hath chosen us If a Convert comes home the Angels welcome him with Songs the Devils follow him with uproare and fury his old acquaintance with scornes and obloquie for they thinke it quarrell enough that we will no longer runne with them to the same excesse of riot 1 Peter 4. 4. That we will no longer continue miserable with them they envy to see themselves casheired as persons infected with the plague will scoffe at such of their acquaintance as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly It is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they raile at and persecute the good He that hath no grace himselfe is vexed to see it in another godly men are thornes in wicked mens eyes as Job was in the Devils because they are good or because they are deerly beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the World wil be displeased with both If God be a mans friend that will be his enemy If they exercise their malice it is where he shewes mercy and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Caine doth not exercise as Gregory speaks for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles He that is borne after the flesh will persecute him that is borne after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. not because he is evill but because he is so much better than himselfe 1 John 3. 12. Because his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion Wisd. 2. 15. I have also shewed the Originall continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of this enmity and therein made it plaine that as for the present they suite like the Harpe and the Harrow agree like two poysons in one stomack the one being ever sick of the other so to reconcile them together were to reconcile Fire and Water the Wolfe and the Lambe the Winds and the Sea together yea that once to expect it were an effâ—ct of frenzie not of hope It remaines in the last place that I declare the Reasons why God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted Reasons why The godly are so patient in their sufferings With other Grounds of comfort and Uses and first of the first The Reasons why God suffers the same are chiefly sixteene all tending to his glory and their spirituall and everlasting good benefit and advantage for the malignity of envie if it be well answered is made the evill cause of a good effect to us God and our soules are made gainers by anothers sin The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory are three 1 It makes for the glory of his Power 2 It makes for the glory of his Wisedome 3 It makes much for his glory when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children doe the more shine through imployment 1. It maketh for the glory of his Power Moses having declared in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppresse the children of Israel more and more still hardning his heart shewes the reason of it in these words That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the Land of Aegypt That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh and bring out mine Armies even my people by great judgements that my power may bee knowne and that I may declare my Name throughout all the World Exod. 7. 3 4. 9. 16. When that multitude of Amonites and Moabites came to war against Jehâ—saphat and the Children of Israel intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance and utterly destroy them to the dishonour of God the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction gained to himselfe such honour and glory That as the Text saith the feare of God was upon all the Kingdomes of the Earth when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel 2 Chron. 20. 29. The judgement was upon some the feare came upon all it was but a few mens lesse but it was all mens warning 1 Cor. 10. 11. When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion saith the Psalmist Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them Psal. 126. 1. 2. God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church that their humiliation may be the greater in sustaining and his glory may be greater in deliverance yea though there be Legious of devils and every one stronger than many Legions of men and more malicious than strong yet Christs little Flocâ— lives and prospers and makes not this exceedingly for our Makers for our Gardians glory Gods power is best made known in our weakens 2 Cor. 12. 9. And our deliverance is so much the more wondered at by how much the lesse it was expected Impossibilities are the best advancers of Gods glory who not seldome hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wâ—ars as he doth those bottles of He â—ven being of infinite weight and magnitude in the â—of 〈…〉 where no man can make a feather hang and the massie substance of the whole Earth and Sea upon nothing Job 26. 7. 8. Yea the whole frame of the He â—vens have no other Columns or Supporters to leane upon then his mighty and powerfull word Gen. 1. 