and Intercession Christ's Blood his Agony his Sweating in the Garden his Crucifixion upon the Cross all these were for his People Isai 53. 5. He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are healed So that hence it evidently appears that Believers and they alone have interest in Christs Merits and enjoy the benefits flowing from them They are his Seed the Church his Body his Members 〈◊〉 Redeemed ones a Peculiar People For them Christ pray'd Joh. 17. 9. For them Christ shed his Precious Blood For them he became a Ransome and a Price of Redemption For them he Died and Rose again For saith the Apostle Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our Offences and rose again for our Justification And which is the highest Degree of Christs meriting for us He took our Sins upon him by imputation as the Apostle saith the 2 Cor. 5. 21. For he hath made him to be Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him A third Demonstration is That Believers Demon. 3. Believers have the Precious Influences Christs Spirit have the Precious Influences of the Spirit of Christ All true Believers do pertake of such Heavenly Influences as are from the Head shed down upon the Members Now the Influences of the Spirit of Christ are discovered 1. By the Graces of the Spirit and the resemblances whereunto the Spirit is compared 1. For the Graces of the Spirit or Fruits they are mentioned Eph. 5. 9. Goodness Righteousness and Truth And a large enumeration is set down Eph. 5. 22 23. Love Joy Peace Long-Suffering Gentleness Faith Meekness Temeprance Every Grace is the Fruit of the Spirit Now Christ as Head Communicates Grace to all his Members and they receive according to their Measure and Proportion There 's in Christ a fulness of Wisdom to Counsel of Mercy to Pardon of Righteousness to Justify of Holiness to Sanctifie And Pro Legis gratia quae praeteriit gratiam Evangelii accepimus hanc manentem pro numbris imaginibus veteris Testamenti gratia veritas per Christum facta est Aug. Epist 11. there 's a derivation from the Root to the Branches Joh. 1. 16. And of his fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace 2. Le ts consider the Resemblances whereunto the Spirit is compar'd There are certain Metaphors mentioned in the Scripture whereby the Properties and Influences of the Spirit of God are more evidenced as for instance 1. The Spirit is compared to a Fire 1. The Spirit is compared to a Fire 1. As Fire enlightens and gives Light to a whole Room so the Spirit of God inlightens the understanding 2. Fire ascends so where the Spirit of God is there the affections are raised from Earth to Heaven 3. Fire is Consumptive it burns Stubble so doth the Spirit burn and consume Corruptions 4. Fire hath a penetrative vertue to creep into the pores of a combustible Body So doth the Spirit penetrate the Windings and Diverticles of the Heart The Spirit searcheth the Reins and discovers the most hidden things 5. Fire doth inflame and transform things into its own nature It makes combustible matter like it self So the Spirit of God fills the Soul with a Divine Ardour It 's called the Spirit of burning Isa 4. 4. where the Spirit of God comes it purgeth away the Dross of Corruptions by the Spirit of Judgment and by the Spirit of Burning 2. The Spirit is compared unto Water 2. The Spirit is compared to Water 1. Water hath a quenching Vertue In Water there 's a quenching and purifying Property 1. In Water there 's a quenching Property Water quencheth Fire at least abates and cools the heat so where God's Spirit comes it sometimes quencheth the heat of inordinate Passions and sometimes abates cools and moderates the heat of them God's Spirit is a Spirit of Meekness A Man 's own Spirit is a boistrous Spirit which upon any disgust is all in a Flame But God's Spirit extinguisheth the heat of Fury and Anger When Christ bad the raging Sea be still there was a great Calm so when the Spirit of God comes into the Spirit of Man it becalms all the Affections it sets them in order and fixeth them upon the right Objects Philosophers write De sedandis affectibus and yet they are meer Strangers to that Meekness which is one of the Beatitudes Mat. 5. 5. