bee cut downe like grasse and shall wither as the greene hearbe Psal. 37.1 2. This doth excellently appeare in that remarkable example of Samaria besieged by Benhadad and his Host 2 Kings 7.6 7. And thus are they to bee contemned and pittied while they live and when they dye 3 After death the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation saith Peter to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished 2 Peter 2.9 Vpon this consideration when Dionysius the Tyrant had plotted the death of his Master Plato and was defeated by Platos escape out of his Dominions when the Tyrant desired him in writing not to speake evill of him the Philosopher replied That he had not so much idle time as once to thinke of him knowing there was a just God would one day call him to a reckoning The Moone lookes never the paler when Wolves houle against it neither is she the slower in her motion howbeit some Sheepherd or Lion may watch them a good turne 4 And lastly if we consider our owne future estate we have no lesse cause to contemne their evill words for it is not materiall to our well or ill being what censures passe upon us the tongues of the living availe nothing to the good or hurt of those that lye in their graves they can neither diminish their joy nor yet adde to their torment if they find any there is no Common Law in the new Ierusalem their truth will be received though either plaintiffe or defendant speakes it Nay suppose they should turne their words into blowes and instead of using their tongues take up their swords and kill us they shall rather pleasure than hurt us When Iohn Baptist was delivered from a double prison of his owne of Herods and placed in the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God what did he lose by it His head was taken off that it might be crowned with glory he had no ill bargaine of it they did but hasten him to immortality and the Churches daily prayer is Come Lord Iesus come quickly Yea what said blessed Bradford In Christs cause to suffer death is the way to Heaven on horseback which hath made some even slight the sentence of death and make nothing of it It is recorded of one Martyr that hearing the sentence of his condemnation read wherein was exprest many severall tortures of starving killing boyling burning and the like which he should suffer he turnes to the people and with a smiling countenance sayes And all this is but one death and each Christian may say of what kinde soever his sufferings be The sooner I get home the sooner I shall be at ease CHAP. 25. That their expectation may not be answered 3 BEcause he will not answer his enemies expectation in which kind he is revenged of his enemy even while he refuseth to revenge himselfe For as there is no such griefe to a Iester or Iugler as when he doth see that with all his jests tricks and fooleries he cannot move mirth nor change the countenances of them that see and heare him so there can be no greater vexation to a wicked and malitious enemy then to see thee no whit grieved nor moved at his malice against thee but that thou dost so beare his injuries as if they were none at all Yea he which makes the triall shall finde that his enemy is more vexed with his silence than if he should returne like for like Dion of Alexandria was wont to take this revenge of his enemies amongst whom there was one who perceiving that by injuring and reviling of him he could not move him to impatience whereby he might have more scope to raile went and made away with himselfe as Brusonius reports And Mountaine tels us of a Citizen that having a Scould to his Wife would play on his Drum when shee brawled and rather seeme to be pleased with it than angry and this for the present did so mad her that she was more vexed with her selfe than with him but when she saw how it succeeded and that this would not prevaile in the end it made her quite leave off the same and prove a loving wife that so she might overcome him with kindnesse and win him to her bow by bending as much the other way that so like a prudent Wife she might command her Husband by obeying And whosoever makes the triall shall finde that Christian patience and magnanimous contempt will in time either draine the gall out of bitter spirits or make it more overflow to their owne disgrace so that the best answer is either silence or laughter or if neither of these will do a Cudgell The best answer to words of scorne and petulancy saith learned Hooker is Isaac's Apologie to his brother Ismael the Apologie which patience and silence make no Apologie and we have our Saviours president for it for when false witnesses rose up and accused him falsely before the Priests Scribes and Elders it is said that Iesus held his peace that infinite wisdome knew well how little satisfaction there would be in answers where the Sentence was determined where the Asker is unworthy the Question captious words bootlesse the best answer is silence Let our Answer then to their Reasons be No to their scoffes nothing And yet when the slanders which light on our persons rebound to the discredit of our profession it behoveth us not to be silent in answering truly when as our adversaries are eloquent in objecting falsely an indignity which only toucheth our private persons may be dissembled as Austine replied to Petillian Possumus esse in his copiosi pariter sed nolumus esse pariter vani But in the other case the retorting of a poisoned weapon into the adversaries owne breast is laudable It is the weaknesse of some good natures the more is the pitty to grieve and to be angry at wrongs received and thereby to give advantage to an enemy But what would malice rather have then the vexation of them whom it persecutes We cannot better please an adversary than by hurting our selves and this is no other than to humour envie to serve the turne of those that maligne us and to draw on that malice whereof we are already weary whereas carelessenesse puts ill wil out of countenance and makes it withdraw it self in a rage as that which doth but shame the Author without hurt of the Patient In a causelesse wrong the best remedy is contempt of the Author CHAP. 26. Because it is for our credit to be evill spoken of by them and would be a disparagement to have their good word â— Reasons joyntly respecting our selves and our enemies are two 1 Because it Were a disparagement to have their good word 2 Because it Is the greatest praise to be dispraised of them 1 Because it were a great disparagement unto the godly if they should have the good word and approbation of wicked men 2 Secondly because it is the greatest
suffer tribulation and anguish and persecution and famine and nakednesse perill sword c. bee killed all the day long and counted as Shâ—epe for the slaughter hee concludeth with Neverthelesse in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us and so goeth on even to challenge of our worst enemies Death Angels Principalities Powers things present and to come heighth depth and what other creature besides should stand in opposition What voluminous waves be here for number and power and terrour yet they shall not separate the Arke from Christ nor a soule from the Arke nor a body from the soule nor an haire from the body to do us hurt What saith David Marke the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace Psa. 37.37 Marke him in his setting out he hath many oppositions marke him in the journey he is full of tribulations but marke him in the conclusion and the end of that man is peace In Christ al things are ours 1 Cor. 3.22 How is that Why we have all things because we have the haver of all things And if we love Christ all things work together for our good yea for the best Rom. 8.28 And if all things quoth Luther then even sinne it selfe And indeed how many have wee knowne the better for their sin That Magdalen had never loved so much if she had not so much sinned had not the incestuous person sinned so notoriously he had never beene so happy God tooke the advantage of his humiliation for his conversion Had not one foot slipt into the mouth of hell he had never been in this forwardnesse to Heaven sinne first wrought sorrow saith S. Austine and now godly