the first entrance but within a litle while after it will prove more plaine more passable and commodious They are not ignorant they must climb up a litle hill to obtaine their desired rost this they do with all their best endeavours they iove to be contemned and snatch at such occasions as may cause a just or an unjust contempt from others and when they see themselves despis'd they are glad and rejoyce and insult more over themselves then any of their Enemies they threaten not when they are despised to reveng their quarrell with the sword they reveng not themselves no not with a word None of them lifts up his hand against him by whom he was contem'nd he draws not his Dagger at him but acknowledges with a cheerfull thankfulness that he is benefitted by contempt and disgrace In a word Gods elect Children have throughly learn'd this lesson in Christs School that the scoffs of men cannot make them less in Gods esteem In whose opinion we are greater when we are little in the worlds favour So great and no greater is every man as he is in the eyes of God who judges not according to mans Iudgement We are little in Gods account if we be great in our owne and contrariwise if little in our owne esteeme vve are great in his The deeper the Well is the purer is the Water And the estimation vve have of our selves is more pleasing to God by hovv much the more vile and mean it is God brings downe the high loocks of the proud and men of great aspiring thoughts shall be brought to shame and confusion The way to prevent vvhich shame is to depreâ—s our selves and to bury all our proud conceits vvith the consideration of that heap of miseries a mass of corruption Ignorance and defects vvhich cleave fast and close to our natures They say that Mush evvill recover its lost savour if you lay it in such places as are stinch'd with noysome sents Thus if we seriously ponder our filthy vileness or the vile filthiness of our sins if vve hate and loath them and if vve humble our selves before God desiring his Grace to further our amendment let us not doubt to obtaine vvhat we request and let us persvvade our selves that by his Grace assisting us we shall send forth the svveet savour of amendment of our lives A Religious man being once ask'd what vvay he had found as most Compendious for a Christian to attaine Heaven replyed The best vvay is for a man alvvayes to accuse himself Iâ—de virg This is the only discipline the chief practise of Good Christians So sayes St. Aug. St. Ambrose affirmes that it is a certaine signe of our Election to think not well of our felves and to acknowledg our wound Greg. saith It is the property of the Reprobate alwayes to do ill ever more to sin and never to retract what they have don for whatsoever they do they do it as it were hoodwinked without any care or regard and never acknowledge their fact till they be quickn'd to it by their punishment The daily practise of the Elect is to make a privy search into their owne wayes and to discuss all their Actions driving them to the very fountaine even their thoughts which pass not without examination and when they have don all they can they are not secure because they know God sees in them what they cannot descerne The Son of Syrach his Counsell is good The greater thou arâ— says he humble thy self in all things Eclus 3.19 and thou shalt find savour before the Lord for God is great in power and is honourd only by the meek and lowly To speak truly the greatest perfection that can be imagind is this for a man to know and acknowledge his imperfections And he is more to be commended to whom his infirmities are known then he that has travell'd through all the parts of the World studied the course of the Starres the vertue of all Herbs and descended into the very bowells of the Earth by his search and enquiry into the mysteries of Natures excellencyes after this scal'd the Heavens in contemplation of their greatnels and yet for all this knowes not his owne weakness Such a man may be pitied and reckond among the foolish Dost thou intend to build a house of a great height i. e. dost thou desire to attaine to some eminency be sure that thou lay for thy foundation humility Every man is delighted with honour desires to be mounted on high to be eminent above his fellowes Aug. de verbis doc but the way to this is to climb up upon Humilities short Ladder and to Ascend by her steps Our Country is above but our way to it lyes below He that seeks after this heavenly Country with a ful bent of his soule and firme resolution vvill not refuse to vvalk in that way vvherein all Gods Saints have gone to Heaven But vve may safely take up Saint Hierom's complaint Hiere p. 27. many follovv the shadovv but fevv embrace the substance and truth of humility There are a fevv and they most happy being predestinated to heaven vvho the more they see and knovv themselves are the more displeasing to themselves and the more vile they are in their owne eyes the more precious are they to God They please themselves most vvho knovv themselves least Greg l. 35. Mor. c. 5. Many knovv much but know not their ovvne vvants and so much the less are they in Gods eyes by hovv much they are the greater in their owne An humble acknowledgement of our ovvne vileness is a Causye or safe high vvay that leads to happiness By descending into our selves and humbly confessing our sins We may ascend to Heaven so said Cassiodorus in Psal 6. Humility is the first step to Glory SYMBOLVM VIII Vilis sui aes timatio Nisi efficiamini sicut parvuli non intrabitis in regnum caelorum Matth. 18. Embleme IX Loue of our enemies Bee not ouercome of evill but overcome evill with good Rom. 12v 21. The Ninth Signe IS The love of our Enemies represented by two Javelins conjoynd or tyed together by an Olive branch Vnder vvhich these vvords out of St. Paul to the ROMANS c. 12. Be not overcome with evill but overcome evill with Good AN Olive branch was used by the Auncients for a signe or emblem of peace and here an Olive bovv tvvisted and made into a Wreath binds these tvvo Weapons together and hinders them from meeting by vvay of hostility as love conciliates and conjoynes those in a fast band who before Isved in hatred or enmity Christ seriously exhorts us to the duty of love where he saith Mat. 5. But I say unto you Love your enemies do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you that persecute and revile you so shall you be the Sons of your heavenly Father Aug. En. c. One may object and say that this work