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth That is Meekness in a Theological acceptation which moderates Anger and keeps it within just bounds when there are causes of provocation To know when to be angry and when to be meek is a great Point of Wisdom To be zealous in the cause of God and meek in a Man 's own cause is well beseeming a Christian Wherefore Luther speaking of a right placed Anger or Zeal saith It 's the best Ira in suo loco est optimuâ—â— Dei Donum Luth. Gift of God But when Men are transported with Passion like the Lunatick in the Gospel rending and tearing themselves or like Cities without Gates or Bars or like Waters that will keep in no Banks or like Fire that flames higher and higher O! what necessity is there of the cleansing Vertue of the Spirit of God which as Water quencheth flames of Fire so it quencheth the flaming Fury of exorbitant Passions and brings a Man into a sedate and composed frame of Spirit In Water there 's a purifying and cleansing 2 Water hath a cleansing Vertue Property Water casts out Garbidg and noisom Carrion And as Water cleanseth bodily Filthyness so the Spirit of Christ cleanseth from filthyness of Flesh and Spirit i. e. both outward and inward defilements Where the Spirit of God takes it's habitation it ringeth and washeth all clean what 's filthy and noisom it throws out For God's Spirit will not cohabit with a Cage of unclean Birds and noisom Lusts We read that Elias Christ's Fore-runner was like a Refiners fire and like Fullars Soap As the Refiner purgeth out Mal. 3. 3. Dross so doth the Spirit of Christ purge out Sin and Corruption and as the Fullers Soap scours washeth and cleanseth the Cloth and makes it pure and white so doth the Spirit of Christ purify and cleanse the Soul At Christ's transfiguration we read Mark 3. 3. And his Rayment became shining exceeding white as Snow so as no Fuller on Earth can white them From this comparison it 's intimated that although other Fullers can make Garments white and clean yet no Fullers Soap can make the Cloth so white and clean as the Blood of Christ can purify and cleanse the Soul 3. The Spirit is resembled to Ointment A third comparison of the Spirit whereunto it 's resembled is Ointment The Properties of Ointment are 1. To supple and asswage Humors in the Body so doth the
Tempestuous Waves of the Sea dashing one upon another with renewed Violence Now though Job could not remove these heavy Afflictions yet he found the Sense of them much abated and his Spirit much quieted by Praising God for all and acknowledging the Hand of God in all as appears Job 1. 21. Third However though Afflictions 3. Afflictions are Sanctified continue very great and painful and neither removeable nor sense of Mitigation appears at present yet the worst of Afflictions are through Mercy Sanctified to the Children of God Affliction in it self is not Bonum yet it 's turn'd in Bonum to the Good of all true Believers The Good Figgs were carried away Captive for their Good Jer. 24. 5. The Tribe of Judah resembled by those Good Figgs was carried away Captive into Babylon but God wrought Good for them out of their Captivity Men would be apt to pass Censures because of the Sufferings of Judah in their Captivity but the Lord Corrects their Censures in promising that all shall be for their Good Quasi diceret prepostere fieri judicium de calamitate paucorum annorum sed expectandum esse finem Calvin in Jer. 24. 5. Luther in Gen. 6. As if he should say That a Judgment of the Calamity of a few Years is made preposterously but the End must be expected as Calvin observes on the place fore-quoted Jer. 24. 5. The Lord Professeth that he humbled and proved his People and his end was to do them Good in the latter End Deut. 8. 16. We are Corrected for our Profit Heb. 12. 10. Luther used to say Schola crucis est Schola lucis non est Christanus qui non est crucianus It 's a common saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections are Instructions so they should be and they are happy where Correction and Instruction meet together as the Psalmist Cum vibices dorso meo imprimeres precepta tua cordi meo insculpsisti Rivet in Psalm expresseth Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the Man whom thou chastneth O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law Joseph's Brethren when they were in distress in Egypt reflected upon their Sin and were perplexed for it which was committed many Years before and lookt upon their present Suffering as a just Punishment for that Sin Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another we are verily Prius quam urgeret eos afflictio tor pebant nunc ingredi coguntur in suas conscientias Calvin in Gen. 42. 21. Guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the Anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this Distress come upon us They are good Observations Oculos quos culpa claudit poena aperit vexatio Qui tribulantur Sacras Scripturas melius intelligunt Secundi prosperi eas leguâ—â— sicut Oviâ—ii carmen Luther dat intellectum The Fiery Furnace did not hurt the Three Children Only Three were cast into the Furnace but there appeared a Fourth even the Angel of God for their Deliverance The nature of Fire was changed insomuch as it had no power so much as to Singe an Hair of their Heads The Mouths of the Lyons were stopt and could not hurt Daniel Daniel was Dan. 7. 