6 7 8. For what we leâ—st beleeve can be done we most admire being done the lesser the meanes and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little meanes doth overcome a great opposition yea it is greater glory to God to turne evils into good by over-mastering them then wholly to take them away Now if thy very enemies thus honour thee how should thy friends bought with thy precious blood glorifie thee But the sweetest of honey lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from the first to the second Reason CHAP. II. That it makes for the glory of his Wisedome 2. SEcondly it maketh for the glory of his marvellons and singular wisâ—dome when he turneth the malice of his enemies to the advantage of his Church I would saith Paul yee understood brethren that the things which have come unto me are turned rather to the furthering of the Gospell So that my bonds in Christ are famous throughout all the ' judgement-Hall and in all other places Insomuch that many of the brethren in the Lord are imboldned through my bonds and dare more frankly speake the word Phil. 1. 12 13 14. The Apostles imprisonment was not the Gospels restraint but inlargement In all other cases a gentle resistance heightens the desire of the seeker in this the strength of opposition meeting with as strong a faith hath the same effect Againe how admirably did the Lord turne the malice of Josephs brethren when they sold him into Aegypt And that devillish plot of Hamm against Mordecay and his people to the good of his Church in generall and of Joseph and Mordecay in particular Gen. 45. 8. 11. Hester 9. 1 2 3. Their plots to overthrow Joseph and Mordecay wereturned by a Divine Providence to the onely
went before it the hand of Divine Justice seldome makes us smart without some eminent cause fore-going therefore David seeing a famine in the Land inquires for the particular provoking sin 2 Sam. 21. 1. so when we suffer our question should be what have wee done yea what have wee done in the same kinde for oftentimes wee may reade our sinne in our punishment as it fared with Adonibezeck Judg. 1. 7. and many other mentioned in Scripture Sodome was burnt with fire unnaturall as they burned with lust unnaturall Absaloms chiefe pride lay in his haire and that became his halter Salomon dividing Gods Kingdome had his owne Kingdome devided David hath slaine Uriah with the sword therefore the sword shall not depart from his house Dives would not give Lazarus a crum Lazarus shall not bring Dives a drop Judas was the instrument of his Masters death he shall be the instrument of his owne death Proud Bajazet vowes to imprison Tamberlaine in an Iron Cage and carry him about the world in triumph But Tamberlaine having conquered that bragging Turke carried and carted him through all Asia to be scorned of his owne people For instance is any one censured reviled and persecuted of lewde men for being religious let him reflect upon his life past and happily their revilings and persecutions will bring to his remembrance that he himselfe before his conversion hath likewise censured reviled or persecuted others It may be his naturall spirituall or politicall parents in some kinde or other as who can plead innocency herein And he that is not humbled for his sinne is not yet justified from his sinne Yea so often as thou remembrest thy sinnes without griefe so often thou repeatest those sinnes by not grieving Dion of Syracuse being banished came to Theodorus Court a suppliant where not presently admitted he turned to his companion with these words I remember I did the like when I was in the like dignity He called his deeds past to a new reckoning So when thou receivest an injury remember what injuries thou hast offered look not to be exempt from the same wrongs which thou hast done for he that doth wrong may well receive it we may well suffer patiently when we know wee suffer justly To looke for good and to doe bad is against the Law of Retaliation Or secondly is any one wronged in his good name without giving the least cause of scandall either at present or heretofore which troubles him above measure let him neverthelesse reflect upon himselfe and perhaps he shall finde the cause lie lurking in his owne bosome as thus it may be thou hast not defamed thy neighbour but hast thou not delighted to heare others speake evill of him hast thou beene tender of his reputation and as much as thou couldest vindicated his good name Or thirdly doth not a proud heart make thee over apprehensive of the wrong does not the injury seeme great to thee because thou seemest great to thy selfe if so be but little and lowly in thine owne eyes and the wrong will seeme lesse for no man can sweetlier put up disgraces from others than hee who hath first learned to despise himselfe Yea this Straw diadem hurts none but the proud and impatient for suppose thou findest here but hard fare and as ill drest a poore hungry humble soule will downe with all well enough Or fourthly hath not selfe-conceitednes broken thy credit probably if thou wouldest thinke worse of thy selfe thou shouldest be better thought of But commonly all is well while we are well esteemed yea with many their reputation is more cared for than their God Neither would he be censured for sinne that fears not to be damned for it If this hath beene thy case hence-forward let it trouble thee more to dâ— a fault then to heare of it and when thou art evill spoken of by another call thy selfe to account before him it may be thou deservest iâ— be more sorry that it is true then that it is knowne Or lastly admit men charge thee wrongfully and thou canst not finde out thy sin by thy punishment yet know that what thou sufferest is most just in respect of God who is the Author and who does not alwayes punish sinne in kinde As for example how many Murthers have beene punished in a mutenous word the tongue in some rash language hath scourged the iniquity of the hand One hath done many robberies scap't many searches at last when all hath beene forgotten he hath beene hanged for accessary to a