is hard and the taske difficult But know sayes St. Aug. that the harder the work is the more gratefull will it be to God and profitable to us There be many kinds of Almes which God in mercy and for Christs merits is pleasd to accept Act. 10. as he did those of Cornelius but no Almes more acceptable no sacrifice so pleasing to him as when from the very ground of our hearts we forgive them that offend and trespasse against us Christ when he hung fast nail'd to the Crosse had his Tongue only free from the wounds of nayles and lash of Whips and he thus hanging upon that cursed and shamefull Tree used that his sacred Tongue in prayer and supplication for those who had crucified him with their hands and revild him with their reproachfull Tongues So eloquent and potent an advocate was he even for the Iewes and other his adversaries Neither did Christ â—n this want Disciples or followers though they were but a few that conform'd themselves to this his most godly practise When Stephen pray'd for those that stond him heaven presently opend as if the Saints Angels in heaven were delighted with so rare a spectacle or sight to wit a man praying for those by whom he was murderd This protomartyr Stephen stood when he commended his owne cause to God but pray'd kneeling for his enemies and withall Act. 7. Saw heaven opend and Jesus standing at the right hand of God If it be lawfull O Lord Almighty for sinfull flesh and blood to pry into thy Actions by a curious enquiry Give me leave blessed God to put this bold question unto thee Lord what is it that thou now doest how hasty is thy mercy and goodness how doest thou make hast to help and save us how different is the method of thy proceedings from ours with us the fight goes before the reward or triumph but behold now a Saint rewarded before he had fully conquerd Before Stephens mouth was open'd Heavens Gates were unlock'd and opend so that he presently Saw the Glory of God What man is there that liveth that whilst he lives can see God and shall not see Death This holy Martyr Stephen vvas yet alive in the flesh vvhen he did partake of the beatificall vision O vvonderfull mercy worthy of all Admiration God never openly shewes himselfe to his Servants but in Heaven vvhich is his dwelling place vvhy vvas it then that happiness broke as I may so say out of Heaven Gates and ran to meet Stephen in the mid vvay of his race This Champion vvas as yet in the field he vvas yet wrastling upon the stage of this world and in this conflict between life and Death the flesh and the spirit he prayed and that for his enemies O happy and powerfull Prayer that could open Heaven But let us weigh the cause why his reward was so hastily bestowd It is this Our remission and pardoning of Injuries our earnest deprecation and interceding for our Enemies is so gratefull and pleasing to God that now when Stephen was upon his knees this most mercifull Lord layes aside his dreadfull Majesty dispences with his royall law of crowning after victory prevents this first Martyr with a rare and extraordinary mercy and commands the most beautifull Queen of Heaven Happiness to step out of those celestiall doores to embrace this blessed Champion in her Armes at the Threshold before those doores that so he that rewarded his deadly Enemies his persecutors with love and pour'd out prayers and teares to God in their behalf might contrary to the statute law of Heaven be call'd to triumph before Death was fully conquer'd And this is a royall priviledge indulged only to those who can and do forget and forgive Injuries Hence we may inferre that to do an ill turne not to suffer one is hurtfull to a man and full of danger for that thereby he makes God his adversary and loseth his favour who is pleased with and delights only in those that can suffer patiently and readily forgive an Injury David a man of meekness and after Gods owne heart who had fought with Lions and Beares and often got the conquest yet he being so valiant as that no feare or terrour could abate his couragious valour when his raging and most cruell enemy Saul oftentimes fell into his hands and was at his mercy yet he chose rather to spare then kill him and bore as it were before him this motto in his triumphant Banner Jf I have rewarded evill to those that repaid my good will with discourtesies Psalm 6. then let me be overthrowne and fall before mine enemies So St. Paul although he was of that brave and stout spirit that he challengd an Army of Spirituall adversaries with Death and Hell into the field and bid them open defiance yet he was mercifull and gentle to his enemies 1 Cor. 4. that he said Being cursed we blesse being persecuted we suffer being defam'd we beseech c. his example may be to us a Pattern of meek patience It is the most noble and generous kind of reveng to pardon when thou hast power to punish And it is a more glorious Act to overcome an Enemy by