and life and the life I say both of this body of this soule that I may owe and owe againe and againe all vnto thee and that I may glorifie thee both in bodie and soule O Lord it is the prayer which thy seruant hath else-where taughtime Psal 51.7 8. Purge mee with hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Make me to heare ioy and gladnesse the ioyfull newes of the remission of my sinnes and the bones which thou hast broken shall reioyce this flesh which thou hast afflicted so much shall be made whole this spirit which thou hast humbled in this flesh shall giue thee thankes and glorie For O Lord suffer mee I beseech thee to speake vnto thee that am but dust and ashes When thou shalt haue reduced vs againe to ashes those ashes will they praise thee what honour canst thou haue of the dust and who of those that descend in silence into the graue shall giue thee thankes But O Lord restore vnto vs our life render to vs our health which is the life of our life and without the which life is but a shadow of life and our life shall be vnto thee a continuall Sacrifice vnto thee a perpetuall Canticle Restore it to vs O Lord and let vs render it to thy glorie Render it to vs and let vs consecrate it to thy victorie Restore it to vs to edifie thy people instruct the ignorant to direct those children which thou hast giuen vs before we die in the way of their saluation and of thy glorie And thou knowest O Lord whether wee pray thee not for this day and night And finally O God that all that is within vs and of vs with heart with voyce with action may meditate on thee praise thee serue thee and that not for some dayes but for many yeeres for O Lord I know that long life is giuen as a blessing vnto those that feare thee whose bones thou preseruest so that they are not broken whose liues are so deare vnto thee as the apple of thine eye yea whose death euen this same death which is but a passage vnto a better life is precious before thine eyes Now therefore O Lord haue wee not prayed enough seeing thou art so neere neere vnto the afflicted and I so much afflicted and shall it not bee from henceforth time for thee to withdraw me from this euill these ashes from the ashes this dust from the dust Behold 6. I am wearie with my groanings all the night make I my bed to swimme I water my couch with my teares 7. Mine eye is consumed because of griefe it waxeth old because of all mine enemies O Lord is it not then yet enough and what other conuersion doest thou require of me what hast thou not turned thee to me in earnest hast thou not beheld me with the eye of thy mercies seeing that my heart is melted into teares Otherwise O Lord who could haue drawen out these waters and riuers out of this rocke so many teares out of the hardnesse of my heart So Lord when thy seruant Peter had sinned against thee thou beheldest him and he wept hee wept in the bitternesse of his soule hee wept and withdrew himselfe from the persecutors O Lord grant vnto this stone that it may cast forth and shed in like manner not the teares of Esan but the teares of Peter and not lament the losse of the inheritance of this world but the withdrawing of thy fauour and then I may triumph with thy seruant Dauid Auant my flesh get you gone O Deuill backe O temptations depart from mee O yee tempters 8. Depart from me all yee workers of iniquitie for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping O Lord they said vnto me Vnto whom doest thou crie the Lord dwels farre from men there is a great gulfe betweene sinners and him and thou who art thou O Lord I haue found on the contrarie that thou art neere and surely very neere for thou hast not onely heard my crie but my sighes also I said I will hold my peace I will be dumbe I will not open my mouth for thou hast done it I held my peace and thou heardst my silence my sighes O Lord where couldest thou be but neere me where couldest thou bee but in me Certes O Lord there is nothing that is farther off from man than thy selfe from sinne than thy iustice therefore thou art said with good reason to be farre off from vs. But there is nothing also neerer to vs than thy selfe thy well-beloued Sonne who is one nature with vs one essence with thee who came downe to vs and hath filled the gulfe who was clothed with our flesh of whom we are flesh of his flesh It is in him O Lord that thou doest behold vs in him that thou art neere vnto vs in him that thou drawest neere vnto the greatest sinners For whom came the Physitian but for the sick for whom the ransome but for captiues and for whom hath righteousnesse beene made sinne but for sinners therefore depart from mee ye tempters for hee hath heard the voyce of my weeping Depart from me for 9. The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receiue my prayer Happie therefore am I that haue God for my Aduocate and God for my Iudge God for my Creditour and God for my Suretie if God be for me who can be against me When he iustifieth who can condemne Behold O Lord they said Thou maist wait long enough time seemes nothing to him that is not subiect to it and doest thou thinke that hee will come down expressely from heauen to helpe thee Surely my flesh hath spoken as one of the foolish women speaketh hee that receiueth good at thy hand why not also euill Satan also hath endeuoured to surprize me with his sophistrie who can helpe vs better in time than hee that hath made both vs and time Behold O Lord thy seruant hath no sooner sighed in his heart but thou answerest hee hath no sooner made his request but thou grantest it hath no sooner prayed but thou lendest a gentle eare vnto it O Lord let my supplication bee answered as it was vnto Dauid the confession of my sinne answered in the remission thereof the paine of my bodie in health the affliction of my Spirit in consolation And 10. