because they are good or because they are deerely beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the world will 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 Cain 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 Iohn 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 suit like the Harpe and the Harrow agree like two poisons 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 Windes and the Sea together yea that once to expect it were an effect 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 The godly are so patient in their sufferings With other Grounds of comfort and Vses 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 Wisdome 3 It makes much for his glory when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children do the more shine through imployment 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 be 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 Iehosaphat 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 losse 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 bee Legions of devils and every one stronger than many Legions of men and more malicious than strong yet Christs little Flock lives and prospers and makes not this exceedingly for our Makers for our Gardians glory Gods power is best made knowne in our weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.9 Impossibilities are the best advancers of his glory who not seldome hangs the greatest waits upon the smallest wyars as he doth the earth upon nothing For what wee least beleeve can bee 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 overmastering them then wholly to take them away Now if â—hy very enemies thus honour thee how should thy friends bought with thy precious bloud glorifie thee But the sweetest of honey lieth in the bottome I passe therefore from the first to the second Reason CHAP. 2. That it makes for the glory of his Wisdome 2 SEcondly it maketh for the glory of his marvellous and singular wisdome 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 frankely speake the word Phil. 1.12 13 14. 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 Iosephs brethren when they sold him into Aegypt And that devilish plot of Haman against Mordecay and his people â—o the good of his Church in generall and of Ioseph and Mordecay in particular Gen. 45.8.11 Hester 9.1 2 3. Their plots to overthrow Ioseph and Mordecay were turned by a Divine Providence to the onely meanes of advantaging them And herein was that of the Psalmist verified Surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise Psal. 76.10 It is not so much glory to God to take away wicked men as to use their evill to his owne holy purposes how soone could the Commander of Heaven and Earth rid the world of bad members But so should hee lose the praise of working good by evill instruments it suffiseth that the Angels of God resist their actions while their persons continue God many times workes by contrary meanes as Christ restored the Blind-man to his sight with clay and spittle he caused the Israelites to grow with depression with persecution to multiply Exod. 1.12 The bloud of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church Persecution enlargeth the bounds of it like as Palmes oppressed and Camomile trod upon mount the more grow the faster T is as easiy for God to work without meanes as with them and against them as by either but assuredly it makes more for the Makers glory that such an admirable harmony should be produced out of such an infinite discord The World is composed of foure Elements and those be contraries the Yeare is quartered into different seasons the minde of man is a mixture of disparities as joy sorrow hope feare love hate and the like the body doth consist and is nourished
by contraries how divers even in effect aswell as taste wherein variety hits the humour of all are the Birds and Beasts that feed us And how divers againe are those things that feed them How many severall qualities have the Plants that they brouze upon which all mingled together what a well temepred Sallad do they make Thus you see that though faith be above reason yet is there a reason to bee given of our faith O what a depth of wisdome may lye wrapt up in those passages which to our weak apprehensions may seeme ridiculous CHAP. 3. That the graces of God in his children may the more sâ—ine through imployment 3 THirdly it maketh for Gods glory another way when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children doe the more shine through imployment and are the more seene and taken notice of by the world surely if his justice get such honour by a Pharaoh much more doth his mercy by a Moses now Abrahams faith Iobs patience Pauls courage and constancy if they had not beene tried by the fire of affliction their graces had beene smothered as so many lights under a bushell which now to the glory of God shine to all the world Yea not onely their vertues but the gracious lives of all the Saints departed do still magnifie him even to this day in every place we heare of them and move us likewise to glorifie God for them wherefore happy man that leaves such a president for which the future Ages shall praise him and praise God for him Who could know the faith patience and Valour of Gods Souldiers if they alwayes lay in Garrison and never came to the skirmish Whereas now they are both exemplary and serve also to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2.15 One Iupiter set out by Homer the Poet was worth ten set out by Phidias the Carver saith Philostratus because the former flew abroad through all the world whereas the other never stirred from his Pedistall at Athens so at first the honour and splendor of Iobs integrity was confined to Vz a little corner of Arabia yea to his owne Family whereas by meanes of the divels malice it is now spâ—ead as farre as the Sunne can extend his beames or the Moone her influence for of such a Favorite of Heaven such a Mirour of the Earth such a wonder of the World who takes not notice Who could know whether we be Vessels of gold or drosse unlesse we were brought to the Touch-stone of temptation Who could feele the odoriferous smell of these Aromaticall spices if they were not pownded and bruized in the morter of affliction The worlds hatred and calumny to an able Christian serves as bellowes to kindle his devotion and blow off the ashes under which his faith lay hid like the Moone he shines cleerest in the night of affliction If it made for the honour of Saul and all Israel that he had a little Boy in his Army that was able to incounter that selected great Gyant Goliah of the Philistims and overcame him how much more doth it make for Gods glory that the least of his adopted ones should be able to incounter foure enemies The World The Flesh. The Devill and The Death The weakest of which is 1 The Flesh. 2 The World Now the Flesh being an home-bred enemy a Dalilah in Sampsons bosome a Iudas in Christs company like a Moath in the Garment bred in us and cherished of us and yet alwayes attempting to fret and destroy us and the world a forraigne foe whose Army consists of two wings Adversity on the left hand Prosperity on the right hand Death stronger than either and the Devill stronger than all And yet that the weakest childe of God onely through faith in Christ a thing as much despised of Philistims as Davids sling and stone was of Goliah â—hould overcome all these foure wherein he shewes himselfe a greater Conquerour that William the Conquerour yea even greater than Alexander the Great or Pompey the Great or the Great Turke for they onely conquered in many yeeres a few parts of the world but he that is borne of God overcommeth the whole world and all things in the world 1 Iohn 5. And this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith Vers. 4. and Makes not this infinitely for the glory of God Yea it makes much for the honour of Christians For art thou borne of God hast thou vanquished the world that vanquisheth all the wicked Blesse God for this conquest The King of Spaines overcomming the Indies was nothing to it If Satan had knowne his afflicting of Iob would have so advanced the glory of God manifested Iobs admirable patience to all Ages made such a president for imitation to others occasioned so much shame to himselfe