sorrow kils sin the daughter destroyes the mother neither do our owne sinnes onely advantage us but other mens sinnes worke for our good also If Arius had not held a Trinity of Substances with a Trinity of Persons and Sabellius an Vnity of Persons with an Vnity of Essences the Mysteries of the Trinity had not beene so cleerely explained by those great lights of the Church We may say here as Augustine doth of Carthage and Rome If some enemies had not contested against the Church it might have gone worse with the Church Lastly suppose our enemies should kill us they shall not hurt but pleasure us yea even death it selfe shall worke our good That Red Sea shall put us over to the Land of Promise and we shall say to the praise of God wee are delivered wee are the better for our enemies the better for our sinnes the better for death yea better for the devill and to thinke otherwise even for the present were not only to derogate from the wisdome power and goodnesse of God but it would bee against reason for in reason if he have vouchsafed us that great mercy to make us his own he hath given the whole army of afflictions a more inviolable charge concerning us than David gave his Host concerning Absalom See ye doe the young man my sonne Absalom no harme Now if for the present thou lackest faith patience wisdome and true judgement how to beare and make this gaine of the crosse Aske it of God who giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and and it shall be given thee Iames 1.5 For every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the Father of lights Verse 17. CHAP. 34. That though God disposeth of all their malice to his childrens greater good yet they shall bee rewarded according to their mischievous intentions Ob. IF it be so that the malice of wicked men makes so much for the behoofe of Gods people and that whatsoever they do unto us is but the execution of Gods will and full accomplishment of his just decree it may seeme to make on their side and not only extenuate their evill but give them occasion of boasting Ans. Although God disposeth it to the good of his children that hee may bring about all things to make for his owne glory yet they intend only evil in it as namely the dishonour of God the ruine of mens soules as I shall easily prove when I come to shew what is the final cause or end of their temptations and persecutions and the satisfying of their own serpentine enmity thirst of revenge We must therefore learne to distinguish betwixt the act of God and of an enemy as indeed Gods people do When ye thought evill against me saith Ioseph to his brethren God disposed it to good that he might bring to passe as it is this day and save much people alive Gen. 50.20 Yea the holy God challengeth to himselfe whatsoever is done in the City Amos 3.6 but so as neither wicked mens sins shal taint him nor his decree justifie them the sinne is their own the good which comes of it is Gods the benefit ours God wils the same action as it is a blessing tryall or chastisement of his children which he hates as the wickednesse of the agent The lewd tongue hand or heart moves from God it moves lewdly from Sathan wicked men are never the freer from guilt and punishment for that hand which the holy God hath in their offensive actions To instance in one example or two Satan did nought touching Iob but what the Lord upon his request gave him leave to do what then Did God and Belial joyne in fulfilling the same act No sooner shall Stygian darknesse blend with light the frost with fire day with night true God Satan will'd the selfesame thing but God intended good Satan ill Satan aimed at Iobs and God at his confusion God used the malice of Pharaoh and Shemei unto Good what then God afflicted his people with another minde than Pharaoh did God to increase them Pharaoh to suppresse them The sinne of Shemeis curse was his owne the smart of the curse was Gods God wils that as Davids chastisement which he hates as Shimeis wickednesse The curse of the Serpent bestowed blessednesse on Man yea our first parents had beene lesse glorious if they had not wanted a Saviour What then Doth Satan merit thanks No but the contrary for he only intended the finall ruine and destruction of them and all mankinde with the dishonour of their Maker Lastly the Devill does us good in this particular case for while he assaults us with temptations and afflicts us with crosses he in effect helps us to Crownes Yet still no thankes to Satan for to be charitable is more than his meaning it is that divine over-ruling providence of God which we are beholding unto and to him give we the thankes Alas there is nothing in the world bee it gall it selfe yea the excrement of a Dog or the poyson of a Serpent but mans shallow invention can finde it is good for something neither doe two contrary poysons mingled together prove mortall how much more is God able to worke good by evill
allay our joyes that their fruition hurt us not he knowes that as it is with the body touching meats the greater plenty the lesse dainty and too long forbearance causes a Surfet when we come to full food So it fares with the minde touching worldly contentments therefore he feeds us not with the dish but with the spoone and will have us neither cloyed nor famished In this life Mercy and misery griefe and Grace Good and bad are blended one with the other because if we should have nothing but comfort Earth would be thought Heaven besides if Christ tide lasted all the yeare what would become of Lent If every day were Good-friday the world would be weary of Fasting Secundus cals death a sleepe eternall the wicked mans feare the godly mans wish Where the conscience is cleere death is looked for without feare yea desired with delight accepted with devotion why it is but the cessation of trouble the extinction of sin the deliverance from enemies a rescue from Satan the quiet rest of the body and infranchizement of the soule The Woman great with childe is ever musing upon the the time of her delivery and hath not he the like cause when Death is his Bridge from wo to glory Though it be the wicked mans shipwrack 't is the good mans putting into harbour And hereupon finding himselfe hated persecuted afflicted and tormented by enemies of all sorts he becomes as willing to die as dine And indeed what shouldst thou doe in case thou seest that the world runs not on thy side but give over the world and be on Gods side Let us care little for the world that cares so little for us let us crosse â—aile and turne another way let us go forth therefore out of the Campe bearing his reproach for we have no continuing Citie but we seek one to come Heb. 13.13 14. CHAP. 8. That it keepes them alwayes prepared to the spirituall combate 5 FIfthly the Lord permitteth them often to afflict and assaile us to the end we may be alwayes prepared for tribulation as wise Mariners in a calme make all their tacklings sure and strong that they may be provided against the next storme which they cannot look to be long without Or as experienced Souldiers in time of peace prepaire against the day of battell and so much the rather when they look every day for the approach of the enemy We are oft times set upon to the end that we may continually buckle unto us the whole Armor of God prescribed by Paul Ephes. 