silence then by a multitude of words Prov. 20. It is an honour for a man to abstaine from strife Ambr. saith that to revenge is not an Act of fortitude or courage but of an abject minde and base cowardise He that revenges himself overcomes not but is overcome by his enemies And of this opinion is the Prince of Philosophers who sayes thus As it argues a weak stomack not to be able to digest hard meat that is put into it so it is an argument of a pusillanimous spirit Arist l. 4. E. h. c. 3. not to be able to beare with an angry word A man can not give a clearer testimony or demonstration that he is a true Christian then by loving his enemy For the exercise of our vertues our piety and patience we have need either of a most syncere friend or most sharp enemy who is more Injurious to himself then thou or any man can be Chrysostome said truly that a desire of Reveng in the heart is more hurtfull then a Viper whose poyson is incurable Hom. 41. in Act. Neither is it a lesse evill to repay an injury then to offer it He that strikes his Enemy gives himselfe his deadly wound and he that wounds himself we count him a mad-man or a fool This is to take coales out of the fire but first to burne out owne fingers and then throw them upon another Thus is the Author of any evill at first or last punished by it when he against whom it was intended escapes oftentimes unhurt or unpunished Whosoever hateth another man woundeth his owne soule and he that loveth not Lact deira dei To 3. bideth in death But what soever may be said to the contrary It is an hard thing for flesh and blood to
love an enemy To him that should make this objection we may retort thus But it will be a more hard and difficult matter to burne in the midst of Gods enemies in everlasting fire It may be hard to love him whom you think worthy of hatred but it will be an harder and more Irksome thing to heare the voyce of him who one day shall pronounce from his seat of Iudgement this heavy and souleiklling sentence go yecursed â—â—et then no man any more pretend difficulty and say It is a thing intolerable to flesh and blood not to hurt him by whom ofttimes I have beene hurr Let such a man remember what one did say He that will take no paines will never climb a Mountaine and whosoever hates his enemy shall never go to Heaven The superstitious Papists go in pilgrimage from place to place and for the most part returne the worse They offer large gifts at their Altars and in the meane time harbour hearts in their brests as hard as their Altar stones being full of hatred and malice they put themselves to great cost and paines to procure a Jubile for the pardon of their owne sins and yet they will not cast out their desire of Reveng God Christian hath appointed for thee a Iubile which thou maist solemnize within thy self and within the walls of thy house This is done by saying but one word from thy heart I forgive say this cordially and God will forgive thee all thy offences which thou hast committed against his Iustice Forgive and it shall be forgiven thee Lu. 6. for if thou shouldst give thy body to be burnt and hast not Charity in that thou hatest thine enemies it would presit the nothing God would not be pleasd with thee we count him rich who hath many debtors our enemies that heap upon us miseries owe us much for that they ought to suffer much by and from us It is in our power now whether we will enrich our selves by them in pardoning and passing by their offences But let me advise thee O man that art apt to reveng cast up thy account and see what thou thy self owest and what others to thee Consider how much it is which thou owest to thy God Thy score is so great that I beleeve thou art not able to diâ—charge it but by this onely means Eccl. 28.2 by relying upon Christs satisfaction to his Fathers Justice for thy sins Forgive thy Neighbour the hurt he hath done unto thee so shall thy sins be fâ—rgiven when thou prayest Great are thy debts which God hath forgiven thee if thou shouldst be backward and unwilling to cancell a small debt due to thee from another might not one justly suspect thee as guilty of great Iniquity That saying of St. Hier. is common and well known Oh fearefull sentence sayes he if we remit not small things to our Brother God will not remit great things to us A man may expect the like measure or that pardon from God which he affords to his Brother Forgive not and thou shalt not be forgiven Therefore O man take pitty on thy sâ—ule and if so be thou hatest not thy self see that thou extend thy love unto thine enemy The ple sure or defight that is taken in Reveng is not long but that which followes upon our mercy to others is everlasting Be not I beseech you overcome with evill but overcome evill with Good Rom. 12. If thine enemy be hungry give him meat if thirsty give him Drink So shalt thou heap cuales of fire upon his head and the Lord will recompence thee againe Overcome evill with good St. Chrys speakes excellently of this Victory In the Olympick Games consecrated to the Devill this Law was of force to overcome by doing ill by giving blow for blow but in the Schoole of Christ we are taught a quite contrary lesson to do good for evill for here not he that strikes but he that is stroken and beares it with patience is commended by Christ there he was crownd that shed most blood here only he that is most patient Humility and meeknesse would so guard us in our lives that if we did but use either of them in our actions no mischief should foile us no hurt befall us and no injury reach unto our persons being fenced with these two vertues Prov. 20.22.24.29 Say not then I will recompence evill but wait upon the Lord and he will save thee Neither say