I doubt not but Iob should have continued prosperous and quiet for who will set upon his adversary when he knoweth he shall be shamefully beaten This being so happy are they who when they doe well heare ill but much more blessed are they who â—ive so well as that their backbiting adversaâ—ies seeing their good works are constrained to praise God and speake well of them CHAP. 4. That God suffers his children to be afflicted and persecuted by ungodly men that so they may be brought to repentance NOw the Reasons which have chiefly respect to the good of his children in their sufferings being thirteene in number are distinguished as followeth God suffers his children to be afflicted by them 1 Because it Brings them to repentance 2 Because it Workes in them amendment of life 3 Because it Stirs them up to prayer 4 Because it Weanes them from the love of the world 5 Because it Keeps them alwayes pâ—epared to the spirituall combate 6 Because it Discovers whether we be true beleevers or hypocrites 7 Because it Prevents greater evils of sin and punishment to come 8 Because it makes them Humble 9 Because it makes them Conformable to Christ their head 10 Because it Increaseth their Faith 11 Because it Increaseth their Ioy and thankfulnesse 12 Because it Increaseth their Spirituall wisdome 13 Because it Increaseth their Patience First the Lord suffers his children to be vexed and persecuted by the wicked because it is a notable meanes to rouze them out of carelesse security and bring them to repentance he openeth the eares of men saith Elihu even by their corrections that he might cause man to turne away from his enterprize and that he might keepe back his soule from the pit Iob 33.16 17 18. The feeling of smart will teach us to decline the cause those bitter sufferings of Iob toward his later end made him to possesse the iniquities of his youth Iob 13.26 Whereby with Solomons Evis-dropper Eccles. 7.21 22. he came to repent of that whereof he did not once suspect himselfe guilty it made him not thinke so much of what he felt as what he deserved to feele Sathans malice not seldome proves
the security of any people is the cause of their corruption as no sooner doth the Holy Ghost in sundry places say Israel had rest but it is added They committed wickednesse Even as standing waters soone grow noisome and Vines that grow out at large become wilde and fruitlesse in a small time if it weanes us from the love of worldly things and makes us no lesse inamored with heavenly as Zeno having but one Fly-boat left him hearing newes that both it and all therein was cast away said O Fortune thou hast done well to send me again to our Schoole of Philosophy Whereas if we find but a little pleasure in our life we are ready to doate upon it Every small contentment glewes our affections to that we like neither can we so heartily thinke of our home above whilest we are furnished with these worldly contentments But when God strips us of them straightwayes our mind is homeward if this world may be compared to Athens of which a Philosopher said that it was a pleasant City to travell through but not safe to dwel in if by smarting in our bodies states or names we are saved from smarting in our soules if it was good for Naaman that he was a Leper good for David that he was in trouble good for Bartimeus that he was blinde if with that Athenian Captaine we should have perished for ever in case we had not thus perished for a while if our peace would have lost us in case wee had not a little lost our peace then refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither bee grieved with his correction as Salomon adviseth Proverbs 3.11 And so much the rather because our strugling may aggravate cannot redresse our miseries Yea though the wicked like some beasts grow mad with baiting yet let us with good old Eli who was a good sonne to GOD though he had beene an ill Father to his sonnes even kisse the very rod we smart withall and say It is the LORD let him doe what seemeth him good for whatsoever seemeth good to him cannot but be good howsoever it seemes to us Yea let us receive his stripes with all humility patience piety and thankfulnesse resolving as that holy Martyr Iohn Bradford who said to the Queen how much more did he meane it to the great King of Heaven and Earth If the Queen will give me life I will thanke her if she will banish me I will thank her if she will burne me I will thank her if she will condemne me to perpetuall imprisonment I will thanke her The stomacke that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours and the Physitian knowes what is best for the Patient the Nurse better than the infant what is good and fit for it yea let us take them as tokens and pledges of Gods love and favour who loves his Children so as not to make wantons of them They that would tame pampered Horses doe adde to their travell and abate of their provender as Pharaoh served the Children of Israel Which of us shall see peeces of Timber cut and squared and plained by the Carpenter or Stones hewne and polished by the Mason but will collect and gather that these are Stones and Timber which the Master would imploy in some building if I suffer it is that I may raigne And how profitable is that affliction which carrieth me to Heaven Oh it is a good change to have the fire of affliction for the fire of Hell Who would not rather smart for a while than for ever It s true these Waspes wicked men sting shrewdly but the Hornet Sathan would sting worse a great deale And not seldome doth the inâ—liction of a lesse punishment avoide a greater every man can open his hand to God while he blesses but to expose our selves willingly to the afflicting hand of our Maker and to kneele to him while he scourges us is peculiar to the faithfull Thirdly If in conclusion the most malicious and damnable practises of our worst and greatest enemies prove no other in effect to us than did the malice of Iosephs brethren Mistrisse and Lord to him the first in selling of him the second in falesely accusing him the third in imprisoning him all which made for his inestimable good and benefit than the malice of Haman to Mordecai and the Iewes whose bloudy decree obtained against them procured them exceeding much joy and peace then Balaks malice to the Children of Israel whose desire of cursing them caused the Lord so much the more to blesse them Num. 23. Then the Devils spight to Iob who pleasured him more by his soare afflicting him than any thing else could possibly have done whether we regard his name Children substance or soule than Iudas his treason against the Lord of life whose detestable fact served not only to accomplish his will but the meanes also of all their salvations that either before or after should beleeve in him this should move wonder to astonishment and cause us to cry out with the Apostle O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 O the wonderfull and soveraigne goodnesse of our God! that turnes all our poysons into Cordials that can change our terrours into pleasures and make the greatest evils beneficiall unto us for they are evill in their owne nature and work those former good effects not properly by themselves but by accident as they are so disposed by the infinite wisdome goodnesse and power of God who is able to bring light out of darknesse and good out of evill yea this should tutor us to loue our enemies we love the medicine not for its owne sake but for the health it brings us and to suffer chearfully whatsoever is laid upon us for how can Gods Church in generall or any member in particular but fare well since the very malice of their enemies benefits them How can we but say let the world frowne and all things in it runne crosse to the graine of our minds Yeâ— with thee O Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption thou makest us better by their making us worse Ob. But perhaps thou hast not proved the truth of this by thy owne knowledge and particular experience Answ. If thou hast not thou shalt in due time the end shall prove it stay but till the conclusion and thou shalt see that there is no Crosse no enemy no evils can happen unto thee that shall not be turned to good by him that dwelleth in thee Will you take Saint Pauls word for it or rather GODS owne word who is truth it selfe and cannot lye His words are Wee know that all things worke together for the best unto them that love God even to them that are called of his purpose Ro. 8.28 And in Verse 35 36. after he hath declared that Gods chosen people shall