Theft he never knew Suspected felony hath often paid the price of an unknowne Râ—pe And they that have gone away with unnaturall filthinesse have yet clipt off their dayes with their owne coyne so that still Gods Judgements are just even when mâ—ns may be unjust which in all cases would be acknowledged as the godly ever doe Mauricius that good Emperour when hee his wife and his five sonnes were taken his wife and sonnes put to death and himselfe waiting for the like fatall stroke could conclude thus Just art thou O Lord in all thy wayes and holy in all thy workes as it is in the Psalmes And a Martyr when hee was burning at a stake Welcome flames my sinne hath deserved more than here I can be able to suffer And certainly they are angry with Heaven for justice that are angry with them for injustice Wherefore if thou hast beene heretofore so simple as to returne like for like hence-forward lay thy hand upon thy mouth and say with Job Once have I spoken but I will answer no more yea twice but I will proceed no further Job 40. 4. 5. I will not so much consider how unjust man is that gives the wrong as how just God is that guideth it And this would be our meditation in all other cases namely to thinke whose hâ—ud strikes whether by a Plurisie or a Feaver or a Sword or what ever the Instrument be and to conclude the blow is Gods whatsoever or whomsoever is used as the weapon yea it comes not without our desert for God is just nor shall be without our profit for God is mercifull And he that doth not argue thus comes short of the very Heathen For Socrates could tell the Athenians when they condemned him to dye that they could doe nothing but what the gods permitted and nature had before ordained And in common reason can a Clock goe without a weight to move it or a Keeper to set it no. Now this being premised namely that wee endure nothing from our enemies but that we have justly deserved from God Yea that we are more beholding to our greatest enemies touching the knowledge of our selves than the best friend we have how should we not with David refuse to revenge our selves in case any wicked Shimei rayle curse or cast stones at us have we never so much power and opportunity to do it Yea admit some Abishai would doe it for us how should we not say let him alone
greatest sway with us yea to please men wee could be like certaine pictures that represent to divers beholders at divers stations divers formes but now it is enough to regulate our thoughts words and actions that God seeth and indeed where are braines there needes no more We reade that paphnutius converted Thais and Ephron another famous strumpet from uncleannesse only with this argument that God seeth all things in the darke when the dores are fast the windowes shut the curtens drawne Before too much devotion was made an argument of too little discretion and mischiefe called vertue when it was happy in the successe as with the Papists the Ostentation of the prosperity of their estate is the best demonstration of the sincerity of their Religion yea and thinke also they have clypt the wings of prosperity as the Athenians did the wings of victory that she cannot fly away Before we thought drinking and joviall company the best receit to drive away sadnesse but now nothing like living well as an Heathen hath confest Once we thought Earth Heaven but now we apprehend the World and glory thereof to be like a beautifull harlot a Paradise to the eye a Purgatory to the soule Yea hee that before was indifferent in nothing but conscience and no cause so bad but hee would undertake it for gaine or glory and thinke it well done As Sathan prevailes chiefly by deception of our Reason whereby wee mistake vertue for vice and vice for vertue wherein hee imitates Hanniball who having overcome the Romans put on their Armour and so his souldiers being taken for Romans won a City by that pollicy and to this purpose what stone so rough but he can smooth it what stuffe so pittifull but hee can set a glosse upon it like a Beare he can licke into fashion the most mishapen and deformed lumpe or like a dogge heale any wound he can reach with his tongue yea what golden eloquence will he whisper in our eare what brazen impudence what subtill shifts what quaint querks what cunning conveyances what jugling shuffling and packing will he use to make any sinne feazable like the Hare which if she dare not trust to her speed she will try the turne and so on the contrary to discourage us in good shewing each thing as it were in triangular glasses among the opticks which will represent a way so fowle so deepe that 't is impassable as if it were all covered with Tapestry But as he pleades now with eloquence so when he sees his time hee will speake with Thunder Even such a man I say now hath his eyes opened to discerne good and evill when God speaks and when Satan for Gods chastisements are pills made of purpose to cleare the sight and vertue if it be clearely seene moves great love and affection as Plato speaks Yea when to our cost we can Adam like see good from evill clearely the subtile Serpent can deceive no longer whereas before wee were easily deceived and led away with the multitude into innumerable errours Yea if the fish did know of the hooke or the bird did but see the net though they have but the understanding of fishes and birds yet they would let the bait alone fly over the net and let the Fowler whistle to himselfe Thus Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his scourges our schoolemasters his