thou as he has done to me so will I do to him It is a madness by hurting another to procure thy owne hurt and dammage And he that bites at the stone when he should look to the hand that sent it discovers too much in himself of the nature of the Dogge Nay for blindness of understanding and for want of Iudgement he that rages against his adversary may be compard to an Owl or Buzzard 2 Sam. 16. Therefore when thy enemie doth curse thee let him curse for God hath bid him curse thee with this consideration David comforted himself when he was revil'd by Shimei He that is condemned to dye is not offended or angry with the Hang-man but rather with the Iudge And why poore wretched man dost thou storme in a passion against thy executioner Rather look up to the Iudge even to God Almighty who sent this Antagonist to try thy faith and patience and to chastise thee for thy sins The Devill without Gods permission could not have taken one small Sheep from Iob. Iob. 1. The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away the Lord not the Devill this was Jobs note Iohn 19. Christ in like manner replyed to Pilate Thou shouldst not have had any power against me at all unlesse it had beene given thee from above The same Answer maist thou make to thy Adversary most men have been more benefited by their enemies then by their most loving friends Take away tyrants and there will be no Martyrs and take away all enemies and men thereby will loose the reward of their patience Dioclesian did not less amplify and enlarge the Church by the Sword and barbarous Cruelty then Constantine did with Gold and liberality That Lord of the family in the Gospell would have the Wheat and the Tares grow together Mat. 13. Let both grow till the Harvest But we are of another temper of a forward and hasty disposition although it be to our hurt and destruction so soone as we see a weed grow amongst our Corne we cry presently t is a Thistle or Nettle away with it to the fire tares to the Furnace our enemies we wish to helf O my deare brethren bridle this unruly passion be more gentle and moderate It is not fit for you before the Harvest comes to vent your hasty fury upon the fields at the time of Harvest it shall be said to the reapers Gather first the Tares bind them in bundles and cast them into the Furnace Let us not then
God what man is there who is not ready to retort and say To me belongs revenge and I will repay it God opposes this bold reply once againe in the Scriptures Rom. â—2 Vengance is mine and I will repay it Here flesh and blood dares once more oppose its maker and say nay Lord Vengence I will challenge it is mine and I will repay it Thou art too easy to be entreated thy Revenge comes slowly and oftentimes too late Thus out of a rash and wicked boldness we dare challenge Gods prerogative and invade his royall priviledge Out of his hand we snatch the Sword which he only should draw to cut off our enemies and being the party offended contrary to all equity we take upon us the property of a Judge Rufsinus Aquiliensis Ruff. l. 3. n 77. Pelag. lib. n. 10. and many other Greek Interpreters tell us that a certaine man having sustaind a great Injury made his complaint to one Sisojus a most Religious old man a Magistrate in that place so also he described with bitter and sharp invectives the manner of his Injury being so me words of disgrace and withall beseechd him saying Suffer me to shew my selfe a man and to revenge my selfe on my adversary But the good old man did earnestly request him that he would not by shewing himself a man turne Devill and also advised him to leave all Revenge to God who is a strong and unresistable revenger of the wicked who for the Injuries they do to Gods servants shall not escape but be certainely punished But I am resolv'd said the other not to pardon my enemy and never to desist till I have done to him as he hath done to me To whom the old man once againe replied thus I beseech you so prove your self to be a man that withall you forfeit not the name of Christian and attend to what reason dictates to you not to that which is enjoynd by the violent command of passion To this the other answers yes but reason tells us that he is not to be spard who wold not forbeare others To whom Sisoius thus once againe But my friend this thing thou speakest of is not in thy power to will or do The right and power of the sword in this cause belongs only to God The God to whom Vengeance belongs is the Lord of Heaven and has power to do what he will with his Creature this liberty is denyed to us And I suppose thou knowest what Christ has said not by way of Counsel but precept and command That we owe to our enemies not only pardon but also prayers love and courtesies My Father retorted the other to this my mind is like the troubled Sea and will never rest or be at quiet till I be avenged on my Adversary Seeing therefore replyed Sisoius thou art resolved to take revenge Let me advise thee not to be too hasty Let us I beseech you first present our requests to God in Prayer upon this both fel upon their knees and the old man Sisoius conceived a prayer in these words O God we present not our selves before thy Majesty to desire thy help or assistance for that at this time we have no need of it neither do we entreat thee to take any care for us for we will looke to and provide for our selves Vengeance belongs to us and we will repay it and we now are fully resolved to subdue our enemies and to bring them under our feet for the many injuries they have done us When the good old man had finished his prayer the other was so astonied with a confused amazement and shame that instantly he fell downe at the old mans feet and being thus