THE VICTORY OF PATIENCE And benefit of Affliction with how to Husband it so that the weakest Christian with blessing from above may bee able to support himselfe in his most miserable Exigents Together with a Counter poyson or Antipoyson against all griefe being a Tenth of the Doves Innocency and the Serpents Subtilty Extracted out of the choisest Authors ancient and moderne necessary to be read of all that any way suffer Tribulation By R. Y. All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 LONDON Printed by R. B. and are to be sold at the black Beare in Pauls Church-yard 1636. TO THE READER NOthing in this world can bee framed so perfect but it shall have some delinquensies to prove that more were in the Comprisor and it is almost as easie to find faults as to make them To spy the inconveniences of a house built is nothing but to lay the plot well at first requires the pate of a good Contriver All Alchymists can doe well till they come to doing But there is a further distance from nothing to the least thing in the world then between it and the greatest All publique actions are subject to diverse and uncertaine Interpretations for a great many heads judge of them and mens censures are as various as their palats Matth. 21. Our writings are as so many dishes our Readers guests Bookes are like faces that which one admires another slights Why Some will condemne what they do as little understand as they doe themselves Others the better a thing is the worse they will like it They hate him saith Amos that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly Amos 5.10 You know Herods festered conscience could not endure Iohn Baptists plaister of truth a galled backe loves not the curry Combe a deformed face loathes the true glas nothing is so hatefull to the desperatly wicked as good Counsell with Balaam they grutch to be stayed in the way to death and fly upon those that oppose their perdition And how should they other then miscarry who have a Pirate the flesh for their guide So that if a man should observe the wind of Applause he should never sowe or regard the clouds of Aspersion hee should never reape But I had rather hazard the censure of some then hinder the good of others yea I had rather misse of what I expect then faile to do my utmost Wherefore I present to thee curteous Reader a posey of such flowers as I have gathered abroad If they be liked as Phidias said concerning his first portrayture expect more if not onely this To fore-relate their variety and severall worths were to imitate an Italian Host meeting you on the waies and promising before hand your fare and entertainment Wherefore let it please you to see and allow your cheare Only in generall my Booke is a feast wherin holsomnesse strives with pleasantnesse and variety with both Each Chapter severall is a severall dish stuft full of notable sayings and examples for that 's the meate by which a man may not only become more eloquent but more wise not alone able to say well but to doe well for quaint and elegant phrases on a good subject are baites to make an ill man vertuous Pithy sentences curious metaphors witty apophthegmes sweet similitudes and rhetoricall expressions which Aristotle would have as it were sprinkled in the most serious discourses are to the minde as musicke to the body which next to sleepe is the best recreation Or as pleasant and delectable Sause which gives a more savory tast to holsome and profitable Divinity And thou shalt finde but few here which are not both sinewy and sharpe mucrones verborum pointed speeches either fit to teach or forcible to perswade or sage to advise and forewarne or sharpe to reprove or strong to confirme or piercing to imprint But alas most men regard not what is written but who writes valew not the mettall but the Stampe which is upon it To these I say little as they deserve little and turne my speech to all that reserve themselves open and prepared to receive each profitabe instruction and continuall amendment to the ingenious Reader that sucks hony from the selfe same flower which the Spider doth poyson wishing him to come that out of this Treatise which he did not know before and well note what speakes to his owne sinne And perhaps he may in this short journey make more true gaine then Salomons Navy did from Ophir or the Spanish fleete from the West Indies for in so doing he shall greatly increase his knowledge and lessen his vices In one day he may reade it and ever after be the better for it But methinkes I am too like a carelesse Porter which keepes the guests without dores til they have lost their stomackes wherfore I wil detaine you no longer in the porch but unlock the dore and let you in THE BENIFIT of AFFLICTION and how to husband it so that with blessing from above the weakest Christian may be able to support himselfe in his most miserable Exigents CHAP. 1. Why the Lord suffers his children so to be traduced and persecuted by his and their enemies and first That it makes for the glory of his power IN the former Treatises I have proved that there is a naturall enmity and a spiritual Antipathy betweene the Men of the World and the children of GOD betweene the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman And that these two Regiments being the Subjects of two severall Kings Satan and CHRIST are governed by Lawes opposite and cleane contrary each to the other whereby it comes to passe that grievous temptations and persecutions doe alwayes accompany the remission of sins That all men as Austine speakes are necessitated to miseries which bend their course towards the Kingdome of Heaven For godlinesse and temptation are such inseparable attendants on the same person that a mans sins be no sooner forgiven and hee rescued from Satan but that Lion fomes and roares and bestirs himselfe to recover his losse Neither can Gods love be injoyed without Satans disturbance Yea the World and the Devill therefore hate us because God 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 envie to see themselves casheired as persons infected with the plague will scoffe at such of their acquaintanâ—e 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 Iob was in the devils
they were recompenc'd in the rest they had most excellent memories rare inventions and admirable other parts Or suppose he send sicknesse the worst Feaver can come does not more burne our bloud than our lust And together with sweating out the Surfets of nature at the poores of the body we weepe out the sinfull corruption of our nature at the poares of the Conscience Yea the Author to the Hebrewes saith of Christ Himselfe that though he were the Sonne yet as he was man He learned obedience by the things which Hee suffered Heb. 5.8 As in humane proceedings Ill manners beget good Lawes So in Divine the wicked by their evill tongues beget good and holy lives in the Godly Nothing sooner brings us to the knowledge and amendment of our faults then the scoffes of an enemy which made Philip of Macedon acknowledge himselfe much beholding to his enemies the Athenians for speaking evill of him for saith he they have made me an honest man to proove them lyers Even barren Leah when she was despised became fruitfull So that we may thanke our enemies or must thanke God for our enemies Our soules shall shine the brighter one day for such rubbing Yea put case we be gold they will but trye us If Iron they will scower away our rust The malice of wicked men serves to the godly as the Thorne to the brest of the Nightingale the which if she chance to sleep causeth her to warble with a renewed cheerfulnesse These very tempestuous showers bring forth spirituall flowers and hearbs in abundance Devotion like fire in froâ—ty weather burnes hottest in affliction Vertue provoked addes much to it selfe With the Arke of Noah the higher we are tossed with the floud of their malice the neerer we mount towards Heaven When the waters of the floud came upon the face of the earth downe went stately Turrets and Towers but as the waters rose the Arke rose still higher and higher In like sort when