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed let them returne and be ashamed suddenly They haue said O Lord where is his God let them see thee they haue said in vaine prayeth he let them see me againe They haue troubled my spirit let them be troubled My flesh that hath tempted me let it blush for shame Satan who hath assaulted mee let him get him hence I O Lord will blesse thee who hast taken this bodie out of the graue I will praise thee for euer who hast deliuered my soule from death and saued mee by and through thy Sonne who was deliuered
whom he loued and Moses the beloued of God and man And Dauid a man according to GODS heart So Solomon called Iedidia i. the beloued of God yet if hee sinne God will chastise him as a Father his Son for God chastiseth vs to humble vs to make vs haue zeale and repentance to try our faith obedience patience hope as Iob Though thou kill me yet will I hope in thee and these afflictions yea armies of crosses God sendeth against his children to chastise them not to hurt them as Dauid sent his armie against Absolon Deale gently for my sake with the young man euen with Absolon He reproueth vs not in his fury but in his mercy according to our desire and sendeth vs these vipers of afflictions that we may shake them off as Paul did and make an antidote treackle against sinne and death for they are not vnto death as Christ said of Lazarus at least not vnto eternall death but Chariots to carry vs vp to Heauen for by afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Neither is this all for wee must goe forth vnto Christ out of the camp to beare reproaches crosses for Christ for Augustine saith if we remember the passion of Christ there is nothing so difficult but wee will patiently endure bearing according to his commandement his crosse after him And Simon Cyrenaeus exāple to carry Christs crosse for him first because he did beare the crosse and reproach yea died now if the head then much more the members if that was done to the green wood then much more to the dry wood the seruants condition ought not to be better thā the masters secondly because Christ did beare our reproach died for vs and therefore with Thomas let vs goe and die with him and for him thirdly because the reproches which we endure for Christ are not tearmed ours but his so Christ saith to Iames and Iohn Yee shall drinke of my cup. And Simon Cyrenaeus could not say I beare mine owne crosse but Christs crosse because he bare Christs crosse and for Christ And therefore S. Paul saith I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus and that in three respects First As a member of Christ for as the marke on the hand or forehead redounds not to that member but to all the members to the head yea to the whole person and that hand should not be branded but that it is the hand of such a person so the Christians branded and marked because the members of Christ Christ is branded marked whipped in their person Paul and Silas are they whipt in prison Christ is whipped in their person Christ though in heauen yet he said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Secondly As an Ambassadour for if the iniury offered to an Ambassadour redounds to the King who sends him so the dishonour offered by Hanun King of the Ammonites vnto the Ambassadours of King Dauid redounded vnto King Dauid and he reuenged himselfe on the Ammonites then the dishonour offered to Christs Ambassadours and Ministers redounds to Christ himselfe for who receiueth you receiueth mee who reiecteth you reiecteth mee who dishonoureth you dishonoureth me Thirdly As a Souldier for as a souldier who receiueth wounds and skarres in his Princes quarels or for his Countries sake dares say hee beares his Princes wounds the skarres of his Country so Paul beares the skarres and markes of Christ Iesus hee beares on him as Chrysostome saith the ensignes of honour hee is not ashamed of them but he shews them open to the whole world as Emperours that carrie openly their Coronets Diadems and precious ornaments and as souldiers chosen out of companies to vndertake some enter prize thinke themselues honoured though they vndergoe those dangers with the danger of their liues because they are preferred before the rest though there be no merit so the Apostles reioyced in that they were thought worthy to be whipped for Christ his sake and as a souldier is not ashamed to shew his wounds to the world So Sertorius hauing an eye lost in warre was not ashamed thereof but glorying in it said that others keepe in their houses their ensignes and other marks of victory but he carried thē in his body Yea as men yea noblemen thinke themselues honoured with the order of a King as for example the order of the Garter though in it selfe it is a matter of nought it is but a Garter yet because it is of a royall institution and a King hath made this order and held those Knights of that order to be his brethren and companions