prostrate he wept bitterly and promised that he would forgive his enemy and not revenge himself no not in word And indeed this is the Command of our just God this is the mark of Gods Sons willingly and readily to pardon those that offend them and when they have an opportunity to requite the offence with a beneficiall courtesie See sayes St. Paul that no man render evill for evill Thes 5. but alwayes follow that which is good both towards your selves and towards all men Thus Paul but Christ our Saviour has left us a more strict Injunction when he sayes more plainly But I say unto you that heare me Love your Enemies Lu. 6. do good to them that hate you bless them that curse you And as ye would that men should do unto you so do ye unto them And if you love those that love you what thanks have you for sinners do the same And if you do good to those that do good to you what thanks have you for Sinners do the same But I say unto you love your enemies and your reward shall be great and you shall be called the Sons of the most high because he is bountifull even to the ingratefull and to the wicked These duties good God thou commandest and largely doest thou promise but O Lord how many be there that will not lend to thee an eare how many are there in the World who prefer their lust and hatred before thy word and therefore they most audaciously profess they will not leave their malice nor by any threats be Esseminated into a facility of pardoning an offence Nothing is more pleasant to them then to pay their enemies with their owne Coyne to requite wound for wound and words for words And if God should do by them as he did by Salomon offer to give them what they did wish 1. K. 3. I beleeve they would not as he did desire wisdom rather Revenge They undoubtedly would cry to God and say Lord give us the lives of our enemies and it shall suffice us Behold here a lively picture of the spirit of Revenge which uses to contemne Gods Law to esteeme little or nothing of his threats and not only not to suffer but to returne an Injury to be ragingly angry but for a small word to follow the violent motion of an unruly passion and to load an enimy with curses and execrations This desire of Revenge sayes Tertullian proceeds either from vaine-glory or malice Lib de pat c. 8.9.10.11 The former is every where by all wise men contemn'd The latter is most odious to God especially in this case because it doubles and repeats an evill which was but once committed For what difference is there betweene him that provokes a man by an Injury and him that is provok'd if he revenges himselfe but only this that the one is in the first place found guilty the other in the second both of wickedness and wronging God in that they disobey his word wherein we are taught if a man smite us on one cheek to turne the other and to tire our enemies in piety by our patience for by our patient bearing with their wicked doings we torment and vex them as it were with scourges and whips Tell me I pray you
place of torment where thou shalt burne in everlasting flames with the Devill and his cursed Angells A patient suffering of Injuries is a Gate through which we enter into the heavenly joyes But he that seeketh vengeance shall find vengeance of the Lord Ecclus 20. 1. Num. 12.19 Deut. 32.35 and he will surely keep his sins Lastly thou maist object and say I can take no rest night nor day my meat and my drink are uncomfortable to mee so long as I see Mordochey my enimy sitting and untouch'd free from all misfortunes and grief and plotting against me this or that mischief O fond man foelish to thine owne destruction Ezekiel reports of certaine valiant men Ez. 32 27. who went downe â—o the grave with their weapons of Warre and laid their Swords under their heads See here a new and unheard kind of pillow a sword On such a pillow do all those that are greedy of revenge lay their heads to sleep who never cease from wickedness and take no rest or quietness in any thing but in calumniating and fighting in brawling with those whom they conceive to be their enemies Thus Cain the first Scholler in the Devils School as Basil calls him he slew Abell with his bloody hand to the intent that his Brothers glory being ecclipsed and darkned his owne might shine the brighter and be more firmely established But he found a quite contrary event Esau Saul and Antiochus implor'd Gods mercy begg'd his pardon for their sins and that not without tears and yet were not heard God rejected their Prayers Esau found no place for repentance Heb. 12. though he sought it with teares In like manner Said and Antiochus though they endeavored to take hold on the hornes of the Altar even that of mercy they were repuls'd and beaten off and not undeservedly for that they refus'd to spare and to be pitifull to those from whom they had receiv'd any the least indignities Eccl. 28. He shall have judgement without mercy who shewed no mercy to others King Davids fall was foule and deadly when he committed 2. sins at once Murder and Adultery but so soone as he had shew'd but the least signe of Repentance and utter'd scarce two words when he said to Nathan I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12.13 The prophet Immediatly replied The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die How oft did Antiochus confess that he had sinned and not without bitter lamentation and howling cry to the Lord for mercy and pardon no doubt he made great vowes and offer'd great gifts to God in his Temple and promised if God would pardon to amend his life for the future Notwithstanding al these protestations he suffer'd a repulse God did not encline his eares to this Tyrants prayers no wonder For this tyranical