6.13 to 19. That we may be alwayes ready for the battell by walking circumspectly not as fooles but as wise Eph. 5.15 Therefore redeeming the time because the dayes are evill Vers. 16. For as those that have no enemies to incounter them cast their Armour 〈◊〉 and let it 〈◊〉 because they are secure from danger but when their enemies are at hand and sound the Alarum they both wake and sleep in their armour because they would be ready for the assault So if we were not often in skirmish with our enemies we should â—ay aside our spirituall armour but when we have continuall use of it we still keepe it fast buckled unto us that being armed at all points we may be able to make resistance that we be not surprized at unawares Sampson could not be bound till he was first got asleepe Wouldst thou not be overcome be not secure Seneca reports of Caesar that he did quickly sheath the sword but hee never laid it off The sight of a weapon discourageth a Theefe While we keepe our Iavelins in our hands we escape many assaults So that a Christians resolution should be like King Alfreds Si modò victor eras ad crastina bella pavebas Si modo victus eras ad crastina bella parabas If wee conquer to day let us feare the skirmish to morrow If we be overcome to day let us hope to get the victory to morrow An assaulted City must keepe a carefull watch yea the provident Fenman mends his bankes in Summer least his ground be drowned in winter And we must so take our leaves of all afflictions that we reserve a lodging for them and expect their returne CHAP. 9. How it discovers whether we bee true beleevers or hypocrites 6 SIxthly that we may experimentally know our selves and be knowne of others whether we be true beleevers or hypocrites There must be differences among you saith Saint Paul that the approved may bee knowne 1 Cor. 11.19 For as Thrashing separates the straw and Wynowing the chaffe from the Corne So persecution separates the hypocrite from the company of beleevers Luke 22.31 None but a regenerate heart can choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin An easie importunity will perswade Orpah to returne from a Mother in law to a Mother in nature from a toylesome journey to rest from strangers to her kindred from a hopelesse condition to likelihoods of contentment A little intreaty will serve to move nature to be good to it selfe to persist in actions of goodnesse though tyranny torment death and hell stood in our way this is that conquest which shall be crowned with glory Gold and Silver are tryed in the fyer men in the furnace of adversity As the furnace proveth the Potters Vessell so doe temptations try mens thoughts Eccles. 27.5 Behold saith the Angell to the Church of Smyrna it shall come to passe that the Divell shall cast some of you into Prison that you may be tryed Revel 2.10 This Child saith old Simeon meaning Christ is appoynted for a signe to be spoken against that the thoughts of many hearts may be opened Luke 2.34 35. O how wicked men manifest their hatred and enmity against God and his people so soone as Persecution ariseth because of the Word yea by it the malice of Sathan and the world are better knowne and avoyded But to come more punctually to the poynt Affliction tryeth whether a man hath grace in his heart or no Set an empty Pitcher the resemblance of a wicked man to the fier it crackes presently whereas the full which resembles the Child of God will abide boyling Gold imbroidered upon Silke if cast into the fire looseth his fashâ—on but not his waight Copper loseth his fashion and waight also Magistracy and misery will soone shew what manner of men we be either will declare us better or worse then we seemed Indeed Prosperity saith one best discovers vice but Adversity doth best discover Vertue Plato being demanded how he knew a wise man answered When being râ—buked he would not be angry and being praised he would not be proud Wicked men grow worse after afflictions as water growes more cold after a heat Nature is like Glasse bright but brittle The resolved Christian like Gold which if we rub it or beate it or melt it it will endure the teste the touch the hammer and still shine more
of his substance rob him of his Children punish him in his body Yet marke but the Sequell well and you shall find that he was crost with a blessing As the Physitian in making of Triacle or Mithridate for his Patient useth Serpents Adders and such like poyson that he may drive out one poyson with another Even so our spirituall Physitian is pleased to use the malice of Sathan and wicked men when he tempereth to us the Cup of affliction that hereby he may expell one evilâ— with another Yea two evills with one namely the evill of sin and the evill of punishment and that both temporall and eternall He suffers us to be afflicted because he will not suffer us to be damned such is the goodnesse of our heavenly Father to us that even his anger proceeds from mercy he scourgeth the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.5 Yea Ioseph was therefore abased in the dungeon that his advancement might be the greater It s true in our thoughts we often speake for the flesh as Abraham did for Ismael O that Ismael might live in thy sight no God takes away Ismael and gives Isaac he withdrawes the pleasure of the flesh gives delight to the soule The man sick of a burning feaver cries to his Physitian for drinke he pities him but does not satisfie him he gives him proper physick but not drink A man is sick of a Plurisie the Physitian lets him bloud he is content with it the arme shall smart to ease the heart The covetous man hath a plurisie of riches Gâ—d le ts him bloud by poverty let him be patient it is a course to save his soule So if God scourge us any way so we bleed not or till we bleed so we faint not or till we even faint so we perish not let us be comforted for if the Lord prune his Vine he meanes not to root it up if he minister physick to our soules it is because he would not have us dye in our sins all is for salvation What if Noah were pent up in the Arke so long as he was safe in it what if it were his prison so long as it was his Fort also against the waters I might illustrate the point and make it plaine by sundry and divers comparisons We know one naile drives out another one heat another one cold another yea out of admirable experience I can witnesse it that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy under Heaven for a cold in the head or an accustomed tendernesse as a frequent bathing of it in cold water I can justly say I am twenty yeeres the younger for it Yea one sorrow drives out another one passion another one rumour is expelled by another and though for the most part contraries are cured by contraries yet not seldome will Physitians stop a Lask with a Purge they will bleed a Patient in the Arme to stop a worse bleeding at Nose Againe in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague that they may cure him of a more dangerous disease Even so deales God with us he often punisheth the worser part of man saith S. Ierome That is the body state or name that the better part to wit the soule may be saved in the day of judgement Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soule than medicines are for the body many a man had beene undone by prosperity if they had not beene undone by adversity they had perished in their soules if they had not perished in their bodies estates or good-names It s probable Naamans soule had never beene cleansed if his body had not beene leaprous and though affliction be hard of digestion to the naturall man yet the experienced Christian knowes that it is good for the soule that the body is sometime sick and therefore to have his inward man cured he is content his outward man should be diseased and cares not so the sins of his soule may be lesâ—ened though the soares of his flesh be increased And why is it not so with thee I hope thou desirest thy soules safety above all and thou knowest the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours Of what kinde â—oever thy sufferings be it is doubtlesse the fittest for thy soules recovery or else God the onely wise Physitian would not appoint it Now who would not be willing to bleed when by that meanes an inveterate sicknesse may be prevented Yea it is a happy bloud-letting which saves the life which makes S. Austine say unto God Let my body be crucified or burnt or doe with it what thou wilt so thou save my soule And another let me swim a River of boyling brimstone to live eternally happy rather than dwell in a Paradise of pleasure to be damned after death CHAP. 11. That it makes them humble 8 EIghthly that we may have an humble conceipt of our selves and wholly depend upon God We received the sentence of death in our selves saith the Apostle because we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth us up from the dead 2 Cor. 1.9 When Babes are afraid they cast themselves into the armes and bosome of their mother I thought in my prosperity saith David I shall never be moved But thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Then