speak not as esteeming the counsayl or help of the meanest to be neglected specially where eyther the more skilfull cannot wel be come by or that the danger is not great But for that all things are to be done reasonably and for the best advantaging and likelihood of good that may be The causes of this are on the Empericks part that they are more officious about their patients the other being many tymes supercilious and neglective of meaner persons Secondly that they are more bold boasters of their own doings then the other whose learning makes them modest Thirdly their affoarding their counsail and pains at a cheaper rate then the other do who verie likelily and as experience teacheth in other countries if they would descend to that rule of equitie in other cases A penny-worth for a penny would finde that lighter gayns comming thicker would make heavier purses Fourthly their administring of medicines usually lesse offensive and loathsome unto nature which it may be the others skill and care if custome made not men lesse compassionate then they should be might much correct though it can not be denyed that by Gods providence and for mans sin the most wholesom things eyther naturally or morally are bitter and unpleasing On the patients part this aryseth commonly 1. from a suspition least they being mean and playn persons should eyther be overreached or neglected by the learned 2. From envy which the learneds arrogancy also oftens occasioneth 3. From an ambitious desire in them to advance those of their own order as of old the citizens of Rome would have the cheif officers even the Consuls and Dictatours created and chosen out of their rank And lastly for that if any cure be or seem to be wrought by them which want art men are therein ready to conceav of a special divine assistance and helping hand of God One speciall use of a skilfull artist is to discerne aright of the varietie of circumstances that fall in Simple men and women have many times the same medicines or simples at least with the most skilful doctours But wanting art and skil to temper and apply them according to the diversitie of the estates of patients and varietie of accidents within and without the sick they eyther profit not or hurt one way what they profit an other To which purpose it was wittily answered of the physition who having prescribed a medicine to his patient and thereby cured him and being asked by him afterwards why the same medicine which the same person falling into the same disease again took himself did not avayl him as before that the reason was because he the physition gave it him not Neyther is the use greater of the skilfull in this consideration then of the experienced Physitians sayth one and truely have this advantage above them of other professions that the sun beholds their cures and the earth covers their faylings They that dy under their hands or by their default are past complayning of them they that recover and survive though sometimes by the benefit of nature alone under Gods providence will repute and report them the means of their recovery Which consideration makes not the honest and conscionable the more secure but the more carefull of their account to be given unto God from whose eyes nothing is covered CHAP. XXXIII Of Afflictions AL afflictions are for sin as the deserving cause for living man mourneth for the punishment of his sin Whereupon the prophet tels the Iews that their own wickednes should correct them Neyther doth God punish but where man sins sayth one Now to set these two together orderly is the propertie of a wise man and accordingly in our afflictions to mourn for our sins which we then rightly do when out of the clear sight of their odiousnes in Gods account we more vehemently desire the
do hurt without worldly prejudice to himself therein the more carefull had he need be that he take not to himself any lawlesse liberty that way remembring alwayes that he hath also a master in heaven and that he who is higher then the highest regardeth who also may with more right and reason destroy him for ever then he how great soever do the least hurt to the sillyest worm that crawls upon the face of the earth They who use injurious dealings themselvs hate them in others and them that offer them as do they also who take knowledge of them For whom men fear they hate Now there is cause for all to fear him to his power that hurts any seeing in wronging one he threatens all that he hath power to hurt Yet if we will look upon things a litle spiritually such persons are more to be pittied then eyther hated or feared as being though cruell to others yet more to themselvs hurting others in their bodies and bodily states themselvs in their hearts and consciences before the Lord which is far the greatest damage And upon this ground it was that the ancient father desyred Scapula that he would pitty himself if he would not pittie the Christians whom he cruelly persequuted seeing the most hurt came to himself thereby When therefore we thus suffer any heynous injuries of any kinde by any we must pray the Lord both to deliver us out of their hands and them out of the divels whose instruments they are in so doing For any one man whosoever to offer injurie to any other whomsoever is unnaturall and inhumayn but especially odious in these four sorts of persons The first is Magistrates and men in authoritie whom God hath therefore furnished therewith that they might prevent and redresse injuries by others and exequute wrath upon evill doers Which if they become themselvs they transform the image of the Lords power and justice which they