King did differ much from King David They behav'd themselves diversly and in a diffeferent manner towards their enemies David was inferiour to none in Warre and conquest his success and victories were great and many he likewise overcame all in mercy and pity in sparing those who did injure him either by opprobrious words or open hostility He us'd his power in nothing less then in taking revenge against any more gentle and milde was he to his foes then Antiochus was to his owne people and Citizens against whom he breath'd nothing but swords and fire blood and revenge and being thus unmercifull and full of cruelty he found no mercy The Phisitians use not to desert their sick patients untill they plainly perceive that their disease or malady is pass'd all hope of recovery yet there is a certaine kind of disease which when they discover in their patients they presently bid them prepare for death it being impossible for them to be cur'd Even so it is in the soule Although we are to dispaire of no mans salvation be he never so wicked so long as he has life and being yet when his bowells do swim in the gall of bitterness when his soule is inflam'd with masice burnes with hatred and a desire of revenge of this kind of sickness St. John spends his Crisis he tells us it is deadly 1 Io. 5 There is a sin sayes he unto Death I say not that a man should pray for it These men seldome repent that are obstinatly resolv'd and bent to revenge their private quarrells and distasts against their enemies And in whom there is this bitterness of spirit in them there is no sense or feeling of Gods Judgements Ecc. 21. they are by them no whit terrified Although all the learn'd and wise men in the world thunder against this sin with their pens although all Gods Prophets and Ministers pronounce heavy threats against it and withall intreat and perswade the men of the World to cover all their injuries with the mantle of forgetfullness to bury them in the Grave of forgiveness and to embrace one another in the Armes of love and tender affections notwithstanding all these exhortations threats and precepts the ungodly ones who are fitted to destruction shun and decline all the wayes of amity and reconciliation they not fearing the wrath of God not regarding his Ministers go on boldly in their revengfull purposes and labour to repay to their enemies for bad turnes the like requitalls When neither the Prophets wisemen nor any of Gods Messengers could be heard but still men went on in their malice at last the wisest and the fairest among the sons of men the Prophets instructour the King of Angells came with great power and Authority from his heavenly Father not so much to perswade as to command us to this union a peaceable agreement among our selves he came also not to counsaile us but to imprint this law of love in our hearts and yet miserable wretches we are we kick and rebell against our Saviours Doctrine we reject his law He in his Fathers name commands us thus But I say unto you Mat. 5. love your enemies we his rebellious Subjects retort and cry unto him O Christ you speak in vaine to us your commands are to no purpose although we be Christians yet we in this will shew our selves worse then Heathens we will take revenge and not attend to thy words This is the blasphemous answer of proud worldlings to Christ who exhorts us to love our enemies but none will obey his voyce But I say unto yee resist not evill Thus Christ what Resist not evilf Then we shall be branded for Cowards thus we out of an impudent boldness Pray for them that persecute and revile you that ye may be the Sons of your Father which is in Heaven This is Christs advise but we count this a Jejune and frigid Prayer and are loath to purchase that royall Title at so deare a rate as we esteeme it Doe good to those that hate you So Christ enjoyns but we are ready to reply Thou commandest Lord that which is against the very grain
laborious work they rest sometimes but they that serve their affections they never are at quiet they are ever rack'd and tortur'd and one commotion of their tumultuous thoughts follows upon the neck and at the heels of another which is fitly express'd by the Prophet Hier. c. 16. You shall serve strange Gods night and day which shall never give you rest To avoid all these mischiefs and tumults in our selves let us follow that counsaile of Ecclus. c. 18. Go not after thy lusts An unruly horse must be curb'd with a Bit but a resty Jade must be quickned with a Spurre or Whip Thus must we deale with our affections whereof some when they are sluggish must be stir'd up and driven forward others being too violent must be held in and restrain'd No man can discover a greater hatred to his Soule then he that loves himselfe with that eager and hot affection that giving the Reines to immoderate and unlawful pleasures he has neither command of himselfe nor can deny himselfe those things which he oft desires to his owne great hurt and prejudice But let such men of unhappy a temper and constitution know what St. Rom. 8. Paul fore-tells shall befall them If ye live sayes he after the flesh you shall dye but if through the spirit ye moâ—tifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live None beares greater rule then he that is Lord over himselfe that can Master his corruptions neither can there be a greater slavery then to be a servant to passions nor a greater triumph then that which attends the victory gotten over our selves That man hath overcome his affections who is not a servant to their commands And he is a servant to them sayes St Amb. who is broken with feare Lâ— de Iac et vit bea entangled in pleasure led with vaine desires exasperated with