turned I unto thee c. Psal. 30.6 7 8. When a stubborne Delinquent being committed was no whit mollified with his durance but grew more perverse than he was before one of the Senators said to the rest Let us forget him a while and then he will remember himselfe the Heart is so hot of it selfe that if it had not the Lungs as Fannes to blow wind upon it and kindly moisture to coole it it would soone perish with the owne heat and yet when that moisture growes too redundant it againe drownes the Heart Who so nourisheth his servant daintily from his childhood shall after finde him stubborne We see then there is danger in being without dangers and what saith S. Paul Lest I should be exalted out of measure there was given unto me the Messenger of Satan to buffet me 2 Cor. 12.7 Our adversaries as well as our sins are Messengers sent from Satan to buffet us and the best minds troubled yeeld inconsiderate motions As water violently stirred sends up bubbles so the vanities of our hearts and our most secret and hidden corruptions as dregs in a glasse shew themselves when shaken by an injury though they lay hid before And so the pride of man is beaten downe as Iob speaks Iob 33.17 The sharpe water of affliction quickens our spirituall sight So proud are we by nature that before we come to the triall we think that we can repell the strongest assault and overcome all enemies by our owne power but when we feele our selves vanquished and foiled by every small temptation
gracious and well-tried faith that can hold out with confidence to the last The Lion seemes to leave her young-ones till they have almost kill'd themselves with roaring and howling but at last gaspe she relieves them whereby they become the more couragious When the Prophet could say Out of the depths have I cried unto thee instantly followes and not till then the Lord heard me the Lord saw◠him sinking all the while yet lets him alone till he was at the bottome Every maine affliction is our Red-sea which whiles it threats to swallow preserves us now when it comes to a dead lift as we say then to have a strong confidence in God is thankworthy Hope in a state hopelesse and love to God under signes of his displeasure heavenly mindednesse in the midst of worldly affaires allurements drawing a contrary way is the chiefe praise of faith to love that God who crosseth us to kisse that hand which strikes us to trust in that power which kils us this is the honourable proofe of a Christian this argues faith indeed What made our Saviour say to that Woman of Canaan O Woman great is thy faith but this when neither his silence nor his flat deniall could silence her Matth. 15. It is not enough to say God is good to Israel when Israel is in peace and prosperity and neither feeles nor wants any thing but God will have us beleeve that he is good even when we feele the smart of the rod and at the same time see our enemies the wicked prosper It best pleaseth him when we can say boldly with Iob Though hee kill me yet will I trust in him When our enemies are behind us and the Red-Sea before us then confidently to trust upon God is much worth When we are in the barren wildernesse almost famished then to beleeve that God will provide Manna from Heaven and water out of the Rock is glorious when with the three Children we see nothing before us but a fiery Fornace to beleeve that God will send his Angell to be our deliverer this is heroicall Dan. 3.28 And those which are acquainted with the proceedings of God well know that cherishing ever follow stripes as Cordials do vehement evacuations and the cleere light of the morning a darke night yea if we can looke beyond the cloud of our afflictions and see the sunshine of comfort on the other side of it We cannot be so discouraged with the presence of evill as hartned with the islue Cheere up then thou drooping soule and trust in God what ever thy sufferings be God is no tyrant to give thee more than thy loade and admit he stay long yet be thou fully assured he will come at length In thee doe I trust saith the Psalmist all the day He knew that if hee came not in the Morning hee would come at Noone if hee came not at Noone hee would come at Night At one houre of the day or other hee will deliver me and then as the Calme is greater after the Tempest then it was before so my joy shall be sweeter afterwards then it was before The remembrance of Babylon wil make us sing more joyfull in Sion If then I find the Lords dealing with mee to transcend my thoughts my faith shall be above my reason and thinke he will worke good out of it though I yet conceive not how CHAP. 14. That it increaseth their joy and thankefulnesse 11 BEcause our manifold sufferings and Gods often delivering us doth increase our joy and thankfulnesse yea make after-blessings more sweet By this we have new Songes put into our mouthes and new occasions offered to praise the Author of our deliverance When the Lord brought againe the Captivity of Sion saith David in the person of Israel wee were like them that dreame meaning the happinesse seemed too good to be true Then was our mouthes filled with laughter saith he and our tongues with joy The Lord hath done great things for us wherof we rejoyce Psal. 126.1 2 3 4. And how could their case bee otherwise when in that miserable exigent Exod. 14. they saw the Pillar remove behind them and the Sea remove before them they looking for nothing but death Is any one afflicted I may say unto him as that harbinger answered a Noble man complaining that he was lodged in so homely a roome you will take pleasure in it when you are out of it For the more greivous our exigent the more glorious our advancement A desire accomplished delighteth the soule Prov. 13.19 We reade how that lamentable and sad decree of Ahasuerus through the goodnesse of God was an occasion exceedingly to increase the Iewes joy and thankfulnesse insomuch that as the Text sayth the dayes that were appointed for their death and ruine were turned into dayes of feasting and joy and wherein they sent presents every man to his neighbour and guifts to the poore Ester 9.17.22 to 28. And this joy and thankefulnesse was so lasting that the Iewes cease not to celebrate the same to this day Gods dealing with us is often harsh in the beginning hard in the proceeding but the cōclusion is alwayes comfortable The joy of Peter and the rest of the Church was greater after he was delivered out of Prison by the Angell Act. 12. And the joy of Iudith and the rest of Bethulia when she returned with Holofernes head then if they never had been in distresse Iudith 13. The Lord depreives us of good things for a time because they never appeare in their full beauty till they turne their backs and be going away Againe he defers his ayde on purpose to increase our desires before it comes and our joy when it is come to inflame our desires for things easily come by are little set by to increase our joy for that which hath been long detayned is at last more sweetly obtained but suddenly gotten suddenly forgotten Abrahams Child at seventy yeares was more welcome then if he had beene given at thirty And the same Isaac had not been so precious to him if he had not been as miraculously restored as given his recovery from death made him more acceptable The benefit that comes soone and with ease is easily contemned long and eager pursuite endeeres any favour The Wise men rejoyced exceedingly to find the Starre The Woman to find her peece of silver the Virgin Mary to find her and our IESUS CHRIST alwaies returnes with incrase of joy yea the LORD keepes us fasting on purpose that our tryall may be perfect our deliverance wellcome our recompence glorious Yea the delivering of some increaseth the joy of others and causeth them to praise God for and rejoyce in their behalfe that are delivered Acts 12.14 We never know the worth of a benefit so well as by the want of it want teacheth us the worth of things most truly O how sweet a thing is peace to them that have been long troubled with wars and tedious contentions How sweet is