the waters of afflictions arise downe goes the pride of life the lust of the eyes In a word all the vanities of the world But the Arke of the soule ariseth as these waters rise and that higher and higher even neerer and neerer towards Heaven I might illustrate this point by many observable things in nature We see Well-waters arising from deep Springs are hotter in Winter then in Summer because the outward cold doth keep in and double their inward heate And so of mans body the more extreme the cold is without the more doth the naturall heate fortify it selfe within and guard the heart The Corne receives an inward heate and comfort from the Frost and Snowe which lyeth upon it Trees lopt and prâ—ned flourish the more and beare the fuller for it The Grape when it is most pressed and trodden maketh the more and better wine The droâ—â—e gold is by the fire refined Winds and Thunder cleeres the ayre Working Seas purge the Wine Fire increaseth the scent of any Perfume Pounding makes all Spices smell the sweeter Linnen when it is buckt and washt and wrung and beaten becomes the whiter and fayrer The earth being torne up by the Plough becomes more rich and fruitfull Is there a peece of ground naturally good Let it lye neglected it becomes wilde and barren Yea and the more rich and fertile that it is of it selfe the more waste and fruitlesse it proveth for want of Tillage and Husbandry The Razor though it be tempered with a due proportion of steele yet if it passe not the Grindstone or Whetstone is neverthelesse unapt to cut yea though it be made once never so sharpe if it be not often whetted it waxeth dull All which are lively Emblems of that truth which the Apostle delivers 2 Cor. 4.16 Wee faint not for though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily Even as a Lambe is much more lively and nimble for sheering If by enmity and persecution as with a knife the Lord pareth anâ— pruneth us it is that we may bring forth tâ— more and better fruit and unlesse we degâ—nerate we shall beare the better for bleeding as Anteus every time rose up the strongeâ— when Hercules threw him to the ground because he goâ— new strength by touching of his Mother O admirable use of affliction health from a a wound cure from a disease out of griefe joy gaine out of losse out of infirmity strength out of sin holinesse out of death life yea we shall redeeme something of Gods dishonour by sin if we shall thence grow holy But this is a harder Riddle than Sampsons to these Philistims CHAP. 6. That is stirs them up to prayer 3 THirdly because they quicken our devotion and make us pray unto God with more fervency Lord saith Isaiah in trouble they will visite thee they powred out prayers when they chastening was upon them Isay 26.16 In their affliction saith Hosea they will seeke thee diligently Hosea 5.15 The truth of this may be seene in the examples of the Children of Israel Iudges 3.9 15. Elisha 2 Kings 6.18 Hezekiah 2 Kings 19.15 16. Stephen Acts 7.59 60. And lastly in Iehosaphat who being told that there was a great multitude comming against him from beyond the Sea out of Aram it followes That Iehosaphat feared and set himselfe to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Iudah Yea they came out of all parts and joyned with him to inquire of the Lord 2 Chron. 20.3 4 13. Neither doth it make us alone which suffer earnest in prayer but it makes others also labour in prayer to God for us 2 Cor. 1.10 11. And indeed the very purpose of affliction is to make us importunate he that heares the secret murmurs of our griefe yet will not seeme to heare us till our cries be loud and strong as Demosthenes would not plead for his Client till he cried to him but then answered his sorrow Now I feele thy cause We aske and misse because wee aske amisse we beat backe the flame not with a purpose to suppresse it but to raise it higher and to diffuse it And a deniall doth but invite the importunate as we see in the Canaanitish woman Mat. 15. Our holy longings are increased with delayes it whets our appetite to be held fasting and whom will not Need make both humble and eloquent If the case be woefull it will be exprest accordingly the despaire of all other helpes sends us importunately to the God of power but while money can buy Physick oâ— friends procure inlargement the great Physitian and helper is not sought unto nor throughly trusted in It is written of the children of Israel that so soone as they cried unto the Lord he delivered them from their servitude under Eglon King of Moab yet it is plaine they were eighteene yeeres under this bondage undelivered Iudg. 3.14 15. Doubtlesse they were not so unsensible of their own misery as not to complaine sooner then the end of eighteene yeeres the first
a man would forgive his enemy even for his owne sake were there no other motive to perswade him for to let passe many things of no small moment as that if we forgive not we can do no part of Gods worship that is pleasing to him for we cannot pray aright 1 Tim. 2.8 We cannot communicate in the Sacrament but wee make our selves guilty of Christs bloud 1 Cor. 11.27 Matthew 5.24 We cannot be good hearers of the word Iames 1.21 and that it maketh a man captive to Satan Ephes. 4.26 27. and many the like If ye forgive men their trespasses saith our Saviour your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses Mat. 6.14 15. So he that will not be in charity shall never be in Heaven And why should I doe my selfe a shrewd turne because another would Yea when we pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive them that trespasse against us and doe not resolve to forgive our brethren wee doe in effect say Lord condemne us for we will be condemned whereas he that doth good to his enemie even in that act doth better to himselfe It is a singular sacrifice to God and well pleasing to him to do good against evill and to succour our very enemy in his necessity But we may perchance heape coles of fire upon the others head Rom. 12.20 though we must not doe it with an intent to make his reckoning more but our reckoning lesse Againe Blessed is the man saith S. Iames that indureth temptation viz. with patience for when hee is tryed hee shall receive the Crowne of life Iames 1.12 And this made Mâ—ses not only patient in his sufferings but joyfull esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt For saith the Text he had respect unto the recompence of the reward Heb. 11.26 And well it might for whereas the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this glory Rom. 8.18 S. Paul witnesseth that our light affliction which is but for a moment if it be borne with patience causeth unto us a far most excellent and eternall weight of glory while we looke not on the things that are seene but on the things which are not seene 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparablenesse and infinite difference betweene the work and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentany afflictions eternall glory answerable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and dye in a moment but their insufferable punishment is interminable and endlesse their pleasure is short their paine everlasting our paine is short our joy eternall What will not men undergoe so their pay may be answerable The old experienced Souldier feares not the raine and stormes above him nor the numbers falling before him nor the troupes of enemies against him nor the shot of thundring Ordnance about him but lookes to the honourable reward promised him When Philip asked Democritus if he did not feare to lose his head he answered No for quoth he if I dye the Athenians will give me a life immortall meaning he should be statued in the treasury of eternall fame if the immortality as they thought of their names was such a strong reason to perswade them to patience and all kinde of worthinesse what should the immortality of the soule be to us Alas vertue were a poore thing if fame only should be all the Garland that did crowne her but the Christian knowes that if every paine he suffers were a death and every crosse an hell he shall have amends enough Why said Ambrose on his death bed we are happy in this we serve a good Master that will not suffer us to be losers Which made the Martyrs such Lambes in suffering that their