indignation and dejected with griefe Neither is there any servitude or slavery more unbeseeming the brave spirit of man then that which is voluntary as when one serves his lust another his Avarice a third his ambition A good man as St. Aug. witnesseth although he be a servant yet is free a wicked man although he be a King yet he is a slave having so many Masters as reigning sins Yet there is not more one kind of lusts and desires then there is of countenances amongst men who agree all in essence yet differ in their outward shape and fashions So their affections are diverses for some are affected with this thing others with that neither are we equally delighted with one and the same object This man burnes with lust that with the love of Gold one man is stifled with envy another with malice This man kills himselfe with drinking too much another with his sports a third with Idleness So vaine are our Inlaginations that no man thinks he shall be destroy'd by that happiness which he has phancied to himselfe As if a man that is drown'd in Wine should be less suffocated or choked then he that is drown'd in water To imagine this is vaine Saint Greg. L. 4. in Sam. c. 4. asserts truly ' That is pleasing to a reprobate mind what it desires with eagerness but in hell that which was sweet here is full of unpleasing bitterness poore wretched man that is deluded with shadowes whose heart is so over rused with wanton concupiscence that he catches at deceiving waters which pass by his mouth when he thinks they are surest But tell me fond man what felicity is there in lust St. Amb. tells us it is hotter then a Feaver it enflames more and sinkes men into greater danger The danger of it is not discover'd till a man repents of his madness when the eye of his conscience is opend then he blushes with an inward blush at the shamefull filth of his wickedness Then God begins to be feared and the sinner then desires to conceale his filthiness but cannot for his deformity lyes open in the eyes of God from whom no secret is hid now does that wicked wretch gall'd with a guilty conscience tremble at the fearefull apprehension of Gods Indgement which is terrible to none but those who in their life whilst they went on in a constant course of sin did neglect and contemne it Beside this odious and staining sin of lust there is another corrupt affection which beares a sway in most of us that is the desire of money a Spur to all wickchness This thirst is so violent and hot that it is not satisfied with gaine but rather encreased by it Neither does it lesse torment the mind when it has obtain'd what it seeks as when it seeks to obtaine what it coveteth And when other sins grow old with Age this of Coveteousnesse bloomes and blossomes and is then in its youth and vigor when a man is dropping into his Grave A gaine hatred and envy are two pestilent diseases and not easily cur'd as other affections unless they be strangled in their first birth in their Cradles But those men that are servants to Gluttony and slaves to their palat have a froward Mrs. which is by so much the more imperious by how much he that has given up himselfe to her service is more observant of her commands And because Luxury is nere of kin to Gluttony this latter does the more hurt to chastity by how much the more it is pamper'd with delights And fed with variety of dainty dishes Shew me the man and I will commend him as he deserves who can glory with old Tobias and say I have kept my soule pure from all lust and concupiscence â— 3. He that doth this hath tuned his Instrument into a blessed harmony concord Saul spared King Agag only shut him up in Prison sent when he ought to have brought him to execution Thus we do by our Affections we use them with too much clemency which is displeasing to God whereas we should exercise towards them much cruelty They are to be slaine and we kill them not but only confine them to Prison vvhen vve take care chiefly not that they be extirpated but that they break not forth in that open rage and violence vvherewith they disquiet and distract our soules Thus whilst we forbeare to slay an hidden and close enemy we Arme him against our selves and by this meanes that which was in the beginning but a slip and errour by degrees becomes a custome which at length growes unto a necessity which is not easily subdued and brought into subjection So by little and little being oppressed on all sides by a domesticke enemy we cry out in our extremity and say I cannot here in this particular overcome my selfe I cannot want those things to which I have beene long accustom'd I die if I be bereav'd of this delight Thus our small errors degenerate into bad and inveterate manners and because we stifle not our affections in their first conception but suffer them to spring and
sprout at length they grow to a Wood and thicket which cannot by any strength or force in us be rooted up However we must not dispaire but know that custome may be weak n'd by another which is better and our Crowne will be the more precious and sweet unto us the harder our fight is with our sins and infirmities and we may promise to our selves the victory if we sight under Gods shield if desiring to be conquerors we grapple with our vices and begge of God in our prayers to help and assist our weakness Let but Mâ—ses strike the waves of the Sea with his Rod God will take care for the rest and Israell shall pass safely over Ex. 14. when the Aegyptians shall be drown'd The Amorâ—â—e and the Canaanite shall be driven out of our coast if we do but inure our selves to fight and often skirmish with our enemies Sit still we may noâ— in sloath and Idleness Iob 7. The life of man upon earth is a warfare