22. cast alone into the Den but he was not alone there for he had the company of an Angel of God who was sent to shut the Lyons Mouths The Deluge of Water which Drowned the whole World did not drown Noah's Ark. but bare it up so Afflictions when Sanctified are so far from hurting God's Children as they help them and lift them up nigher to Heaven Afflictions are as a vantage ground to raise them higher to see a great deal further or like so many Looking-Glasses to represent to the Children of God their Stains and Deformities I shall apply a saying of St. Ambrose Quod pateris unde plangis Medicina est tibi non poena castigatio non damnatio noli repellere flagellum Domini nisi vis repelli ab haereditate Tribuâ—atio est aqua salsa quae Scabiem purgat abstergit Guil. Paris de morib 9. It 's reported that salt Marishes cure disseased Sheep I am sure Salt preserves Meat from Putrifaction Scullions scoure away Rust from Vessels The Fan separates the Wheat from the Chaff much more do Afflictions when Sanctifi'd advantage God's Children But we must know that it was not the moving Veniet tribulatio mea veniet purgatio mea August Psal 61. Joh. 5. 4. of the Waters of the pool of Bethesda that made them Healing but it was the coming of the Angel at a certain Season who troubled the Waters and afterwards who ever stept in first was Healed It was not the Mantle of Elijah that divided the Waters but the God of Elijah neither will Troubles Losses Sufferings meerly considered as in themselves do us any good unless the Lord Sanctify them to us and by them Purge Purify Refine and Cleanse us and make us partakers of his Holiness Wherefore our Duty is with a calm and sedate Spirit to submit unto God's Correcting Hand and act Faith on Promises and exercise Patience and Pray Job 36. 10. that God would open our Ears to receive Discipline and Purge out our Dross and Tin so that by Afflictions and Corrections our Sins and Corruptions may be wrought out and Graces wrought into our Hearts If Afflictions produce such good Effects we shall be exceeding great Gainers by our Losses and after a deliberate reflecting upon all our Sufferrings we shall Experimentally conclude with David every one of us in particular as Psal 119. 67. Before I was Afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Words Comp. with vers 17. It is good for me that I have been Afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes What great benefit God's People get by their Sufferings is evidently Represented Psal 68. 13. Though ye have lain among the Pots yet shall ye be as the Wings of a Dove covered with Silver and her Feathers with yellow Gold | Etiam jacueritis inter vasa plena fuliginis i. e. oppressi fueritis magna calamitate candidi laetique reddemini ob liberationem Vatab. This as good Authors observe sets forth the happy Issue of Afflictions and the great Benefit which the People of God get by them but of this more largely in the next particular Fourthly and lastly though Afflictions 4thly Vnde sequitur non semper jucunda serenitate frui Ecclesiam sed ex tenebris erutam splendorem recuperare ac si ab omni malo intacta foret Calv. may be heavy for a time yet the exceeding great Compensation and Profit acruing in the close will make amends for all So it was with Job Jam. 5. 11. Ye have heard of the Patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord. And what that was we have Recorded Job 42 10. | Scriptura monet ipsi duplo facultates amissas fuisse
redditas benedictione sc Domini quae abunde ditat Merc. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before Christ makes a large Promise consisting of many particulars which according to the Rule of an Induction concludes Universally Mat. 19. 29. And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Names Sake shall receive an Hundred Fold and shall Inherit Everlasting Life The meaning is not that a Man should receive an Hundred Fathers or Mothers c. but that he should receive Christ who is infinitely | Ipse unus Christus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sâ—nt omâ—â—a August Exoâ— 12. 36. more worth then all Sometimes God makes up the Losses of his Suffering Servants in kind God gave the Israelites Favour in the Eyes of the Egyptians so that at parting from them They Spoiled them And God took away the Substance of Laban and gave it unto Jacob in Recompence of his rigorous Servitude however if God doth not make up worldly Losses with the Riches of the World yet he makes them up to his Children with Spiritual Riches which are as much better as Heaven is better than Earth David lost his Wives his House even all that he had of the World at the sacking of Ziglag but he had that which was infinitely better than all that he had Lost for he had Consolations from Heaven and Supportation from God 1 Sam. 30. 