so though ignominies reproaches imprisonment chaines are vile and naught in its selfe and ignominious to the world yet are they honourable to the Saints Angels God because they are the order of Christ the crosse is his order the chaines are the order of Christs gates and therefore Moses himselfe did esteeme more of this order of the reproach of Christ than of all the riches of Aegypt And Tertullian said There is no nobler order of Chiualry nor no better and fairer colours than the chaines wherewith the Martyrs of Christ are chained and manacled with and there are not more precious bracelets than the manacles wherwith the hands are chained And it is said in the Ecclesiasticall History of an ancient Father Babylas the holy Bishop of Antioch who being detained in a filthy and villanous prison for the name of Christ wherein he died did request his friends that came to visite him that after his death they should bury with him his ornaments marks of his valour vnderstanding by thē the chaines wherwith his hands and feet were chained So our holy Martyrs in the time of Queene Marie did kisse the chaines and stakes wherewith they were cōsumed to ashes nay euen Kings haue much esteemed those skarres and those persons that haue suffered for the name of Christ as the Emperour Constantine who did kisse the holes of the eies and the skarres of those Bishops who had receiued those markes of the Arians for the maintenance of Christs deity And Chrysostome desired to see the dust of that body namely of the Apostle Paul that had borne the markes of the Lord Iesus By these markes and skarres are the faithfull Christian Martyrs knowne for these skarres as a consequent shall they triumph For as Arthur the Kings body being takē vp somewhat more than 600 yeeres after his death was knowne to be his by nothing so much as by the print of ten seuerall wounds which appeared in his skull and as Christ after his resurrection had his skarres and wounds whereby he was known so shall the faithfull bee knowne not hauing wounds or skarres for their body shall be glorious but notwithstanding knowne of God of Angels of Saints yea of their persecutors for they shall see them whō they haue pierced yea those persecutors that haue borne the marke of the Beast of Antichrist against Christ against his Gospell and others that
away our sins And comprehends himselfe Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because hee hath laid downe his life for vs. And S. Paul saith k 1 Tim. 1.15 16. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners feareth not to adde with the same certainty of whom I am chiefe for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter beleeue on him to life euerlasting The which he saith elsewhere l 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I haue committed vnto him against that day And it is that therefore properly which this great Apostle who did practise this knowledge in himselfe nameth to know Christ and himselfe crucified To know a thing is to know what it is it is to know it say the Schoolemen by its causes To know Christ crucified is to know that the eternall word the second person of the holy Trinity was made flesh in the fulnesse of time hath vndergone mans infirmities sinne excepted the reproach of the world in fine the death of the crosse But that sufficeth not hath vndergone I say all this by the eternall counsell of the Father with a voluntary obedience to redeeme mankinde sold vnder sinne lost in himselfe by himselfe to release the beleeuers those who imbrace him by a true faith from the paines of hell and make thē heires of life euerlasting Cerces this is a profound knowledge which comprehends all so that it is no meruaile that the Apostle will haue no other it is knowledge the knowledge of man yea the knowledge of God himselfe Hee that first among the Heathen said Know thy selfe was iudged the wisest most learned of all men And from thence the Philosophers haue propounded thousands of precepts Did they for all that goe further than to the skinne and the flesh did they teach them more than the cutting of the haire or paring of the nailes No truely therefore study thou me Christ crucified the eternall Sonne of God for man for his sinnes for thine owne sighing vnder the burden of sinne and of the curse and anger than followed it and crying to his Father in this agony Thou canst not chuse but enter from the contemplation of the horror of that death yea of his death into the consideration of the horror of sin yea of thy selfe so vile so enormous hainous that it could not ought not to be washed to be abolished but in and by the precious bloud of the Son of God A price infinite a crime therefore infinite man all crime And thence gathering thy spirits thou wilt descend into thy selfe consider thy selfe from top to toe from the body to the soule from the flesh to the spirit from sence to reason and consider the more nobler the parts the deeper the more mortall the wounds so that from this anatomy thou wilt be brought to acknowledge to protest with S. Paul that the whole vnderstanding the whole wisedome of the flesh of man considered in his nature is nought but death for m Rom. 8.7 the minding of the flesh that which in it seemeth to retaine most either of wholsomnesse or holinesse is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the law of God neither indeed can be