persecutors were more weary with striking than they with suffering And many of them as willing to dye as dine No matter quoth one of them what I suffer on earth so I may be crowned in heaven I care not quoth another what becommeth of this fraile Barke my flesh so I have the passenger my soule safely conducted And another If at night thou grant me Lazarus boone Let Dives dogs lick all my sores at noone And a valiant Souldier going about a Christian atchievement my comfort is though I lose my life for Christs sake yet I shall not lose my labour yea I cannot indure enough to come to Heaven Neither doe they think that God is bound to reward them any way for their sufferings no if he accepts me when I have given my body to be burned saith the beleever I may account it a mercy Thus hope refresheth a Christian as much as misery depresseth him it makes him defie all that men or devils can do saying take away my goods my good name my friends my liberty my life and what else thou canst imagine yet I am well enough so long as thou canst not take away the reward of all which is an hundred fold more even in this world and in the world to come life everlasting Marke 10.29 30. Now if this be so how should we not with a great deale of comfort and security passe through a sea of troubles that we may come to that haven of eternall rest How should we not cheare up one another as Iewell did his friends in banishment saying This worâ—d will not last ever And indeed we doe but stay the tyde as a fish left upon the fands Ob. I but in the meane time my sufferings are intolerable saith the fainting soule Answer Sol. It is no victory to conquer an easie and weake crosse these maine evils have crownes answerable to their difficulty Rev. 7.14 No low attempt a star-like glory brings but so long as the hardnesse of the victory shal increase the glory of the triumph indure it patiently cheerefully 2 Secondly as patience in suffering brings an eternall reward with it in Heaven so it procureth a reward here also suffer him to curse saith David touching Shemei here was patience for a King to suffer his impotent subject even in the heat of bloud and midst of war to speak swords and cast stones at his Soveraigne and that with a purpose to increase the rebellion and strengthen the adverse part but marke his reason It may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and do me good Why even for his cursing this day 2 Sam. 16.12 And well might he expect it for he knew this was Gods manner of dealing as when he turned Balaams curse into a blessing upon the children of Israel Num. 23. And their malice who sold Ioseph to his great advantage Indeed these Shemâ—is and Balaams whose hearts and tongues are so ready to curse and raile upon the people of God are not seldome the very meanes to procure a contrary blessing unto them so that if there were no
give him leave to doe any harme to his chosen he will never give him leave to doe the least hurt to our soules Now as by way of concession every greater includes the lesse he that can lift a Talent can easily lift a Pound so by way of denyall every greater excludes the lesse If Satan himselfe cannot hurt us much lesse his instruments weake men but for proofe of this see also an instance or two that a Sparrow cannot fall to the ground without our heavenly Father and that without leave from him our enemies cannot diminish one haire of our heads wee have our SAVIOURS expresse testimony Matthew 10. Let the Powder-Traytâ—rs plot and contrive the ruine of our State never so cunningly and closely let them goe on to the utmost as there wanted nothing but an Actor to bring on that Catholike doomesday yet before the Match could bee brought to the Powder their artificiall fire-workes were discovered their projection prodition deperdition all disclosed and seasonably returned on their owne heads Let Iesabel fret her heart out and sweare by her gods that Eliah shall dye yet she shall be frustrate Eliah shall be safe Let the red Dragon spoute forth flouds of venome against the Church the Church shall have wings given her to flie away she shall be delivered Revel 12. Let the Scribes and Pharisees with their many false witnesses accuse Christ never so yet in spight of malice innocency shall finde abbetors and rather than he shall want witnesses the mouth of Pilate shall be opened to his justification Yea let Ionas through frailty runne away from the execution of his embassage and GODS charge and thereupon bee cast into the Sea though the waves require him of the Ship and the fish require him of the waves yet the Lord will require him of the Fish even the Sea and the Fish had as great a charge for the Prophet as the Prophet had a charge for Niniveh for this is a sure rule if in case God gives any of the creatures leave to afflict us yet hee will bee sure to lay no more upon us than wee are able or hee will make us able to beare yea then shall make for our good and his glory he hath a provident care over all the creatures even Beasts and Plants and certainely wee are more precious than Fowles or Flowers yet the Lord cares for them Will the Householder take care to water the Herbes of his Garden or to fodder his Cattell and suffer his Men and Maides to famish through hunger and thirst Or will he provide for his Men and Maides and let his owne Children starve Surely if a man provide not for his owne He hath denyed the faith and is worse than an Infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 Farre be it then from the great Householder and judge of all the Earth not to provide for his deere Children and servants what shall be most necessary for them Indeed wee may feare our owne flesh as Saint Paul did but God is faithfull and will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength but will even give the issue with the temptation and in the meane time support us with his grace 2 Corinth 12 9. You have an excellent place to this purpose Ieremiah the 15.20 21. Objection But wee see by experience that GOD gives wicked men power often times to take away the very lives of the godly Answer When then If we lose the lives of our bodies it is that wee may save the lives of our soules Luke 9. Verse 24. and so wee are made gainers even by that losse againe thou hast merited a three-fold death if thou art freed from the two worser spirituall and eternall and God deale favourably with thee touching thy naturall death he is mercifull if not thou musâ— not thinke him unjust Though the Devilâ— and the World can hurt us as well as otheâ— men in our outward and bodily estates yeâ— they can doe us no hurt nor indanger ouâ— soules they shall lose nothing but their drosse as in Zachary 13.9 Isaiah 12. they cannot deprive us of our spirituall treasure here noâ— eternall hereafter which makes our Saviour say Feare ye not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Mat. 10.28 The body is but the Barke Cabinet Case or Instrument of the soule and say it fals in peeces there is but a Pitcher broken the soule a glorious Ruby held more fit to be set in the Crowne of glory than here to be trodden under foot by dirty Swine and therefore so soone as separated the Angels convey her hence to the place of everlasting blisse Alas what can they doe they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus Romans 8.38 39. Yea they are so far from doing us harme as that contrariwise we are much the better for them In all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us Verse 37. Whatsoever then becomes of goods or lives happy are wee so long as like wise Souldiers we guard the vitall parts while the soule is kept sound from impatience from distrust c. Our enemy may afflict us he cannot hurt us There is no chastisement not grievous the bone that was disjoynted cannot be set right without paine no potion can cure us if it worke not and it workes not except it makes us sick we are contented with that sicknesse which is the way to health there is a vexation without hurt such is this we are afflicted not overpressed needy not desperate persecuted not forsaken cast downe but perish not how should wee when all the evill in a City comes from the providence of a good GOD which can neither be impotent nor unmercifull It is the Lord let him doe what he will woe worth us if evils could come by chance or were let loose to light where they list now they are over-ruled wee are safe In the name of God then let not the tall stature of the Anakims nor the combination of the Edomites nor the politicke counsels of all the Achitophels and Machivilians nor the proud lookes nor the big words of all the Amaziahs combining themselves together deter or dismay you Let not the overtopping growth of the sons of Zerviah seem too hard for you for GOD is infinitely more strong and mighty to save us than all our enemies are to destroy us and he hath his Oare in their Boate he hath a speciall stroke in all actions whatsoever and can easily over-reach and make starke fooles of the wisest by making their owne councels and endeavours like Chusaes to overthrow those intentions which they seeme to support As touching the continuance of afflictions God so ordereth and tempereth the same in his mercifull wisdome that either they bee tolerable or short either our sorrowes shall not be violent or they shall not last if they bee not light they shall not