6. But David incouraged himself in the Lord his God It 's a saying commonly observ'd Virtus repulsae nescia Sordidae I have Read that when Alexander was in a great Strait and was put upon an hard Service he said En periculum par animo Alexandri here 's a Danger fit for the Mind of an Alexander to Encounter withal So David in his great Straits at Ziglag discovered heroical Magnanimity he sunk not under those heavy Pressures but made use of the Right and only Support and Strength in Trouble as the Text Specifies But i. e. notwithstanding the Burning of Ziglag the carrying away his Wives and many People Captive and the Mutiny of the discontented Souldiers who threatned to Stone him David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Manasseh gain'd more good by a Prison than by a Palace and was a greater gainer for his Soul by an Iron Chain than by a Chain of Gold when the Prodigal fed on Husks he understood himself better than when he fed delicately at his Fathers Table Zeno could say after he Jam didici Philosophari Zeno. had suffered Shipwrack Now I have learned to be a Philosopher And should not a Christian say Experimentally By Sufferings Losses and Crosses I have Learned to value all things under the Sun at a lower rate than ever and Christ and his Graces and Heaven at an higher rate It was a frequent saying of Aquinas that great School-Doctor Mallem bonam conscientiam quam plenum marsupium Aquinas I had rather have a good Conscience than a full Purse But instar omnium the Apostles Determination takes place Phil. 3. 8. who counted all things but Loss and Dung in comparison of Christ The Original words are Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Loss and Garbidge Put Christ and his Riches in one Scale and the World with all its Pomp and Bravery in another Scale and these are less than the Dust of the Ballance in comparison of Christ and his Riches for these will infinitely preponderate Wherefore let us make sure of Eternal and never fading Riches It was a choice saying of Lewis of Bavoyer Emperour of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent i. e. Such Riches are to be got as when a Shipwrack comes they will Swim out with us And these are only the Riches of Christ CHAP. VIII Containing a Second Reason drawn from the excellency of a quiet and submissive Frame of Spirit I now Proceed to a Second Reason 2. Reason drawn from the excellency of this submissive Spirit drawn from the excellency of this submissive Frame of Spirit which yields to God and Resignes all to his Disposal Solomon tells us Prov. 12. 26. The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour and Prov. 17. 27. A Man of Understanding is of an excellent Spirit Now wherein doth the excellency of this Wise Man Shine but by the lustre of his Graces Grace is the Beauty of the Soul and no Ornament like those of Divine Graces to Adorn a Christian Now a Man of a Wise composed Spirit who depends on God for his Portion and stays upon his All-Sufficiency and makes it his Study to resign himself and to submit to God's Will in all Estates and Conditions whatsoever such a Man doth in a Conspicuous and Eminent manner exert and exercise six choice Graces viz Wisdom Faith Hope Patience Self-Denial and Holy Courage Every one of these is an expedient and help for the right Management of a Christian excellent Spirit amidst varieties of Hardships and Sufferings incumbent on us First For Wisdom As it is a sign of 1. Wisdom Prov. 22. 3. Mich. 6. 9. Prudence to Foresee Evil so it is a Character of a Man of Wisdom To hear the Rod and who hath appointed it He is a Wise Man that deliberately observes the handy Works of God and acknowledgeth his Wisdom Power and Soveraignty in ordering all Affairs It 's a doggish Quality to snarl at the Stone and not to take notice of the Hand that Threw it To make a strict enquiry into Second Causes to find out such and such an Evil Instrument and to quarrel wlth them by reviling words and revengeful deeds Oh! How unsutable is this to a Christian Spirit That eminent Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Dod was a signal example of Meekness and Compassion towards his Enemies In the beginning of the late sad and lamentable Wars a Souldier who had Plundred his House and gave him reproachful and threatning Language a few days after that Souldier being Sript in the Battle at Edge-Hill Fled for his Life and came again to Mr. Dods House in a forlorn Condition ready to be Starved for want of Cloathing which when that good Man Mr. Dod heard of hâ— sent Cloaths unto him to cover his Nakedness Here 's the Wisdom of a Christian Spirit to understand the great Duty mentioned by the Apostle Not to Rom. 12. 