consequently thou wilt detest thy peruerse nature contest against it In this contention thou wilt torment thy selfe and be discouraged yea and cry out n Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In a word thou wilt cast thy selfe groueling on the ground before the iustice of God to ery vnto him earnestly for mercy to vse violence to force him to it and then thanke him but I thanke God o Rom. 7.25 through Iesus Christ our Lord. And for what That p Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus A necessary Science which thou couldest not haue learned in any booke but this not in the booke of nature the knowledge thereof puffeth vp but doth not fill as little in the booke of Ethicke morality that doth but palliate thy euill and so giues remedies which eate for a while but heale nor But by this Art which thou learnest thou comprehendest all thou apprehendest in one sole Christ crucified before thine eyes In his wounds learning yea feeling thine owne in his wounds both taking and applying the remedy of thine According to that of the Prophet q Isa 53.4 5. We did esteeme him brutish world stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our iniquities he was brused for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was vpon him who makes atonement betweene God and vs giues peace to our consciences and with his stripes we are healed And therefore as hee giues vs here the root the bulke and body of this knowledge so elsewhere he shewes vs the branches r Rom. 7.18 20 23 I know that in mee that is in my body dwelleth no good thing euill present with me it dwelleth in me bringing me into captiuity to the law of sin which is in my members A knowledge deriued from the meditation of Christ crucified taken from the necessity whereby it forceth man to informe against himselfe from thence consequently to know and seeke the remedy thereof ſ Rom. 6.6 11. Wee know we that haue imbraced the crosse of Christ that our elde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth wee should not serue sinne that we should be displeased with it renounce it and our selues And therefore he saith Reckon yee also your selues to be dead indeed vnto sinne but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Corollaries and dependances of this first knowledge of Christ crucified for why was the Sonne of God crucified but for the sonnes of men Men sinners confected in sinne they themselues sinne Why such a remedy but for such a wound why descending from the highest heauens but to hale vs out of the bottomlesse pit Againe wee learne to know God better in Christ crucified than in all books than in whole nature Search narrowly and peruse diligently nature as Salomon did from the Cedar vnto the Hysope thou knowst nought r Rom. 1.20 but Gods greatnesse but his power yea examine fully all the parts of Philosophy thou knowest scarce his shadow On the contrary in this meditation thou entrest into his closet yea into his own nature There thou doest take notice to the full both of his infinite iustice and infinite mercy That in that he hates so much the euill sinne which is the true euill is so contrary to him that hee burnes it as the fire the stubble and because of it his creatures he cannot spare thē doth not abstaine from doing it But in as much as hee
saith he shall giue to drinke vnto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Wilt thou now therfore see if in good earnest thou hast learned Christ crucified repeat thy lesson examine thy selfe what wouldst thou iudge of a neighbour who being nothing beholding to thee should take thee out of prison preserue thee frō danger of death and that by the death of his onely Sonne how wouldest thou thinke thy selfe beholding to him or what wouldest thou not doe for him wouldest thou spare thy selfe God therefore to whom already thou owest what thou art by creation infinitely offended with thy rebellions since thou wert to redeeme thee from hell from eternall death giues his eternall Sonne to the ignominie of the Crosse for thee And behold how this comparison is without comparison betweene God and man the Creatour and the creature betweene him that is offended and him to whom nothing is owing between hell and prison eternall death and temporall the eternall Sonne of God and the sonne of an ordinary man what proportion betweene good and euill the infinite and the finite the eternall and the feeble all and nothing Notwithstanding art thou called to suffer for the Name of God for Christs quarrell thou refusest him the life which thou holdest of him which thou retainest by none but by him this life miserable man that thou art in exchange whereof he imparts vnto thee life euerlasting Naythou repinest to hazaro I know not what goods to lose the least of thy plesures cōmoduies which shouldst and euery day thou dost it for a friend seeke all occasions by them if thou couldst to testifie thy gratitude with the price of thy bloud redeemed with his bloud And dost thou know then that Christ hath been crucified for thee this knowledge hath it made no impression in thy soule no not in thy skinne that thou darest not auow it whereof thou hast either feare or shame And if thou knowest it art thou not the worse for it or to interpret it more mildly is it not true thou dost not know it that it is but a heare-say to thee But it may be this lesson is too high for thee Some