spent all she had upon them for to mend the matter poverty which is another disease was superadded to make her compleatly miserable When did Moses finde succour but when his Mother could no longer hide him and he was put into the River among the Bull-rushes she would have given all she was worth to save him and now she hath wages to nurse him she doth but change the name of Mother into Nurse and she hath her son without feare not without great reward when Israel was sn so hard a straight as either to be drowned in the Sea or slaine by the Sword how miraculously did God provide an evasion by dividing the waters When Rochel like Samariah had a strong enemy without and a sore famine within how miraculously did God provide an evasion by making the tyde their Purveyor to bring them in an Ocean of shell fish the like of which was never knowne before nor since When the English had left Cales and the Spaniard was againe repossest of it by some neglect or oversight there was an English-man left behinde but how did God provide for his escape its worth the remembring he was no sooner crept into a hole under a paire of staires but instantly a Spider weaves a web over the hole and this diverted them for when one of them said here is surely some of them hid another replyes What a foole art thou doest thou not see it s covered with a firme cobweb and so past him that in the night he escaped O Saviour our extremities are the seasons of thy aide even when Faâ—x was giving fire to the Match that should have given fire to the Powder which should have blowne up men and Monuments even the whole State together thou that never sleepest didst prevent him and disclose the whole designe yea thou didst turne our intended Funerall into a Festivall And why doth the goodnesse of our God pick out the most needfull times for our reliefe and comfort but because our extremities drive us to him that is omnipotent there is no feare no danger but in our owne insensiblenesse but because when we are forsaken of all succours and hopes we are fâ—â—test for his redresse and never are we neerer to helpe than when wee despaire of helpe but because our extremities give him the most glory and our comfort is the greater when the deliverance is seene before it is expected his wisdome knowes when aide will be most seasonable most wellcome which he then loves to give when he findes us left of all other props That mercifull hand is reserved for a dead lift and then he failes us not as when Abraham had given Isaack and Isaac had given himselfe for dead when the knife is falling upon his throate then then comes the deliverance by an Angell calling forbidding commending him And indeed our faith is most commendable in the last act it is no praise to hould out until we be harde driven but when we are forsaken of meanes then to live by faith in our God is thought worthy of a Crowne O wretched Saul hadst thou held out never so little longer without offering and without distrust Samuel had come and thou hadst kept the favour of God whereas now for thy unbeliefe thou art cast off for ever 1 Sam. 13.10 to 15. To shut up all in a word were thy soule in such a straight as Israel was betweene the red Sea and the Egyptians the spirits of vengeance like those enemies pursuing thee behind Hell and death like that Red Sea ready to ingulfe thee before yet would I speak to thee in the confidence of Moses Exodus 14.13 Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Thy Word ô God made all thy word shall repaire all hence all ye diffident feares he whom I trust is omnipotent Secondly Thou must know that GOD in his wisdome hath set downe a certaine period of time within which hee will exercise his Children more or lesse and at the end wherof and not before hee will relieve and comfort them againe As wee may perceive by Eccles. 3.1 Acts 7.25 Exodus 12.41 Gen. 15.13 Daniel 1.5 30. Ier. 25.11 Gen. 6.3 Foure hundred yeares hee appointed to Abraham and his seed that they should be Sojourners in a strange land where they should be kept in bondage and evill intreated Genesis 15. At the end of which time even the selfe same day they returned from the land of Aegypt that was the precise time appointed and the selfe same day it was accomplished and till then Moses undertooke it in vaine Why were they so long kept from it the land was their owne before they were the right heires to it lineally descended from him who was the first Possessor of it after the floud God will doe all in due time that is in his time not in ours if at any time the Lord deliver us it is more than he owes us Let him saith Saint Augustine choose his owne opportunity that so freely grants the mercy Againe he appointed that the Iewes should serve the King of Babylon seventy yeeres not a day not an houre to bee abated Ieremy 25.11 but at the end thereof even that very night Daniel 9. it was accomplished neither did Daniel who knew the determinate time once pray for deliverance till just upon the expiration Thirty eight yeeres hee appointed the sicke man at Bethesda's Poole Iohn 5.5 Twelve yeares to the Woman with the bloudy issue Matthew 9.20 Three Moneths to Moses Exod. 2.2 Tenne dayes tribulation to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna Apocal. 2.10 Three dayes plague to David 2 Sam. 24.13 Each of these groaned for a time under the like burden as thou doest But when their time which God had appointed was come they were delivered from all their miseries troubles and calamities and so likewise ere long if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lords leasure thou shalt also be delivered from thy affliction and sorrow either in the Morning of thy trouble with David Psal. 30.5 or at the Noone of thy life with Iob Chapter 42.10 to the end or toward the Evening with Mr. Glover that holy Martyr who could have no comfortable feeling till he came to the sight of the stake but then he cryed out and clapt his hands for joy to his friend saying O Austine he is come hee is come meaning the feeling joy of faith and the Holy Ghost Acts and Monuments Fol. 1555. in the last edition save this Or at night with Lazarus at one houre or another thou art sure to be delivered Be our troubles many in number strange in nature heavy in measure much in burthen and long in continuance yet Gods mercies are more numerous his wisdome more wondrous his power more miraculous he will deliver us out of all Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all Psal. 34.19 How many or how great soever they be or how long soever they continue yet an end they shall all have