chastisements our advertisements And commonly the soule waxeth as the body wayneth and is wisest to prescribe when the bones and sinnewes are weakest to execute neither doe wee hereby become wise for our owne soules good only but affliction makes us wise and able to doe others good also that are in any the like affliction Blessed be God saith S. Paul which comforteth us in all our afflictions that we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith wee our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. Yea the whole Church and every particular member thereof have their wisedome and knowledge improved even by their greatest enemies If Arius and Sabellius had not vexed the Church the deepe mysteries of the Trinity had not beeâ—e so accurately cleared by the Catholike Doctors Subtill arguments well answered breed a cleare conclusion heresie makes men sharpen their wits the better to confute it as Worme-wood though it be bitter to the taste yet it is good to cleere the eyes yea further the very stormes of persecution make us looke to our Tackling Patience and to our Anchor Hope and to our Helme Faith and to our Card the Word of God and to our Captaine Christ whereas security like a calme makes us forget both our danger and deliverer Experience is the best informer which makes Martin Luther say When all is done tribulation is the plainest and most sincere divinity And another most emphatically shewing that knowledge is in many respects cumulative as well as originall like water that besides his owne spring head is fed with other springs and streames That Prayer Reading Meditation and temptations make a Divine So that to be altogether exempt from misery is a most miserable thing CHAP. XVI How it increaseth their patience 13 BEcause the malice of our enemies makes for the increase of our patience We rejoyce in tribulation saith Paul knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience Rom. 5. 3. My brethren saith S. James count it exceeding joy when ye fall into divers temptations knowing that the tryall of your faith bringeth forth patience James 1. 2 3. Thus the malice of our enemies doth both prove and improve our patience see it exemplified in Job and David whose practise doth most excellently confirme this point you know Job was not so miserable in his afflictions as happy in his patience Job 31. 35 36 37. And David after he had beene so many yeares trayned up in the Schoole of Affliction and exercised with continuall sufferings from innumerable enemies of all sorts became a wonder of patience to all succeeding Ages as take but notice of his carriage towards Shimei and you will say so when this his impotent Subject cursed and cast stones at him and all his Men of War called him Murderer wicked man c. he was so farre from revenging it when hee might so easily or suffering others that you shall heare him make that an argument of his patience which was the exercise of it Behold my sonne saith he which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life how much more now may this Benjamite doe is 2 Sam. 16. 11. The wickednesse of aâ— Absalom may rob his Father of comfort but shall helpe to adde to his Fathers goodnesse it is the advantage of great crosses that they swallow up the lesser One mans sinne cannot be excused by anothers the lesser by the greater if Absalom be a Traytor Shimei may not curse and rebell but the passion conceived from the indignity of a stranger may be abated by the harder measure of our owne Indeed in the
from the stone to the hand which threw it and from the effect to the cause What saith Joseph to his envious brethren that sold him into Aegypt ye sent not me hither but God Gen. 45. 8. And Job being robbed by the Sabeans they being set on by Satan doth not say the Devill tooke away or the Sabeans tooke away but the Lord hath taken away Job 1. 21. And David speaking of his sonne Absaloms treason I was dumbe and said nothing why because it was thy doing Psalm 39. 9. And what thinke you was the reason our Saviour Christ held his peace and answered nothing as the Text saith but suffered his enemies The Chiefe Priest Scribes and Pharisees and Pilate to revile him and crucifie him but to approve the equity and justice of God the Author thereof for although it were blasphemy to say hee was a sinner yet taking upon him the sinnes of the whole World he knew those sinnes had deserved as much and therefore he is silent Matth. 26. 62 63. It is true other reasons are given as that hee answered nothing because it was now his time to suffer not to doe his worke was now to be crucified and not to be dignified or as another hee spake not a word to Herod because Herod had taken away his voice in beheading John Baptist but this without doubt was the maine reason Even in like manner it is with the truely gracious they being wronged doe not suffer rage to transport them as it doth beasts to set upon the stone or weapon that hath hurt them like little Children who if they fall will have the ground beaten their false griefe is satisfied with fained revenge But they looke higher even to God that occasioned it Or if they be angry they turne their malice from the person which punisheth them to the sinne by which and for which he came to have leave and power to punish them and to themselves for committing such sins The cause of their suffering doth more vex them than the things which they suffer and they grieve more for the displeasure of God than for the strips of his displeasure It is not the punishment but the cause