were the way royall to correct a wrong And certainly he injoyes a brave composednes that seats himselfe above the flight of the injurious claw Agathocles Antigonus and Caesar being great Potentates were as little moved at vulgar wrongs as a Lion at the barking of Curres and who so truly noble as he that can doe ill and will not You 'l confesse then 't is Princely to disdaine a wrong and is that all No forgivenesse saith Seneca is a valiant kind of revenge and none are so frequent in pardoning as the couragious He that is modestly valiant stirs not till he must needs and then to purpose who more valiant than Ioshua and he held it the noblest victory to overcome evill with good for the Gibeonites tooke not so much paines in comming to deceive him as he in going to deliver them And Cicero more commends Caesar for overcomming his owne courage in pardoning Marcellus than for the great victories hee had against his other enemies Yea a dominion over ones selfe is greater than the Grand Signiory of Turkie And indeed for a man to overcome an enemy and be overcome by his owne passions is to conquer a petty Village with the losse of a large City Yea if the price or honour of the conquest is rated by the difficulty then to suppresse anger in thy selfe is to conquer with Hercules one of the Furies To tame all passions is to leade Cerberus in chaines and to indure afflictions and persecutions strongly and patiently is with Atlas to beare the whole world on thy shoulders as saith the Poet. Every Beast and Vermine can kill it is true prowes and honour to give life and preserve it Yea a Beast being â—narl'd at by a Cur will passe by as scorning to take notice thereof I but is it wisdome so to doe Yes none more wise than Salomon and he is of opinion That it is the glory of a man to passe by an offence Pro. 19.11 We fooles thinke it ignominy and cowardise to put up the lye without a stab a wrong without a challenge but Salomon to whose wisdome all wise men will subscribe was of another judgement And Pittacus the Philosopher holds That pardon is better than revenge inasmuch as the one is proper to the spirit the other to a cruell Beast How Socrates whom the Oracle of Apollo pronounced the wisest man alive and all the rest of Philosophers approved of it both by judgement and practice We shall have occasion to relate in the reasons ensuing No truer note of a wise man than this he so loves as if he were to bee an enemy and so hates as if he were to love againe as with fire the light stuffe and rubbish kindles sooner than the solid and more compact se anger doth sooner inflame a foole than a man composed in his resolutions This the Holy Ghost witnesseth Eccles. 7.9 Bee not thou of a hasty spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles Some have no patience to beare bitter scoffes their noses are too tender to indure this strong and bitter Wormewood of the braine Others againe like tyled houses can admit a falling sparke unwarmed it may be coales of Juniper without any danger of burning Now what makes the difference the one hath a good head-peece and is more solid the other are covered with such light drie straw that with the least touch they will kindle and flame about your troubled eares and when the house is on fire it 's no disputing with how small a matter it came I confesse I finde some wise men extremely passionate by nature as there is no generall rule but admits of some exceptionÌ„s and these as they are more taken with a joy so they taste a discontent more heavily And others againe none of the wisest who are free from being affected and as they never joy excessively so they never sorrow inordinately but have together lesse mirth and lesse mourning like patient Gamesters winning and losing are all one But for the most part it is otherwise Yea impatience is the Cousin German to frenzie How oft have we heard men that have beene displeased with others teare the name of their Maker in peeces And lastly this of all others is the most divine and Christian like revenge witnesse our Saviour Christ who even then triumphed over his enemies when most they seemed to triumph over him Col. 2.15 And the Martyrs who are said by the Holy Ghost to overcome the great Dragon that old Serpent called the Devill and Sathan in that they loved not their lives unto the death Revel 12.11 And holy David who when he had Saul at his mercy instead of cutting off his head as his servants perswaded him only cut off the â—â—p of his Garment and after thought that too much also And at another time when the Lord had closed him into his hands finding him asleep in the Fort instead of taking away his life as Abishai councelled him he tooke away his Speare and instead of taking away his blood from his heart he takes a pot of water from his head That this kinde of revenge for a man to finde his enemy at an advantage and let him depart free is generous and noble beyond the capacity of an ordinary man you may heare Saul himselfe confesse 1 Sam. 24.17 to 23. Againe when the King of Syria sent a mighty Host to take Elisha and the Lord had smote them all with blindnesse and shut them into Samaria what doth the Prophet Slay them no. Indeed the King of Israel would faine have had it so his fingers itcht to be doing but Elisha commanded bread and water to be set before them that they might eat and drink and go to their Master 2 King 6.22 So we see the cudgell is not of use when the Beast but only barkes nay tell me how wouldst thou endure wounds for thy Saviour that canst not indure words for him if when a man reviles thee thou art impatient how wouldst thou afford thy ashes to Christ and write patience with thine owne blood CHAP. 19. That sâ—ffering is the only way to prevent suffering 3 BEcause suffering is the only way to prevent suffering Revenge being one of those remedies which not seldome proves more grievous than the disease it selfe When once Zantippe the Wife of Socrates in the open street pluckt his cloake from his back some of his acquaintance counselled him to strike her Yea quoth he you say well that while we are brawling and fighting together every one of you may clap us on the backe and cry hoe well said to it Socrates yea well done Zantippe the wisest of the twaine When Aristippus was asked by one in dirision where the great high friendship was become that formerly had bin betweene him and Estines he answers it is asleep but I will goe and awake it and did so least their enemies should make it a matter of rejoycing When Philip of Macedon was told that the Grecians spake
and they prove meanes of safety How many flying from danger have met with death And on the otherside found protection even in the very jawes of mischiefe that God alone may have the glory It fell out to bee part of Mithridates misery that he had made himselfe unpoysonable All humane wisdome is defective nor doth the Fooles Bolt ever misse whatsoever man thinketh to doe in contrariety is by God turned to bee an helpe of hastning the end hee hath appointed him We are governed by a power that we cannot but obey our mindes are wrought against our mindes to alter us In briefe man is oft his owne Traitor and maddeth to undoe himselfe Whereforeâ— take the Spirits and the words direction Render good for evill and not like for like though it be with an unwilling willingnesse as the Merchant casteth his goods over-board and the Patient suffers his arme or leg to be cut off and say with thy Saviour Neverthelesse not my will but thy will be done But yet more to induce thee hereunto consider in the last place That to avenge thy selfe is both to lose Gods protection and to incur his condemnation We may be said to be out of his protection when we are out of our way which he hath set us he hath promised to give his Angels charge over us to keepe us in all our wayes Psal. 91.11 that is in the wayes of obedience or the wayes of his Commandements But this is one of the devils wayes a way of sin and disobedience and therefore hath no promise or assurance of protection yea if we want his word in vaine we looke for his aide weftes and strayes we know are properly due to the Lord of the Soyle And then if in case there shall happen any thing amisâ—e through thy taking revenge what mayest thou not expect to suffer and in thy suffering what comfort canst thou have Whereas if God bring