For the LORD either taketh troubles from them or takes them from troubles by receiving them into his heavenly rest where they shall acknowledge that GOD hath rewarded them as farre beyond their expectation as he had formerly punished them lesse than they did deserve this Doctrine well digested will breed good bloud in our soules and is specially usefull to bound our desires of release for though we may be importunate impatient we may not be stay he never so long Patience must not be an Inch shorter than Affliction If the Bridge reach but halfe way over the Brooke we shall have but an ill-favoured passage We are taught in Scripture to praise Patience as we doe a faire day at night He that endureth to the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 Much the better for that light which will not bring us to bed perseverance is a kinde of all in all But not seldome doth the Lord onely release his Children out of extreame adversity here but withall makes their latter end so much the more prosperous by how much the more their former time hath beene miserable and adverse We have experience in Iob You have heard saith Saint Iames of the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made with him What end is that the Holy Ghost tels you That the Lord turned the captivity of Iob and blessed his last dayes more than the first for hee had foureteene thousand Sheepe and six thousand Camels and a thousand Yoake of Oxen and a thousand she Asses he had also seaven sonnes and three daughters and all his friends came unto him againe with presents and comforted him for all the evill that the Lord had brought unto him Iob 42.10 to 14. And in David who for a long time was in such feare of Saul that he was forc't to flye for his life first to Samuel where Saul pursueth him then to Ionathan where his griefe is doubled then to Abimelech where is Doeg to betray him after that he flyeth to Achish King of Gath where being discovered he is in greatest feare of all lest the King should take away his life and lastly when he returnes to his owne Ziklag he finds it smitten and burnt with fire and his Wives taken prisoners and in the midst of all his griefe when hee had wept untill hee could weepe no more the people being vexed intend to stone him so that as he had long before complayned there was but a steppe betweene him and death but marke the issue within two dayes the Crowne of Israel is brought unto him and he is annoynted King 2 Sam. 1. and for the present he was able to comfort himselfe in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 Yea after this when by that foule sin of Adultery and Murther hee had brought more enemies about his eares God and Men and Divells having once repented his fault he was able to say with confidence O God thou hast shewed me great troubles and adversities but thou wilt take me up from the depth of the earth and increase my honour Psalme 71.21 He knew well enough that cherishing was wont to follow stripes how oft hath a Tragick entrance had a happy end We read that Michael was condemned to death by the Emperor Leo upon a false accusation but before the execution the Emperor dyed and Michael was chosen in his stead God loves to doe by his Children as Ioseph did by his Father first we must have our beloved Ioseph a long time deteyned from us then he robbes us of Simeon after that sends for our best beloved Benjamin and makes us beleeve he will robbe us of all our Children at once all the things that are deare to us But why is it Even that when we think to have lost all he might returne himselfe and all againe with the greater interest of joy and felicity The LORD saith Hannah killeth and maketh alive first killeth and then maketh alive bringeth downe to the grave and raiseth up the LORD maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth lowe and exalteth he rayseth the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the Dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherite the seate of glory 1 Sam. 2.6 7 8. And why all this but that in his owne might no man may bee strong verse 9. That which Plutarch reports of Dionysius how he tooke away from one of his Nobles almost his whole estate and seeing him neverthelesse continue as jocund and well contented as ever he gave him that againe and as much more Is a common thing with the Lord and thousands can witnesse that though they went weeping under the burthen when they first carryed the precious seed of Repentance yet they still returned with joy and brought their sheaves with them Ps. 126.5 6. Object But thou thinkest thou shalt not hold out if God should long delay thee Answ. If he delay thee never so long he will be sure to support thee as long 2 Cor. 4.16 his grace shall be sufficient for thee at the least 2 Cor. 12.9 Phil. 1.29 which was Pauls answere and it may suffice all suitors the measure of our patience shall be proportionable to our suffering and our strength equalled to our Temptations 1 Cor. 10.13 Now if God doe either take away our appetite or give us meate it is enough The Bush which was a Type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the middest of it God waighes out to us our favours and Crosses in an equall ballance and so tempers our sorrowes that they may not oppresse and our joyes that they may not transport us each one hath some matter of envy to others and of griefe to himselfe Object But thou hast no evidence of Divine assistance nor thou canst not pray for it to purpose Answ. We have the presence of Gods Spirit and grace many times and feele it not yea when we complaine for want of it as Pilate asked Christ what was the truth when the Truth stood before him The stomacke finds the best digestion even in sleepe when we least perceive it and whiles we are most awake this power worketh in us either to further strength or disease without our knowledge of what is done within and on the other side that man is most dangerously sicke in whom nature decayes without his feeling without his complaint To know our selves happy is good but woe were to us Christians if we could not be happy and know it not As touching prayer every one is not so happy as Steven was to be most fervent when they are most in paine yea it were miserable for the best Christian if all his former prayers and meditations did not serve to ayde him in his last streights and meet together in the center of his extremitie yeelding though not sensible reliefe yet secret benefit to the soule whereas the worldly man in this case having not layed up for this houre hath no comfort
wicked himselfe or very childish in discretion then let us count their slanders scoffes and reproaches the most noble and honorable badges and ensignes of honor and innocency that can be And in case we are told that any such person doth raile on us let our answer be he is not esteemed nor his words credited of the meanest believer which understands any thing of Satans wiles And thus we see that a man of a good life needeth not feare any who hath an evill tongue but rather rejoyce therein for he shall be praised of Angels in Heaven who hath by renouncing the world eschewed the prayses of wicked men on earth CHAP. 27. Because our enemies may learne and be wonne by our example 4 IN the fourth place one reason why we beare injuries so patiently is That our enemies and others may learne and bee wonne by our example which oft prevailes more than precept As how many Infidels were wonne to the Christian Faith by seeing Christians indure the flames so patiently Wherefore in all things saith Paul to Titus shew thy selfe an example of good workes Tit. 2.7 Vnder the generall of good workes is included Patience as one maine speciall The servant of the Lord must not strive saith Paul to Timothy but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evill men patiently instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give thē repentance that they may know the truth 2 Tim. 2.24 25. Aristippus being demanded why he tooke so patiently Dionysius spitting in his face answered the Fishermen to take a little Gudgion 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 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 We need not a more pregnant example then the Levites father in Law I do not see him make any meanes for reconciliation but when remission came home to his doore no man could entertaine it more thankfully seeing such a singular example of patience and good condition in his Son When Iron meets with Iron there is a harsh and stubborne jar but let wooll meet that ruffer mettle this yeelding turnes resistance into imbracing Yea a man shall be in more estimation with his enemy if ingenious having vanquisht him this way then if he had never been his enemy at all Thy greatest enemy shall if he have any sparke of grace confesse ingeniously to thee as Saul once to David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rendred me good and I have rendred thee evill 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 Chosroes made a Law That never after any Kings of Persia should move war against the Romans Actions salved up with a freee forgivenesse are as not done Yea as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting so is love after such a reconcilement But this is not all for happily it may and not a little further Gods glory and make Satan a looser 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 be willing to suffer that the Lord of Heaven and Earths cause may be furthered against proud Lucifer and all the powers of darknesse But suppose thy patient yeelding produceth no such effect as may answer these or the like hopes yet have patience still and that for two 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 Iusticer CHAP. 28. 