of it makes them sorrowfull And indeed to speake home to every mans conscience why are we patient or impatient it is worth the noting when sinne lyes light then reproaches and contempt lye heavy whereas if we truely feele the weight of sinne all indignities will be as nothing Or thirdly in case they doe returne an answer it is after the manner of Epictetus who would not deny the sinnes his enemy taxed him with but reproves his ignorance rather in that being unacquainted with the infinity of his crimes he layes only two or three to his charge whereas indeed he was guilty of a Million or according to Philip of Macedon his example who would not punish Nicanor although he openly spake evill of him saying when he heard thereof I suppose Nicanor is a good man it were better to search whether the fault be in us or no so no sooner shall an holy mans enemy accuse him of hypocrisie pride passion covetousnesse c. but he will goe to God and accuse himselfe and complaine I am so indeed yea with Paul I am the chiefe of all sinners I am more vile than his tearmes can make me and I much marvell my punishment is no greater than to heare a few ill and bitter words And indeed one would thinke whatsoever is not paine nor sufferance or admit it be paine and sufferance so long as it is not a curse but a crosse may well be borne without grumbling What said that Gentleman in Athens to his friends when Ashuerus came and tooke away halfe his Plate as he was at dinner with them they admiring that he was not a whit moved thereat I thank God quoth hee that his Highnesse hath left me any thing Yea suppose we lose all we have our goods are furthest off us and if but in these we smart we must confesse to find favour Or admit they hurt our bodyes or kill us which they may soone doe if God but give leave for our life even the best of us is but like a bubble which Boyes blow up in the ayre and presently againe blow into meere ayre Caesar goes an Emperour to the Senate is brought a Corps home againe What ever I say befals us this would be our meditation he that afflicted me for a time could have hold me longer he that touched me in part could have stricken mee in whole he that layd this upon my body hath power to lay a greater Rod both upon my body and soule without doing me the least wrong That all crosses and curses temporall spirituall and eternall even from the paines of the damned to the very Itch as Moses sets downe Deut. 28. 27. are deserved and come not upon us against equity equity I say in respect of God not in respect of men they come from a just Author though from an unjust instrument And that Sinne is the ground of all our griefes the source of all our sufferings wickednesse the roote of our wretchednesse that we are disciplind is from our defects is a truth undenyable appeares plainely for first God affirmes it Deut. 28. Isay 57. 17. Hosea 13. 9. Jer. 30. 15. 4 18. Secondly his servants confirme it 1 Chron. 21. 17. Isay 64. 5. Dan. 9. 7 8. c. Lam. 1. 5. 8. 3. 39. c. Ezra 9. 13. Luke 23. 41. Thirdly good reason makes for it sinfull men smite not their dogs much lesse their children without a cause and shall we think the just God will smite without just cause his Judgements saith a Father are sometimes secret alwayes just No misery had ever afflicted us if sinne had not first infected us What 's the reason we all dye it could not be in justice if wee had not all sinned and so of all other evills even sicknesse originally proceeds from sinne and all weaknesse from wickednesse one man languisheth of a Consumption another labours of a Feaver a third is rackt with the Gowt a fourth swolne with the Dropsie a fift hath his soule let out with a sword every one hath a severall way to bring him to the common end death but sinne is the universall disease Death passed upon all for all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. James 3. 2. Yea as we brought a world of sinne into the world with us so since â—ach man hath broken every one of Gods ten Lawes ten thousand times and ten thousand wayes which is farre from a privative holinesse in reforming that which is evill and a positive holinesse in performing that which is good Ephes. 4. 22 23. and every sinne helpes for as originall sinne is the originall cause of death so actuall sinnes hasten it But to conclude in generall that sinne is the cause we suffer is not sufficient for commonly no judgement comes from God but some particular provocation of man
patiently instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may know the truth 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. And it stands to good reason for first every Christian is or ought to be a crucified man Secondly love is Christs badge the nature whereof is to cover offences with the mantle of peace And thirdly Religion bindes us to doe good unto all even our enemies so resembling the Sunne which is not scornfull but lookes with the same face upon every plot of earth not onely the stately Pallaces and pleasant Gardens are visited by his beames but meane Cottages but neglected Boggs and Moates And indeed sincerity loves to be universall like a light in the window which not onely gives light to them that are in the house but also to passengers in the street well knowing that the whole earth and every condition is equidistant from heaven if God but vouchsafe to shew mercy in which case who would not doe his utmost Aristippus being demanded why he tooke so patiently Dionysius spitting in his face answered the Fishermen to take a little