man therefore hath redeemed thee from prison by his Sonne hath saued thee both frō the guilt and punishment If thou hast not the heart and courage to die for him at least surely thou shouldst haue the hart and desire to liue to doe him good Yea what is there that thou wouldest not doe euen for those that belong to him for the least of them if thou didst meet them And thou seest the brethren of Christ his owne members freeze with cold faint with hunger at thy doore And dost thou withdraw thy selfe from thy flesh and from his wilt not know them Art thou thy selfe then a member of Christ insensible of his paines and dost thou know Iesus crucified his loue towards thee that hast none towards his owne and canst thou number thy selfe amongst those of whom the Apostle speaketh ſ 2 Cor. 8.9 Yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though hee was rich yet for your sakes he became poore that ye through his pouerty might be rich who in thy riches sufferest his poore members to die therefore remember that which Saint Iohn saith t 1 Ioh. 3.14 He that loueth not his brother abideth in death And beleeue that thou dost not yet beleeue aright for how canst thou be passed from death to life or how canst thou say that u 1 Ioh. 4.20 thou louest God whō thou hast not seene that louest not thy brother whom thou hast seene And how canst thou know or rather haue studied Christ crucified without knowing there his infinite charitie towards thee without being inflamed towards him to be so towards him and yet cold towards his brethren It may be thou hast better practised this knowledge in thy selfe hast in Christ crucified considered the horrour of thy sinne hereafter to walke not after the flesh but after the spirit to put on daily the new man and to put off the old man to conclude to liue to Christ who is dead for thee no more to the world no more to thy selfe Yea but whilst thou disputest and talkest Christ crucified thou dost abandon prostitute thy selfe more and more to thy vnsatiable lusts thou dost pollute this thy holy confessiō w th disordered profused words coūtenance and actions yesterday in sin to day in scandal to day out of the termes of modesty and to morrow into those of impudencie So that the night that should adde knowledge vnto the night addes blasphemie and insolencie Know thou that thou art farre from knowing Christ crucified though thou beest learned And if thou hast knowne him thou hast forgot him looke to it lest he forget thee for the master of this knowledge saith Yee are x Rom. 7.4 become dead my brethren to the Law by the body of Christ that yee should bee married to another euen to him that is raised from the dead And wherefore that we should bring forth fruit vnto God that heretofore did bring forth fruit vnto death Neither is it enough to know y 1 Tim. 3.9 the mystery of faith wee must hold it in a pure conscience For z Luk. 11.28 blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And therefore let vs boast neuer so much of this knowledge a Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him that raised Iesus from the dead saith the Apostle dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you He will be but a bad earnest though he dwell there though hee haue chose his mansion if we take pleasure to grieue him by our disorders And againe b Rom. 8.13 If you liue after the flesh yee shall die but if ye through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall liue If on the other side we quench the spirit or drowne it in our pollutions the Apostle tels vs as he did the Ephesians c Ephes 4.20 21 22. Yee haue not so learned Christ if so be that yee haue heard him and haue beene taught by him as the truth is in Iesus that ye put off concerning the former conuersation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts But you are of the number of those d Ibi. v. 19. who being past feeling of paine of sinne giue themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse To know therefore Christ in this manner yea crucified will it not turne to our condemnation who take pleasure to crucifie him Therefore let vs not think that the Apostle said little when hee determined not to know any thing among the faithfull saue Iesus Christ and him crucified To know
and died for our offences and was raised againe for our iustification Amen A MEDITATION on PROVERBS 3.11 12. My Sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction For whom the Lord loueth he correcteth euen as a father the sonne in whom he delighteth OVerwhelmed with griefe in my flesh oppressed with astonishment in my spirit with sorrow in my soule in danger to yeeld my selfe vnto the words of the vnaduised who vpon the redoubling of such rude blowes did murmure about me Where is now his God that God whom he did call vpon so oft my selfe to mutter between my teeth where are indeed those infinite bounties And wherefore hast thou sued mee as an aduersary hast made me a But to thy most rough arrowes I heare the wise man mildly saying My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction For whom the Lord loueth hee correcteth euen as a father the sonne in whom hee delighteth At this word I breathe a little and come by little little to my selfe this word as good strong Vinegar comforts my spirits restores my pulse brings me out of sounding restores life to my soule one drop of this soure sweet