susteyn into the image of Gods enemy Sathan whom therein they resemble and become after a sort wickednesses in high places as the divels are The second are freinds whose office it is by help counsayl riches or otherwise to succour their wronged freinds and if no other way at least by condoling with them and comforting them A man that hath freinds should shew himself friendly sayth the wise man and for such a one to shew himself enemie-like is very greivous as we may see in Iobs and Davids case Now if it be here demanded whether the injuries offered by freinds or by others be lesse tolerable Answer must be made with distinction that some injuries are such and so notorious as cannot stand with a true freindly heart but do plainly discover an evil and enimious affection and of these by false freinds David and worthily complayns as more greivous then by strangers Some again are such as may scape him that truly loveth through negligence rashnes or other infirmitie Such the heat of love should digest And they who in this kinde will bear more at the hands of others then of freinds are unworthy of them A third sort are men religious whose professed pietie towards God promiseth honest dealing with men as on the contrary Abraham looked for all injurious dealing in that place where the fear of God was not The fourth and last are men themselvs oppressed by others specially lying under the injuries of the times When one poore man oppresseth another it is like a sweeping rayn which leaveth no food Yet is it found by certain experience that it oft rayns from this coast and that the poore by oppressing one another teach the rich to oppresse both and this not onely in bodily things but in spirituall also none being found more injurious and unmercifull then are some out of the favours of the times themselvs to others that are a litle more in their disgrace then they None of the heathens were so cruelly bent against the christians as the Iews though themselvs but scattered amongst the Heathens to be tolerated by them Such should think of the brethren of Ioseph who being themselvs in danger to be violently oppressed remembred and bewayled the violence and wrong which they had formerly offered to their brother Ioseph There are two things causing inordinate stirring and indignation at injuries offered the one naturall the other morall The naturall is the aboundance of hoat choler boyling in the veyns by which the blood and spirits are attenuated and so apt to be inordinately stirred and inflamed upon apprehension of a wrong done This cause may something be helped by naturall means and medicines and the effect by true wisdom and government which represseth all inordinate motions in the minde The morall cause is pride and self-love for men having themselvs in high estimation make account that if they be a litle wronged some great and heynous offence is committed and that at which there is just cause of high indignation The injury to such seems great because they seem great to themselvs whereas to him that is litle and lowly in his own eyes injuryes and wrongs seem lesse specially if he set this low price and valuation upon himself in conscience of his sins against God as it was with David What strange thing is it if an earthen pot get a crack or if a silly worme be troden upon or that he who is litle be litle set by It is wisdom in cases not to seem to take knowledge of an injurie as eyther when it is small and scarse worthy the myndeing and such the stately gravitie of some persons make many to be which to others seem intollerable witnesse Cato who being asked pardon of him that had given him a bob on the mouth answered that there was no injurie done and so no pardon needfull or when the greatnes and mallice withall of the injurious is such as that to expostulate a wrong is to provoke to the doubling of it to which purpose his answer fitted well that sayd he had grown old in a tyrants court by thanking men when he had received an injurie from them Sometimes again it is wisdom to let persons know that we account our selvs yll used by them and that cheifly when our expostulation is like to prove their warning by working eyther fear or shame in them If the commendation given of Caesar had not been by him who was too good a courtjer that he was wont to forget nothing but injuries he though a pagan might therein have been a mirrour to all Christians considering the mischeivousnes of our corrupt nature this way which is apter to remember a wrong done then any thing els specially then a benefit because as one sayth we account thanks a burden and revenge an ease In regard whereof it was not without cause that Christ our Lord in our directorie of prayer which we must dayly use reinforceth nothing but the condition of the fifth