Gudgeon doe abide to be imbrued with slime and salt water And should not I a Philosopher suffer my selfe to be sprinkled with a little spittle for the taking of a great Whale The House of God is not built up with blowes A word seasonably given after we have received an injury like a Rudder sometimes steares a man quite into another course The nature of many men is forward to accept of peace if it be offered them and negligent to sue for it otherwise They can spend secret wishes upon that which shall cost them no endeavour unlesse their enemy yeelds first they are resolved to stand out But if once their desire and expectation be answered the least reflection of this warmth makes them yeelding and plyable and that endeavour is spent to purpose which either makes a friend or unmakes an enemy We need not a more pregnant example than the Levites father in Law I doe not see him make any meanes for reconciliation but when remission came home to his doore no man could entertaine it more thankefully seeing such a singular example of patience and good condition in his Sonne When Iron meets with Iron there is a harsh and stubborne jarre but let Wooll meet that ruffer mettle this yeelding turnes resistance into embracing Yea a man shall be in more estimation with his enemy if ingenous having vanquisht him this way then if hee had never beene his enemy at all Thy greatest enemy shall if hee have any sparke of grace yea if hee have either bowels or braines confesse ingenuously to thee as Soul once to David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rendred me good and I have rendred thee evill as what heart of stone could have acknowledged lesse Saul would have kil'd David and could not David could have kil'd Saul and would not Besides the approbation of an enemy as one saith is more than the testimony of a whole Parish of friends or neuters And such a conquest is like that which Euagrius recordeth of the Romans namely That they got such a victory over Chosroes one of the Persian Kings that this Cosroes made a Law That never after any Kings of Persia should move warre against the Romans Actions salved up with a free forgivenesse are as not done Yea as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting so is love after such a reconcilement Whereas by returning a bitter answer he makes his enemies case his owne even as a mad dog biting another dog maketh him that is bitten become mad too But this is not all for happily it may and not a little further Gods glory and make Satan a loser as thus let us shake off their slanders as Paul did the Viper and these Barbarians which now conceive so basely of Gods people will change their mindes and say we are petty gods Yea will they say surely theirs is a good and holy and operative Religion that thus changes and transformes them into new Creatures The hope whereof should make us thinke no indeavour too much For if Zopyrus the Persian was content and that voluntarily to sustaine the cutting off his nose eares and lips to further the enterprize of his Lord Darius against proud Babylon what should a Christian bee willing to suffer that the Lord of Heaven and Earths cause may bee furthered against proud Lucifer and all the powers of darknesse But suppose thy patiâ—nt yeelding produceth no such effect as may answer these or the like hopes yet have patience still and that for three reasons 1. First seeme you to forget him and he will the sooner remember himselfe 2. It oft fals out that the end of passion is the beginning of repentance Therefore if not for his sake yet at least for thy owne sake be silent and then in case thou hearest further of it from another if ill beware of him but condemne him not untill thou hearest his owne Apologie for Who judgement gives and will but one side heare Though he judge right is no good Justicer Or lastly if not for his sake nor thine owne then for Gods sake have patience and beare with him because his maker beares with thee CHAP. XXVIII Because they will not take Gods Office out of his hand 5. Reasons in regard of God are three The 1 hath respect to his Office The 2 hath respect to his Commandement The 3 hath respect to his Glory Reason 1. BEcause hee will not take Gods Office out of his hand who saith avenge not your selves but give place unto wrath for vengeance is mine and I will repay it Rom. 12. 19. Peter speaking of our Saviour Christ saith When he was reviled he reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but comâ—itted it to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. And the Prophet David of himselfe I returne not reviling for reviling for on thee O Lord do I wait thou wilt heare me my Lord my God meaning if I call to thee for a just revenge Psal. 38. 13 14 15. If the Lord see it meet that our wrongs should be revenged instantly he will doe it himselfe as hee revenged the Israelites upon the Aegyptians and so that all standers by shall see their fault in their punishment with admiration Now I know saith Jetbro that the â—â—rd is greater than all the gods for â—s they have dealt proudly with them so are they recompenced Exod. 18. 11. And as once he revenged Davids cause upon Nabal For about ten dayes after the Lord smote Nabal that he dyed saith the Text and it followes when David heard that Nabal was dead hee said Blessed be the Lord that hath judged the cause of my rebuke at the hand of Nabal and hath kept his servant from evill for the Lord hath recompenced the wickednesse of Nabal upon his owne head 1 Sam. 25. 38 39. And that