liquor on my tongue baked with griefe refresheth it changeth its blacknesse yea its language Why then began I to say to my soule this despaire will it change into hope From a Iudge O Lord whom I did dread thee and an angry Iudge shal I feele thee as a Father a louing Father shall it be then true that these rude chastisements are to mee signes of thy loue seales of mine adoption the earnest of my saluation and first-fruits of thy grace Therefore will I hold this liquor in my palate gargarise my mouth therewith that it may penetrate my heart go to the bottome of my soule for when men are afflicted it is from Gods hand in this hand will he be heard with this hand he speaketh And these afflictions are chastisements to his owne though punishments to others with the same hand he doth afflict them and heale them with the same rod he beats them downe and raiseth them vp beats downe the flesh raiseth the soule If you behold the wound its opening and the bloud he drawes from vs he seemes not much differing from an enemy if his soft hand if his tender affection if his wholesome intention seeing hee is thy Creator thy Redeemer how much doth he exceed any Surgeon be he neuer so much thy friend yea any father whatsoeuer And it is alwaies a great point for vs to consider that our afflictions come from God make a part of his prouidence For to omit that the creature ought to yeeld to the whole and soueraigne power of the Creator we doe yeeld so much to the power of a Prince and that without reply All-wise and iust that he is can he doe any thing either without reason or without iustice and are they not therefore either trials of our faith or chastisements of our sins yea all good that he is a louer of his creature can he doe ought but in goodnes in mercy which surpasseth all his works to the edificatiō therefore of his Church to our owne saluation for our profit saith the Apostle a Heb. 12.10 that we may be made partakers of his holinesse wee may profit in holinesse we may walke from faith to faith from obedience to obedience My son then saith the wise man despise not the chastening of the Lord. The wise man wise from elsewhere than from flesh and bloud inspired truly from God in this matter who teacheth vs here as his children and seeing that he is inspired from God God by his mouth teacheth vs as children of God Despise not saith he and who can despise this discipline as well may he ward his thunderbolts Who can be exempted from them decline his iurisdiction or eschew his censure It is therefore as much as if hee should say vndergoe it willingly take it in good part suppose it to be a lesson which he giues thee in his Schoole The slaue flies before his Master who feares more the scourge than his anger Doe not thou doe so childe that thou art feare more his anger than his rod feare more thy sin the cause of his anger than his anger it selfe But if he sheweth thee his rod humble thy selfe kisse it yea adore it A dore in thy God his benignity who daignes to visit thee whether in chastisement or in triall alwaies finds in thee too much matter of chastisement Tell him with Dauid b Psal 23.4 Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me If he strike thee if hee cast a stone at thee he is thy shepheard thou wentst astray he sets thee in the way and therefore the wise man calls it discipline not punishment Discipline because by these afflictions hee keepes thee to schoole hee conformes thy motiōs thy actions to his holy word A discipline surely in his intention how rough soeuer it seemeth to thee because it tends wholly to thy instruction not to thy destruction A discipline also on thy part in its effect if thou takest well thy chastisement doest amend and returne more and more vnto him Take it therefore in good part husband it well for he addeth neither be weary of his correction Not onely despise it not but vndergoe it not for once but often if he redouble if he return often to it be not weary of it But truly who is not weary of the mildest reprehensions of his best friends and whose eares and head are not broken therewith Why then when God redoubleth his blowes on men and that with so heauie a hand who can subsist I but attend with patience and be not weary thereof Certes we haue the same reason both to suffer this chastisement to perseuere in this patience if we consider that it is God who continues it all iust all wise he doth it for our good who is all goodnesse all mercy And seeing we doe not complaine of the Physitian who purgeth vs at seuerall times nor of the Surgion who searcheth the wound and that oftē in a day though it be neuer without paine yea smarting paine when God dresseth our sinne an obstinate euill a mortall plague cleauing to our spirits yea to our marrow shall wee complaine if hee resumes the Launcer presseth the venome out applies at diuers times the searing iron or the cautere according as the vlcer threatens an issue or that the humour inciteth it selfe against the cataplasme according as we are and he knoweth vs redoubleth his visitation either with the Launcet or the Dose Be not therefore weary when the Lord doth correct thee why then what shall wee doe accustome our selues to Gods rod become lumpish or vnsensible But on the contrary God will haue thee to feele him to vnderstand him feele his blowes know the cause thereof feele thy selfe by them and woe vnto him that rouseth