21. be overcome of Evil but to overcome Evil with Good When the Psalmist tells of the Afflictions of God's Children Psal 107. 39. and of their Deliverance ver 40 41 42. he Concludes ver 43. Who so is Wise and will observe those things even they shall understand the Kindness of the Lord. Quid de paenarum acerbita te qnecimur unus quisque nostrum se punit Slav. lib. 3. A Wise Man under Afflictions will inquire into the Cause and reflect upon himself as the Church did
Drowning amidst all the Tossing of Waves one following upon the Neck of another even then will the Believer be safe and secure from Danger A Third and last Case I shall mention 3. Case How to behave ones self in Afflictions is How should the Children of God behave themselves as to the Wickeds Prosperity and as to their own Adversity For Answer I shall lay down Twâ— Answ Negatives 1. That those that fear God ought not to Envy the vilest of Men. 2. They ought not to act any Personal Revenge against them After I have proved these Negatives I shall produce and prove several Affirmatives as so many Remembrances and Frontlets which ought to be set before the Eyes of all good Men. First For the Negatives The First 1. Propos We ought not to envy Wicked Men. Mat. 27. 18. Act. 7. 9. Act. 13. 45. Gal. 5. 21. Prov. 27. 4. Proposition is That Good Men in their greatest Sufferings ought not to Envy Wicked Men Envy is frequently Forbidden in the Word of God particularly Psal 37. 1. Prov. 23. 17. Envy caused the Jews to Crucify Christ. Envy moved the Patriarchs to sell Joseph into Egypt Envy caused the unbelieving Jews to contradict Saint Paul's Doctrine Envy is one of the Deeds of the Flesh It Slayeth the silly one it 's the cause of Confusion who is able to stand before it And therefore its Ipse Hercules qui omni generâ— monstrorum terras liberavit non prius invidum debellare vâ—luit quam eâ—rebus humanis exemptum esset Baud Orat. unbeseeming any Christian to Envy the Greatness and Riches of the worst of Men. That old Mnason and Eminent Servant of Christ Mr. Dod wished thus I would saith he I were the worst Minister in England not meaning that he himself would be worse than he was but that all Ministers were better than he Saint Augustine saith Tolle invidiam quod meum est habes Tolle invidiam quod tuum est ego hâ—beo August in Psal 136. Take away Envy and what is mine you have and take away Envy and what is yours I have Luther saith That Envyous Men Feed upon the Dung of other Men. They are like Flies that love to fasten upon Sores Erasmus tells of one who Collected all the lame defective Verses in Homer and passed over all those that were Excellent Parisiensis a learned Author and one of the most Ingenuity that I know of amongst his Party brings in Gregory saying That all the Poison in the old Serpent is in the Sin of Envy as if it had Emptied it self of its Poison and Vomited it self in this Sin Envy by some is called Serra animae a Saw to Cut the Heart-strings Asunder Envy caused the first Division and Breach that ever was in the World and that was between Cain and Abel and wherefore was Cain so Envions against Abel as to Slay him The Apostle gives the Reason 1 Joh. 3. 12. Because his own Works were Evil and his Brothers Good Let all Christians therefore be perswaded to lay aside all Envies Why should any Envy any Man Tormented with the Gout although he wear a Golden Slipper Why should a Man Envy a Murtherer therer upon the Gallows because he is Cloathed with Tissue and Hanged in a Silken Halter I have read a Story of a Souldier who upon his March left his Colours and Rob'd a Vineyard whereupon he was Condemned to Dye and as he was going to Execution he fell to Eating a bunch of Grapes whereupon saith one of his fellow-Souldiers Doest not thou take Notice whither thou art going and wilt thou now be Eating of Grapes O saith the Condemned Person My Friend Envy me not these Grapes for they Cost me Dear There 's no cause of Envying Wicked Men their Pleasures which are but Bitter-sweets 2. Propos That Good Men ought not to act any personal revenge A Second Proposition is That Good Men ought not to act any Personal Revenge against those Wicked Men who are their bitter Enemies and such as are Inveterate and Implacable None may presume to Rob God of his Prerogative nor wring the Sword of Justice out of his Hand God hath said Vengeance is mine I will Repay saith the Lord Rom. 12. 