sayes Iob let no man trust himselfe for none has a more dangerous and treacherous enemy then himselfe with whom to make a truce is not very safe Neither can it be secure for us to lay downe our weapons and shut them up in our Armories untill we put off our flesh and lay that up in our Graves He that has a desire to get the victory over his Adversaries must perpetually watch and sleep in his Armes Saint Cyprian sayes excellently to this purpose It is the greatest pleasure to a man to have overcome his pleasures neither can there be a greater and more noble victory then that which we obtaine over our lusts and affections for he that overcomes his enemy is indeed the stronger but this is in respect of another but he that overcomes his lust is stronger then himselfe in that he overpowers his owne weakness The Musitian never leaves handling his Jarring strings untill he has reduc'd them to an harmonious concord And a man predestin'd to salvation never ceases to allay the tumults and reconcile the differences between Reason and his affections till he compose the quarrell in a religious peace If we may beleeve Plato our body is as it were an Harp our Reason the Harper or Musitian who now playes upon these strings anon upon those sometimes it has to do vvith the eyes sometimes with the Tongue in proposing certaine Lawes and prescriptions to both now it stops the cares then it binds the hands and is still employed in managing and ordering the senses sometimes an affection of Luxury begins to rise this is presently suppress'd by casting upon it the bridle of Chastity At other times an affection of impatiency does start up and swell like a blister or bile Reason lets not this alone but launces it and le ts out the corruption Saint Paul was a skillfull Musitian as appeares by that confession of his 1 Cor. 9. I chastise my body and bring it into subjection And thus Gods elect ones are principally employed in tuning their Instruments in winding up or letting down the pins Now they strive with their Anger then reprehend Envy now they stir up and awaken their drowsinesse by and by they bridle their Laughter and wantonnesse and if griefe be predominant they mitigate it with lenitives with the comforts that do spring and arise from Gods promises and the consideration of his providence With the forenam'd and like strings of passion Reason like a good Artist is ever busied remitting some and intending others till all at length they become harmonious free from debate and dissention Those that are mark'd for heaven Gods chosen people never give way to their loose affections They are the greatest Admirers of other mens vertues and the hardest Censurers of their owne infirmities and ever shew the least pity to themselves for if upon a privy search and enquiry into their owne bosomes they find any unlawfull desire or any lust that domineers in their brests they presently sentence it to death and Crucifie it This therefore is a signe that we are predestin'd to eternall life if we crucifie the flesh with its imbred vices and lusts They that do this belong to Christ To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be ascribed as is most due all Glory and Honour from this time forth and for ever more Amen SYMBOLVM XII Moderatio affectuum Sub te erit appetitus eius et tu dominaberis illiut Genes 4. AN APPENDIX To the twelve Signes of PREDESTINATION Concerning the paucity or small number of those that are predestinated to salvation SAint BERNARD shall put an end to the former discourse Ser. 2. de Oct Pasel who sayes the Lord knowes who are his and he only knowes whom he hath chosen from the beginning of the World But what man is there that knoweth whether he deferves love or hatred Therefore if it be certaine that a man in regard of his daily infirmities cannot be alwayes certaine of his Salvation who then will not be much delighted when one shall offer to his consideration the signes of Election And what rest can our Spirits find in themselves untill we have gotten some sure testimonies that we are predestinated to eternall joyes Faithfull and true is the word most worthy of all acceptation which commends unto us infallible testimonies and pledges of our salvation In this word indeed there is ministred comfort to the Efect and all manner of excuse is taken from the reprobate For when the signes and markes of our predestination are discovered he that neglects them is manifestly convinced that he disregards the state of his Soule and makes nothing of Heaven the Land of the living By right such a man ought to blame none but himselfe who will not understand nor be saved God has not by a blind Chance predestined these to Heaven and those to Hell knowne unto the Lord are his workes from the beginning of the world Act. 15. Prosp Resp 3. ad Object Gal. And Prosper saies That good men are not necessitated to perish because they are not predestinated but therefore not predestinated to life because God foresaw that by their wicked deeds they would deserve death Li. 1. ad simplic St. August consents with Prosper in this God saies he did not hate Esau as a man but as a man full of sin or as a notorious Sinner For God hates nothing in man but sin he saies also in another place thus It is sin alone that obstructs our way and stops our passage to Heaven We all hasten and post to one end or marke and there be divers paths and maine wayes in which we move and run to that end and many perish in their race The way that leads to life is narrow and thorny The way of perdition is spred with Roses soft and easie it is a descent into pleasant valleyes whereas the other is climbing up of high and rugged Mountaines Truth it selfe or Christ who is the