us into crosses he will be with us in those crosses at length bring us out of them more refined You may observe there is no such Coward none so valiant as the beleever without Gods warrant he dares do nothing with it any thing Why first a calling is a good warrant and it cannot want danger to goe unsent sinne is the sting of all troubles pull out the sting and deride the malice of the Serpent Yea let death happen it shall not happen amisse for the assurance of Gods call and protection when a mans actions are warranted by the Word will even take away the very feare of death for death as a Father well notes hath nothing terrible but what our life hath made so He that hath lived well is seldome unwilling to dye life or death is alike welcome unto him for he knowes whiles he is here God will protect him and when he goes hence God will receive him Whereas he that hath lived wickedly had rather lose any thing even his soule than his life whereby he tels us though his tongue expresse it not that he expects a worse estate hereafter How oft doth guiltinesse make one avoide what another would wish in this case Yea death was much facilitated by the vertues of a well-led life even in the Heathen Aristippus as I take it though I may be mistaken told the Sailers that wondred why he was not as well as they afraid in a storme that the ods was much for they feared the torments due to a wicked life and he expected the reward of a good one It s a sollid and sweet reason being rightly applyed Vice drawes death with a horrid looke with a whip and flames and terrors but so doth not vertue And thus much to prove that the godly indure reproaches and persecutions patiently because God hath commanded them so to doe CHAP. 30. That they are patient in suffering of wrongs for Gods glory THe childe of God is patient in suffering of wrongs for Gods glory lest Philosophy should seem more operative in her Disciples than Divinity in hers lest nature and infidelity should boast it selfe against Christianity It is a saying of Seneca He that is not able to set light by a sottish injury is no Disciple of Philosophy And the examples before rehearsed shew that Socrates Plato Aristippus Aristotle Diogenes Epictetus Philip of Macedon Dion of Alexandria Agathocles Antigonus Caesar were indued with rare and admirable patience whereunto I will adde foure other examples Philip of Macedon asking the Embassadours of Athens how he might most pleasure them received this answer It were the greatest pleasure to Athens that could be if you would hang your selfe yet was not moved a jot for all his might was answerable to his patience why he cared not so much to revenge the evill as to requite the good Polaemon was not so much as appalled at the by ting of a Dog that tooke away the brawne or calfe of his leg nor Harpalus to see two of his sons laid ready drest in a silver Charger wheÌ„ Astiages had bid him to supper And lastly when it was told Anaxagoras as I take it that he was condemned to die that his children were already executed hee was able to make this answer As touching said he my condemnation nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners me and as touching my children I knew before that I had begot mortall creatures But what of all this Let every naturall man know that a continued patience may be different from what is goodnesse yea let the vertues of all these Philosophers be extracted into one essence and that spirit powred into one man this Philosopher must be acknowledged to fall short of a compleate Christian guided by the Spirit of God Or if you wil gather out of Histories the magnanimity of Hector of Alexander of Caesar of Scipio and of Scaevola put them to the rest yet for patience and constancy they come not neere that one president laid downe in the example of that holy man Iob other servants of God in succeeding ages and that in five maine particulars 1 One notable difference betwene the patience of a Philosopher and a Christian is They lacked a pure heart which is the Fountaine of all well doing 2 Whatsoever they did was either out of pride to purchase fame to themselves thinking their patient suffering a kinde of merit or for some other by respect whereas the childe of God doth it in obedience to the Commandement and thinkes when he hath done that he fals far short of performing his duty 3 The aime and end of a Christians patience is Gods glory of a Philosophers nothing lesse for how can they aime at his glory whom they doe not so much as know And vertues are to be judged not by their actions but by their ends 4 The one doth it in faith which only crownes good actions the other without The want of which made all their vertues but Splendidâ— peccata shining and glistering sins sins as it were in a
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
served with simple favours It is a great word that Zozomen speaks of Apollonius That he never asked any thing of God in all his life that he obtained not Yea we thinke he speeds well that lives as it were under a perpetuall Equinoctiall having night and day equall good and ill fortune in the same measure for these compositions make both our crosses tolerable and our blessings wholesome We that know not the afflictions of others call our owne the heaviest every small current is a torrent every Brooke a River every River a Sea we make our selves more miserable than we need than we should by looking upon our miseries in a multiplying glasse we measure the length of time by the sharpnesse of our afflictions and so make minutes seeme howers and dayes moneths If wee be sicke and the Physitian promises to visit us to morrow with his best reliefe with what a tedious longing doe we expect his presence Our imagination makes every day of our sorrow appeare like Iosuahs day when the Sun stood still in Gibeon The summer of our delights is too short but the winter of our affliction goes slowly of we are so sensible of a present distresse and so ingratefull for favours past that wee remember not many yeares health so much as one daies sicknesse 't is true former meales doe not relieve our present hunger but this cottage of ours ruines straight if it be not new daubed every day new repaired What then shall to dayes Ague make us forget yesterdayes health and all Gods former favours if he doe not answer us in every thing sha'l wee take pleasure in nothing Shall we slight all his blessings because in one thing he crosseth us whereas his least mercy is beyond our best merit but if we thinke of our deliverance from the fire of hell this is cause enough to make us both patient and thankefull though the trifles wee delight in bee taken from us Lord take away what thou pleasest for thy glory and my good so long as thou savest me from the fire of hel and thy everlasting wrath Neither is there a better remedy for impatience then to cast up our receipts and to compare them with our deservings If thou look upon thy sufferings thou shalt find them farre easier than thy sinnes have deserved nothing to what thy fellow Saints and Christ thy elder brother hath suffered before thee at a Lions den or a firy furnace not to turne taile were a commendations worthy a Crowne doe but compare thy owne estate with theirs and thou shall finde cause to be thankefull that thou art above any rather than of envy or malice that any is above thee to domineere and insult over thee yea compare thine owne estate with thine enemies thou shalt see yet greater cause to be thankfull for if these temporary dolors which God afflicts his people with are so grievous to thee how shall thine and Gods enemies endure that devouring fire that everlasting burning Isaiah 33. ver 14. CHAP. 39. That the more wee suffer here so it be for righteousnesse sake the greater our reward shall be hereafter FIfthly We shall beare the Crosse with more patience and comfort if with Moses we shall have respect unto the recompense of reward which is promised to all that notwithstanding what they shall suffer persevere in well doing Great are our tryalls but salvation will one day make amends when we shall have all teares wiped from our eyes when God shall turne all the water of our teares into the wine of endlesse