19. A place took out of Deut. 32. 35. It was the high Commendation Nihil obâ—ivisci solebat praeter injurias of Julius Caesar That he was wont to forget nothing but Injuries When a Philosopher was railed at by a prating malicious Fellow he caused his Servant to Light him Home with a Candle and a Lanthorn Remarkable is the Story of Doctor Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in forgiving Injuries even to Admiration of all insomuch as it became a Proverb Do Bishop Cranmer an ill Turn and you shall have him your Friend ever after Christians should shew a generous Spirit in passing by Injuries and recompencing Evil with Good This is their Honour as Solomon saith For a Man to cease from Strife Prov. 20. 3. And it 's a Character of Discretion and Glory both To defer Anger and to pass over a Transgression Prov. 19. 11. To render Good for Good that 's a Common Civility even amongst Heathens themselves to render Evil for Good is Diabolical But to render Good for Evil is well becoming a Christian And by forgiving our Enemies and doing Good to them that do Evil to us we Imitate the Example of Christ Who when 1 Pet. 2. â—â— he was Reviled Reviled not again when he Suffered he Threatned not Christ Prayed for his Enemies and so did Stephen And so ought we to do By Meekness and Patience in Suffering and by passing an Act of Oblivion for Injuries we Heap Coals of Fire on the Heads of our Enemies and we shall melt and mollify them For as Bucer observes He being ashamed by thy Kindness will descend into Ille beneficentiâ pudefactus in sese descendet â—um enim ignis quem ejus Conscientâ— accendisti exuret in eo quicquid est erga te Bucer his own Heart and then the Fire which thou hast Lightned in his Conscience will burn up all Malice against Thee and Thou shalt Save him Yet notwithstanding a Christian ought to Study to forgive and forget Injuries hereby he is not prohibited any Appeal to Good and wholesome Laws for Justice when necessity and equity Compel thereunto Rom. 13. 4. Rom. 13. 3. For the Magistrate beareth not the Sword in vain And Rulers are not a Terrour to Good Works but unto Evil. However let all Christians follow the things that make for Peace and evidence their patient and meek Spirits by overcoming the Evil of Anger with the Goodness of Meekness the Evil of Pride with the Goodness of Humility the Badness of Revenge with the Goodness of Forbearance having before their Eyes the Charge of the Apostle Eph. 4. 32. And be ye kind one to another tender Hearted forgiving one another as God for Christ's Sake hath forgiven
Perseverance so we are commanded 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without Ceasing The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Intermission or Continually This is Interpreted by the same Apostle Ephes 6. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in every Season and Col. 1. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alwayes He saith Austin prayeth continually who lets no Day pass without Prayer Though God Frown and be Angry we must persevere in the Duty of Prayer And it 's a good Signe to continue Fervent in the Duty even when God defers us and seems not to hear us A Hypocrite will not hold out He prayes only by Fits and Starts VVill he delight himself in the Almighty VVill he always call upon God saith Job c. 27. v. 10. A Third and Last Duty as a Special Duty 3. To get the Ornament of a meek quiet Spirit Help and Direction to depend upon God's All-Sufficiency even in Suffering Times is To labour to get the Ornament of a Meek and Quiet Spirit which as the Apostle Peter saith is in 1. Pet. 3. 4. the Sight of God of great Price A composed quiet Spirit is put into an excellent capacity to submit unto God and depend on him amidst the greatest Straights and Difficulties It 's Observed that Glowormes shine brightest in the darkest Nights I am sure a meek and quiet Spirit appears most conspicuously in the Night of Afflictions Some are naturally more Meek than others and have in some measure attained unto this Moral Vertue as Socrates and other Heathens did But a Christians Meekness shews it self amidst Revilings Buffettings and variety of Evil Entreaties from ungodly Men. How doth he labour to moderate his Passions and even amidst blustring Storms and Tempests then he endeavours to becalm his Spirit so that though there be Storms without he would gladly get and keep Serenity within For Instance when God Chastiseth with his own Immediate Hand by Famine Pestilence or other Noxious Diseases now is a time to exercise Meekness and Composedness of Spirit When God permits Satan and his Instruments