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 2 hath respect to his Commandement 3 hath respect to his Glory Reason 1 Because he 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 hee was reviled hee reviled not againe when hee suffered hee threatned not but committed it to him that judgeth righteously 1 Peter 2.23 And the holy Prophet 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 do it himselfe as he 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 Iethro that the Lord is greater than all the gods for as 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 died saith the Text and it followes when David heard that Nabal was dead he said Blessed bee 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 infinite wrong of railing Shimei being left to the Lord he did revenge it in giving Shimei up to such a stupidity that he ran himselfe wilfully upon his owne deserved and shamefull death And if the Lord thus revenge the cause of Davids personall wrong much more will he revenge his owne cause for in this case I
may say to every childe of God which suffereth for Religion sake as Iahaziel by the Spirit of God said unto all Iudah the inhabitants of Ierusalem and King Iehosaphat The battell is not yours but Gods wherefore you shall not need to fight in this battell stand still move not and behold the salvation of the Lord towards you 2 Chron. 20.15 17. Yea it stands upon Christs honour to maintaine those that are in his worke I but saith the weake Christian I am so wronged reviled and slandered that it would make a man speake like Aeagles that famous wrestler that never spake before in his life Answer There is no such necessity For first Who ever was that was not slandered Secondly let him speake evill of thee yet others shall not beleeve him or if the evill and ignorant do yet report from wise and good men shall speake thee vertuous Yea Thirdly though of some the slanderer be beleeved for a while yet at last thy actions will out-weigh his words and the disgrace shall rest with the intender of the ill The constancy of a mans good behaviour vindicates him from ill report how ever revenge not thy selfe in any case for by revenging thine owne quarrell thou makest thy selfe both the Iudge the Witnesse the Accuser and the Executioner If thou wilt see what God hath done and what he can and will do if there be like need heare what Ruffinus and Socrates write of Theodosius in his warres against Eugenius When this good Christian Emperour saw the huge multitude that was comming against him and that in the sight of man there was apparent overthrow at hand he gets him up into a place eminent and in the sight of all the Army fals downe prostrate upon the Earth beseeching GOD if ever hee would looke upon a â—infull creature to helpe him at this time of greatest need whereupon there arose suddenly such a mighty winde that it blew the Darts of the enemies back upon themselves in such a wonderderfull manner that Eugenius with all his Host was cleane discomfited and seeing the power of Christ so fight for his people was forced in effect to cry out as the Aegyptians did God is in the cloud and he fighteth for them Thus God either preventeth our enemies as here he did or delivereth his servants out of persecution as he did Peter or else if hee crowneth them with Martyrdome as he did Stephen hee will in his Kingdome of Glory give them instead of this bitter a better inheritance pro veritate morientes cum veritate viventes Wherefore in this and all other caâ—es cast thy burden upon the LORD and say with the Kingly Prophet I will lay me downe in peace for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety CHAP. 29. Because they have respect unto Gods Commandement 2 BEcause they have respect unto Gods Commandement who saith By your patience possesse your soules Luke 21.19 Be patient towards all men 1 Thess. 5.14 And Let your patient minde bee knowne unto all men Phil. 4.5 See saith Paul that none recompence evill for evill unto any man 1 Thes. 5.15 And againe Be not overcome with evill but overcome evill with goodnesse Rom. 12.21 Yea saith our Saviour Love your enemies do well to them that hate you blesse them that curse you and pray for them which hurt you Luke 6 27 28. And in case thine enemy hunger instead of adding to his affliction give him bread to eat if the thirst give him water to drinke or else thou breakest Gods commandement touching patience Pro. 25.21 Rom. 12.20 and consequently art in the sight of God a transgressor of the whole Law and standest guilty of the breach of every Commandement Iames 2.10 11. We know the frantick man though he be sober eleaven moneths of the yeare yet if he rage one he cannot avoide the imputation of madnesse If so let our revenge be like that of Elisha's to the Amorites instead of smiting them set bread and water before them Or like that of Pericles who as Plutarch reports when one had spent the day in railing upon him at his owne dore lest he should go home in the dark caused his man to light him with a Torch And to do otherwise is Ammonite-like to intreat those Embassadours ill which are sent in kindnesse and love for these afflictions are Gods Embassadours and to handle them ruffely yea to repine or grudge against them is to intreat them evill And certainly as David tooke it not well when the Ammonites ill intreated his Embassadours so God will not take the like well from thee 1 Chron. 19. But secondly as the Law of God binds us to this so doth the Law of Nature Whatsoever you would that men should doe unto you even so doe you unto them Mat. 7.12 Our Saviour doth not say doe unto others as others do unto you but as you would have others doe unto you Now if we have wronged any man we desire that hee should forgive us and therefore we must forgive him Lex Tuâ—â—nois was never a good Christian Law If I forgive not I shall not bee forgiven Marke 11.26 So to say of our Enemies as Sampson once of the Philistines Even as they did unto mee so have I done unto them is but an ill plea. For the Law of God and the Law of Nature forbids it and doth not the Law of Nations also Yes throughout the whole world either they have no Law or else a Law to prohibit men from revenging themselves Oppression or injury may not be righted by violence but by Law the redresse of evill by a person unwarranted is evill Ob. But thou wilt say the Law doth not provide a just remedy in all cases of injury especially in case of reproach and slander which is now the Christians chiefe suffering or if in part it doth yet he that is just cannot be quit in one Terme or two Nay if he have right in a yeare it is counted quick dispatch â—nd he is glad that he met with such a speedy Lawyer Answ. If thou knowest the remedy to be worse than the disease I hope thou wilt leave it and commit thy cause to God who if thou wilt give him the like time will cleare thy innocency and cost thâ—e nothing When wee have suffered some evill the flesh our owne wisdome like the King of Israel 2 Kings 6.21 will bid us returne evill to the doer but the Spirit or wisdome of God like Elisha opposeth and bids us returne him good notwithstanding him evill But the flesh will reply he is not worthy to be forgiven I but saith the Spirit Christ is worthy to be obeyed who hath commanded thee to forgive him Now whethers counsell wilt thou follow It is not alwayes good to take our own counsell our owne wit often hunts us into the snares that above all we would shâ—n We oft use meanes of preservation and they prove destroying ones Againe we take courses to ruine us