comfort Yea when our reward shall be so much the more Ioyous by how much more the course of our life hath beene grievous First see what promises are made to suffering Blessed are they which mourne saith our Saviour for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Verse 10. Blessed shall yee bee when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my sake falsely Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven Vers. 11.12 Behold saith God it shall come to passe that the Devill shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation tenne dayes yet feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer For be but thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee the crowne of life Revel 2.10 A Crowne without cares without rivals without envie without end And againe Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crowne of life Iames 1.12 And lastly Whosoever shall forsake Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake hee shall receive an hundred fold more and shall inherit everlasting life Mat. 19.29 This is a treasure worthy our hearts a purchase worth our lives Now who is there that shall heare these promises and compare the seed-time with the Harvest looke up from the root to the fruit consider the recompence of the reward and will not choose rather to suffer adversity with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Hebrewes 11.25 Who will not be willing to suffer with Christ that hee may also raigne with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Who will not suffer these light afflictions which are but for a moment when they cause unto us a far more excellent and eternall wâ—ight of glory 2 Cor. 4.16 17. Was Lazarus for a time extreame miserable he is now in Abrahams bosome Yea blessed Lazarus thy soares and sorrowes soone ceased but thy joyes are everlasting Now me thinks if thou but considerest that thy paines will shortly passe but thy joy shall never passe away it should prove a notable soveraigne Cordiall to strengthen thee not only against reproches which attend thy profession but even against fire and fagot Who would not be a Philpot for a moneth or a Lazarus for a day or a Stephen for an houre that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures which endure for ever It s true If in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men the most miserable as the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 15.19 But thou must consider that as this life is our hell and the wickeds heaven Iohn 16.20 So the next life shall be their hell and our Heaven Vers. 21.33 As Dives was in Abrahams bosome when Lazarus was in torments so Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome when Dives was in torments Luke 16.23 25. And herein we fare no worse than Christ did not his spirit passe from the crosse into Paradise Did not he first descend into hell and then had his ascention suppose thy sufferings be great what then Assure thy selfe that every pang is a prevention of the paines of hell and every respite an earnest of Heavens rest and how many stripes dost
thou esteeme Heaven worth It s true flesh and bloud is so sensuall that it feeles a little paine in the finger a great deale more than the health of the whole body But let us better consider on it and behold at once the whole estate of a Christian we shall see his peace exceed his paine yea we shall see both the torments present and the glory following hope makes absent joyes present wants plenitudes and beguiles calamity as good company does the way The poore Traveller in thinking of his Inne goes on more cheerefully and the bond-man in calling to minde the yeere of Iubilee When the Apprentice cals to minde that his yeares of covenant will now shortly expire and then he shall have his freedome confirmed the very remembrance thereof maketh many laboursome workes seeme more light and lâ—sse grievous unto him neither doth he afterwards repent it Did it ever repent Iacob when he came to inherit his Fathers blessing that he had enduâ—ed a long exile and tedious bondage Or Ioseph when he was once made Ruler in Aegypt that he had formerly beene sould thither and there imprisoned and he had never beene a Courtier if he had not first beene a prisoner Or did it repent the Israelites when they came to inherit the Land of promise that they had formerly beene forty yeeres passing through a forlorne wildernesse Or which of Gods servants did ever repent that they had passed the apprentiship of their service here and were now gone to be made free in glory If so let us doe and suffer chearfully patiently couragiously what God imposeth upon us knowing that after we have swet and smarted but six dayes at the utmost then commeth our Sabbath of eternall rest which will make amends for all knowing that death ends our misery and begins our glory and a â—â—w groanes are well bestowed for a Preface to an immortall joy Let theâ— our eyes be continually on the joyes which follow and not on the paine which is present the paine neglected and unregarded cannot be very discomfortable But that there iâ— reward promised to those which suffer in Christs cause iâ— not all for our reward shall be answerable to our sufferings the greater our sufferings are here the greater shall our reward be hereafter the malice of our enemies shall make for the increase of our happinesse Mâ—t. 16.27 The deluge of calamities may assâ—uâ—e us but they shall exalt us Suffering for the Gospell is no inferiour good worke and every one shall be rewarded though noâ— for yet according to his workes Psal. 62.12 Rom. 2.6 Revel 22 1â— The greater degree of grace we attaine to here the greater degree of glory we shall have hereafter They that turne many unto righteousnesse sâ—â—â—l shine as the stars in the Kingdome of Heaven Dan. 12. 3. And they that suffer Martyrdome shall be cloathed with long white roabs and have Palmes in their hands Rev. 6.9 11. Neither would those Saints in the old Testament which were â—aâ—ked and 〈◊〉 be delivered or accept of their enemies faire offers to the end they might receiue a better resurrection and a more glorious rewardâ— Hâ—b 11.15 Aâ—â—â— when we looke to the reward we could not wish our worke easier or our burthen lighter When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord because we should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 If we be not chastened here we shall be condemned hereafter Now whether had you rather rejoyce for one fit or alwayes You would do both which may not be you would be both Dives and Lazarus have happinesse both here and hereafter pardon me it is a fond covetousnes idle singularity to affect it What that you alone may fare better than all Gods Saints That God should straw Carpets for your feet only to walke unto your Heaven and make that way smooth for you which all Patriarchs Prophets Evangelists Confessors and Christ himselfe have found rugged and bloudy Away with this selfe-love and come downe you ambitious sonnes of Zâ—bedee and ere you thinke of sitting neere the Throne be contented to be called unto the Cup. Now is your triall Let your Saviour see how much of his bitter potion you can pledge then shall you see how much of his glory he can afford you In all Feasts the coursest meats are tasted first be content to drinke of his Vinegar and Gall and after you shall drink new Wine with him in his Kingdome Besides without some kinde of suffering how shall your sincerity be approved Even nature is joâ—und and cheerefull whiles it prospereth but let God with-draw his hand no sight no trust the Mother of Micha while her wealth lasteth can dedicate a good part of her silver to the Lord but now she hath lost it she fals a cursing Iudges 17.1 2 3. We all are never weary of receiving soone weary of attending we are ready to shrinke from Christ so soone as our profits or pleasures shrink from us but if with the Needle of the Compasse in the midst of tempestuous weather we remaine alwayes unmoveable and stayed upon one point it is a signe the Loadstone of the Gospell hath changed our hearts and we are governed by Christ as the Needle is by the North Pole Wherefore if God should not frame outward