to Persecute the Saints then is the time to be Silent and avoid Murmuring and Reviling Language and to prepare to do and Suffer as becomes Christians and quietly to wait for God's Salvation God's Vine Thrives most by Bleeding and Persecutors serve instead of Gold-Smiths to Purify and Refine God's Children in the Furnace of Affliction The Fire purifieth Gold and Silver but consumes Stubble Wicked Men grow worse and worse by Afflictions but Godly Men grow better and better more weaned from the World more Heavenly minded and more Fruitful in every Good Word and Work It 's observable that Oyl increaseth the Flame whereas Water quencheth it Fretting and Chafing is like Oyl to the Flame Meekness is like Water to quench it A Flint is sooner broken on a Pillow than on an Anvile A soft Answer saith Solomon turneth away Wrath. Meekness and Calmness of Spirit Works much Good every way for a Meek Man enjoyeth himself and those Possessions which God bestoweth on him Psal 37. 11. But the Meek shall Inherit the Earth and shall Delight themselves in the abundance of Peace This Christ Promiseth Mat. 5. 5. They are Blessed Persons They shall be free from many outward Vexations whereunto Angry Persons expose themselves They shall as Hierome Observes Inherit Haereditabunt terram illam viventium â—â—a mites humiles possideb terram hoc est vitam aeternam Hieron in Psal 37. this Earth and the Life to come Meek Persons have Interest in those Promises whereof one is They shall Eat and be Satisfied Psal 22. 26. Another is That God will Guide them in Judgment Psal 25. A Third is That God will Beautify the Meek with Salvation Psal 149. 4. If then we would profit by Afflictions we must get a meek and quiet Spirit Affliction Preacheth Meekness of Spirit And some have learn't more Meekness by a few Weeks Imprisonment than by hearing Sermons for many Years before Affliction is one of God's Teaching Ordinances and when a chastising Rod and a teaching Word go together there 's a Mercy in such an Affliction If we would be followers of Christ we must be Lowly and Meek for he Propounds himself a Pattern for our Imitation Learn of Me for I am Meek and Lowly in Heart and ye shall find Rest unto your Souls Mat. 11. 29. If we would Reap any Profit by the Word we must Receive it with Meekness 1 Jam. 1. 21. If we would gain a lapsed Brother we Gal. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aptum reddite sanate quod Corruptum est quae significatio bene congruit buic loco Grâ—t must Restore him or set him in Joynt in the Spirit of Meekness Wherefore this will be our Wisdom and Glory both to get such a composed and quiet Frame of Spirit and so to behave our selves in Sufferings with that Mildness and Christian Meekness as that the worst of our Enemies may be constrained to Confess that God is in us undoubtedly of a Truth How many have lost the Honour and Comfort of their Sufferings by mixing their own Passions and Revengeful Speeches Froward and Reviling Speeches detract from the Honour of a Cause be it never so Good Excellent is the Counsel of Cyprian If saith he Si filii Dei sumus pacifici esse debemus corde mites Sermone Simplices affectione concordes unanimitatis nexibus cohaerentes Cypr. de unitate Ecclesiae we be the Sons of God we ought to be peaceable and mild in Heart single in our Speeches agreeing in our Affections and agreeing in the Bonds of Unanimity Thus then if we put these Three forementioned Duties into continual Practice viz. To Live by Faith to set the Spirit of Prayer a Working and Possess our selves with a meek and quiet Spirit We shall Learn to Trust and Depend upon God's All-Sufficiency amidst the greatest Fears Dangers Straights Losses and Difficulties that are either Imminent or Incumbent upon us CHAP. XVI Containing a Third Use for Examination in Five Queries IT will now be Requisite that I Inlarge Vse 3 for Examination a Third Use for Examination and Tryal whether we believe God to be All-Sufficient and whether in all times we will stay and depend upon him This nearly concerns every one of us to put our selves upon a strict Tryal and Inquisition In pursuance of this Use I shall propound these ensuing Queries Whether we acknowledge God's absolute Quer. 1 Whether we acknowledg God in the Relations he hath over us Power Soveraignty and Dominion And do we acknowledge him in those Relations he hath over us Do we acknowledge him our Creator If so we may conclude that a Creator will take care of his Creatures Do we acknowledge him our King and Governour If so we shall confess that a King will Defend Protect and Rule his Subjects Do we acknowledge God our Father Then a Father will provide for his Children Do we acknowledge