petition as we forgive them that trespasse against us the petition being Forgive us our trespasses adding therein that if we forgive not them that trespasse against us neyther will our heavenly father forgive us And this exhortation sayth one if we be not more hard then iron and steel cannot but soften us and make us appeasable and ready to remit offences considering how many and great our offences are against the Lord for which he both so justly might and so easily could take revengment upon us And since vengeance is the Lords and that he will repay we must beware we take it not further into our hands then God gives it us lest medling with edged-tools in Gods shop we surely cut our selvs deep howsoever they scape against whom we use them And besides the conscience of offending God by revenge in wish word or deed we may take instances of inducement to forgivenes from circumstances of all the persons that injurie us If it be a meaner person then our selvs that wrongs us let us forgive him in pittie of his weaknes If our superiour let us pittie and forgive our selvs the former in charitie the latter in wisdom Is he a malicious and unmerited enemy why should we marvayl if he do his kynde Have we hurt him before he but gives us our due and why should we not take it at his hands Is he a good man let us be ready to forgive him whom God forgives Is he wicked Alas we may well forgive him considering how fearfull vengeance if he repent not God will take on him for that and other his sins Many who think it divelish as indeed it is to offer an injurie think it but manly to requite it But it is sayth one evill as well to requite as to offer since God forbids both And there is sayth another onely this difference between them that he who offers the injury is before in mischief and he that requites it comes after therein as fast as he can With which two joyn a third witnesse saying that to render evil for evill is to make two divels for one Not to be revenged for an injury done is not alwayes to forgive it For this may be through want of power or of courage or in a kinde of haughtines of mynde when a man esteems himself above the wrong done or scorns to fyle his fingers with his adversarie Neyther yet is it sufficient though it be a great thing that we wish him no hurt who hath wronged us but we ought further also so to keep our hearts that they rejoyce not at his fall or slumbling by any other means least the Lord see and it displease him and he turn his wrath from him upon us All the other wayes we may be accessory before this way after the fact Notwithstanding we may have cause to be glad if the injurious and oppressours be restreyned by some work of Gods over-ruling providence that the fox being chayned up may no more worry the lambs But this is not to rejoyce for his hurt but for his good Lastly as God forgives injuries against him which all sins are if for the same he hate not the person so sinning though he both be angry at him and correct him and therein provide for the repayring of the honour of his majestie impeached by him so may men forgive injuries done against them in spirituall sense and holy manner if therefore they hate not nor wish hurt to the person that hath wronged them though in cases they provide for his due correction and also for the repayring of the damage susteyned by him in theyr body goods or good name by lawfull means CHAP. XXXV Of Patience IT is our sinfull condition that makes us subject to crosses our humayn that makes us sensible of them without which sense of them we were no more patient in bearing them then the stone is patient upon which the weight of the wall lyeth But in the bearing of such evils as are brought upon us or befall us with equanimitie and moderation true patience is seen The grace it self must be in us even without crosses and we by it in heart martyrs without fire or sword but so can not the use of it be no more then there is use of a salve where there is no soar And thereupon the Apostle sayth that affliction worketh patience that is occasions the exercise and increase of it And hence it is that men are most deceaved in the measure of this grace and esteem their inches eâ—ns till by tryall of evils they finde the contrarie But patience tryed by afflictions and found firm and good gives above other graces experimentall assurance of Gods love Whereupon the Apostle in the place forenamed gives it alone the honour of working experience And no marvayl seeing by it God gives a poore and feeble creature such experience of his powerfull grace and goodnes for the bearing and bearing out of those crosses and miseries both inward and outward which without this staf of supportance were intollerable Neyther is the work of Gods goodnes lost in them to whom he imparts this grace seeing by it if by any other they shew forth the vertues of God and honour him in so many of his attributes in the exercising of it As first of his will both commanding and approving it as Christ tels the church and Angell at Ephesus I know thy works and labour and patience Secondly of his justice as acknowledging really that all the afflictions which they suffer are lesse without comparison then their sins deserv Thirdly of his power and that both over them with which they struggle not but making a vertue of necessitie quietly bear what he layes upon them and also in them in susteyning them that they faynt not under their burden Fourthly of his wisdom in effectuall acknowledgment that he hath his good holy ends of his so dealing with them though oft times not so particularly known to them Lastly of his goodnes in dealing with them in their chastisements as with sons for their profit and that they might be partakers of his holynes without which last all the rest how honourable soever to God are uncomfortable unto man Vpon this goodnes of God we do in our afflictions specially exercise the two mayn graces of Fayth and Hope Fayth perswading our hearts that God loves us as well in our greatest afflictions as out of them and will do us nothing but good by them is as the foundation for this bulwork of patience Hope assureth us of happy issue out of them all which if we wanted what would it avayl us though we had the strength of men and angels to bear miseries Some Christians have sayd that Patience is a miserable remedy But how much better said the Heathen Byas that he onely is miserable that wants patience for the bearing of his misfortunes As