things to thy minde doe thou frame thy minde to indure with patience and comfort what he sends and this will be an Odour smelling sweet a Sâ—â—â—â—fice acceptable and pleasant to God yea herein thou shalt approve thy selfe with David a man after Gods owne heart and you know that as David was unto God according to his heart so was God unto David according to his CHAP. 40. Application of the former Grounds ANd so you have the resâ—â—ue of the grounds of comfort it remaines that I should apply them For this Doctrine though it be better understood than practised as Cassandra was better knowne than trusted yet being both knowne applyed and duly trusted to will like the Sunne not only delight our understandings with its contemplation but also warme and quicken our affections Wherefore is there any weake Christian so white livered with Nicodemus that the reproaches and persecutions which attend his profession make him ashamed of Christ or cause him to thinke that it is in vaine to serve the Lord whereby he is frighted out of the narrow way that leadeth to life Let him draw neere for I chiefly direct my speech unto him are afflictions and persecutions so necessary and profitable as hath beene shewed doth not God only gaine glory by our sufferings but doe they also bring uâ— to repentance and amendment of life 〈…〉 up to prayer weâ—â—e 〈◊〉 from the love of the world keepe uâ— alwayes prepared for our enemies assaults discover whâ—ther we are sincere or no make us humble improve all Christian graces in us Is God more specially present with us in afflictions cannot our enemies diminish one haire of 〈◊〉 headâ— without Gods speciall leave
keepes off repentance 32 Commonly the Lord makes our latter end so much the more Prosperous by how much more our former time hath beene miserable and adverse 216 to 220 Of which many examples 216 to 220 The more Prosperity the lesse piety 20 to 25 Prosperity too strong wine for a weake braine 31 If the Lord Prune his Vine he meanes not to root it up 46 To avenge our selves is to lose Gods Protection 146 147 We are kept low that we may not be Proud 44 The Purpose of affliction is to make us earnest with God 26 Q OVr Quarrels make both Divell and Lawyers sport â—8 R RAge not ingendred but by the concurrence of cholera 85 to 94 If we suffer it is that we may Raigne 177 Suffer with Christ and Raigne with him 239 Reasons of affliction sixteene 4 Whereof three concerne Gods glory 4 to 14 Thirteene our good 14 to 73 Whether our wisdome be improved or our lives Reformed by what we have suffered 172 The godly may well Rejoyce in tribulation 256 S. Paul Rejoyced in nothing more than afflictions reproaches persecution c. 255 The godly rejoyce alwayes the wicked for a fit only 243 No Release without repentance 18 19 God loves to send Releese when we least look for it 205 Religion and persecution inseparable 1 2 3 Religion allowes as much of the Serpent as of the Dove 163 We can neither indure the malady nor the Remedy 254 Persecution will follow Remission of sins 1 2 3 The end of passion the beginning of Repentance 136 Repentance can only prevent the eternall displeasure of God 22â— Repentance removes affliction 18 1â— Affliction makes us repent of f 〈…〉 we never dreamt of 15 The way not to Repine at those above us is to looke at those below us 233 The Reproach of an enemy brings us to see our faults 94 Iudas his depraving Mary turned to her great Renowne 132 Lawfull to seek Restitution 167 It is enough that when we are dead we shall Rest in the Land of Promise 232 Some carnall Reasons for revenge answered 154 CHRIST not yet Revenged of his enemies 15â— Both the Law of Nature and Law of Nations forbids revenge 14â— 144 If wee miscarry in seeking Revenge 〈…〉 no comfort 146 147 He that takes Revenge makes himselfe both Iudge witnesse accuser and executioner 139 140 To Revenge is to take Gods office out of his hand 137 to 142 The Lord will Revenge our wrongs 121.137 to 142 Revenge a remedy worse than the disease 85 to 94 Patience the most divine and Christian-like Revenge 84 Great is their Reward which suffer for righteousnesse 237 238 The more we suffer the greater our Reward 237 to 246 Were every paine we suffer a death and every crosse an hell yet we shall have amends enough 106 107 Patience shall have a temporall Reward also 108 to 115 If not patience were a sufficient Reward to it selfe 110 to 115 We shall beare the crosse more comfortably if we think upon the Reward promised 237 to 246 Patient because patience brings a Reward 103 to 115 Hope of Reward should make us patient 102 Our Reward answerable to our sufferings 242 The greater our sufferings here the greater our Reward hereafter 242 Rich men neglect God most 32 Rules to be observed in suffering 162 to 179 S SAtan can doe any thing by permission nothing without 198 199 Satan is limited and can goe no farther than his chaine will reach 198 199 God will never give Satan leave to doe the least hurt to our soules 199 Satan injoyned silence 128 129 If Satan cannot hurt us much lesse his instruments weake men 199 200 Our Saviours whole life from his cradle to his grave a continuall act of suffering 233 The Saints patience 159 to 162 To search whether the report be true or no 97 98 Their scoffes noble badges of honour and Innocency 132 If beaten off from our profession wiith scoffes we are but counterfeits 173 The Scriptures written for our learning patience comfort and hope â—â—6 Security the cause of corruption â—75 Affliction separates the good and bad 37 to 43 We take deeper roote by shaking 45 We remember one dayes sicknesse more than many yeares health 234 The sick servant hath not strong meates given him as the rest have 226 An enemy most vexed with silence 123 to 126 Silence the way royall to correct a wrong 80 to 85 Silence will either drayne the gall ouâ— of bitter spirits or make it more overflow to their owne disgrace 124 Silence in case of personall wrongs but not in the causes of God and Religion 125 Our Saviour a patterne for silent suffering 96 97 Silence one kinde of revenge 123 to 126 Affliction discovers whether we are sincere or not 37 to 43 Sinne the sling of all troubles 147 Our sincerity cannot bee approved without suffering 244 Chastisements after the sinne is remitted may bee deadly 227 Every word they speake of us is a slander be it good or ill 127 to 133 A slanderer doth but shame himselfe 119 None ever was that was not slandered 139 Better smart for a while than for ever 177 Our songs shall be lowder than our cryes 64 Commonly they know not GOD that know no sorrowes 18 The soule cannot live while the sinne lives 19 GOD regardeth the soules good and his owne glory 254 Our soules shall loose nothing but their drosse 202 The soule waxeth as the body waineth 66 We have the presence of Gods spirit and grace many times and feele it not 220 To rejoyce when they speake evill of us 132 The sharpe water of affliction quickens our spirituall sight 49 to 52 To bee evill spoken of for well doing peculier to the godly 127 to 133 If God stay long yet hee will bee sure to come at lâ—ngth 58 59 Steven a true Scholler of Christ 159 160 Of all stormes a calme the greatest 227 A stoute Christian beares off one mischiefe with another 68 69 Though the Divell strikes at our names his ayme is to slay our soules 172 We may well take a few stripes where we receive so much good 100 to 103 Receive his stripes with all humility patience pieâ—y and thankfulnesse 176 That stripes from the Almighty are speciall tokens and pledges of his adoption and love 222 to 229 Nothing more proves us Gods than his stripes 22â— Not bound to tender our throates to an unjust 〈◊〉 162 to â—â—â— Our sufferings may aggravate cannot redresse our miseries 176 A man that studies revenge keepes his woundes greene and open 91 We must suffer with Christ that wee may raigne with him 52 to 54 Our sufferings are registred our teares botled up 191 192 We suffer here that we may not suffer hereafter 43 to 49 Our sufferings farre lesse than our sinnes have deserved 235 By suffering we become followers of all the Saints 53 54 Our patience shall be proportionable to our sufferings our strength equalled to our temptations 219 Our sufferings