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A30202 Seasonable counsel, or, Advice to sufferers by John Bunyan. Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. 1684 (1684) Wing B5592; ESTC R3858 96,024 262

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him to forsake what he has received of God a commandment to hold fast His holy harmless and profitable notions because they are spiced with grace yield to him more comfort joy and peace and do kindle in his Soul so goodly a fire of love to and zeal for God that all the waters of the World shall never be able to quench Ay say some that 's because he is head-strong obstinate and one that will hear no reason No say I but it is because his spirit is in the hand under the conduct and preservation of a Creator A Creator can make spirits uphold Spirits and make one Spirit stronger to stand than are all the Spirits of the World to cast down To stand I say in a way of patient enduring in well doing against all that Hell can do to suppress Thirdly A Creator A Creator can bring down the Spirits that oppose and make them weak and unastable as water The Lord the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not nor is weary There is no searching of his understanding He gives power to the faint and to those that have no might he increaseth strength now mark even the youth shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall A Creator can dash the Spirits of the enemies with fear God can put them in fear and make them know that they are men and not God and that their Horses are flesh and not spirit When the enemy came to take Jesus Christ their spirits fainted their hearts died in them they went backwards and fell to the ground They had hard work to strengthen their spirits to a sufficiency to boldness and courage though they brought Halberts and Staves and Swords and weapons with them to take a naked man John 18.3 4 5 6 7. And although this is that which is not so visible to the World as some other things are yet I believe that God treads down the Spirits of men in a day when they afflict his people oftner than we are aware of or than they are willing to confess How was the hostile Spirit of Esau trod down of God when he came out to meet his poor naked brother with no less than four hundred armed men He fainted before his Brother and instead of killing kist him Gen. 33. How was the bloudy Spirit of Saul trod down when David met him at the mouth of the Cave and also at the hill Hach●lah 1 Sam. 24.62 God is a Creator and as a Creator is a Spirit maker a Spirit reviver a Spirit destroyer He can destroy body and Soul in hell Luk. 12. Fourthly A Creator As a Creator he is over all Arts Inventions and Crafts of men that are set on work to destroy Gods people whether they be Souldiers excellent Orators or any other whatsoever we will single out one the Smith that roaring fellow who with his coles and his Bellows makes a continual noise I have created the Smith saith God that bloweth the coals in the fire that bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the waster to destroy Isa. 45.16 The Smith what is he I answer an Idol-maker a promoter of false worship and one that makes Instruments of cruelty therewith to help to suppress the true Chap. 41.7 Chap. 44. the 12. Chap. 46. ● chap. 54.17 I have created the Smith saith God that bloweth the coals in the fire The Idol inventor the Idol-maker the supporter of Idol worship he is my creature saith God to teach that he has power to reach him and to command his Sword to approach him at his pleasure notwithstanding his roaring with his Bellows and his coals in the fire So then he cannot do what he will in the fire nor with his Idol when he has made it the instrument also that he makes for the defence of his Idol and for the suppressing of Gods true worship shall not do the thing for the which 't is designed by him And so the very next verse saith No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord. ver 17. And the Text saith moreover I have created the waster to destroy The waster what 's that why the Smith makes an Idol and God has made the rust the Smith makes a Sword and God has made the rust The rust eats them up the moth shall eat them up the fire shall devour them The wicked saith the Psalmist have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy and to stay such as are upright in conversation their sword shall enter into their own heart and their bow shall be broken Psal. 37.14 15. All this can God do because he is a Creator and none but God can do it Wherefore by this peculiar Title of Creator the Apostle prepareth support for suffering Saints and also shews what a good conclusion is like to be made with them that suffer for righteousness sake according to his will and that commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator Fifthly A Creator a Creator can make such provision for a suffering people in all respects as shall answer all their wants Have they lost their peace with the World have they no more peace with this World Why a Creator can make create peace can create peace peace Peace with God and peace with his conscience and that 's better than all the peace that can be found else where in the World Isa. 57.19 Have they lost a good frame of heart do they want a right frame of spirit Why though this is to be had no where in the World yet a Creator can help them to it Psal. ●1 10 Have they lost their spiritual defence do they lie too open to their spiritual foes Why this a Creator can help And the Lord shall create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon all her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all her glory shall be a defence Isa. 4 5 6. This is the work of the Spirit for though the Spirit it self be uncreate yet all the holy works of it in the heart are verily works of Creation Our new man is a Creation our graces are a Creation our joys and comforts are a Creation 2 Cor. 5.17 18. Ephes. 4.24 Isa. 65.17 18 19. Now a Creation none can destroy but a Creator wherefore here is comfort But again God hath created us in Christ Jesus that 's another thing the Sun is created in the Heavens the Stars are created in the Heavens the Moon is created in the Heavens Who can reach them touch them destroy them but the Creator Why this is the case of the Saint because he has to do with a
that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die Isa. 51.12 God says the wise man hath set the one against the other the day of adversity and the day of prosperity to the end that man should find nothing after him to complain of For as certainly as there is a time to mourn so certainly there is a time to rejoyce set I say for them that suffer for Gods cause according to Gods will Eccles. 7.14 chap. 3.4 There are several degrees of suffering for righteousness there is the scourge of the tongue The ruin of an estate the loss of liberty a Gaol a Gibbet a Stake a Dagger Now answerable to these are the comforts of the holy Ghost prepared like to like part proportioned to part only the consolations are said to abound 2 Cor. 1. But the lighter the sufferings are the more difficult it is to judge of the comforts of the spirit of God for 't is common for a man to be comfortable under sufferings when he suffereth but little and knows also that his enemy can touch his flesh his estate or the like but little I say 't is common for such a man to be comfortable in his sufferings from the consideration that his enemies can touch him no further And this may be the joy of the flesh the result of reason and may be very much if not altogether without a mixture of the joy of the holy Ghost therewith The more deep therefore and the more dreadful the sufferings are the more clearly are seen the comforts of the spirit when a man has comfort where the flesh is dead stirreth not and can do nothing When a man can be comfortable at the loss of all when he is under the sentence of death or at the place of execution When a mans cause a mans conscience the promise and the holy Ghost have all one comfortable voice and do all together with their Trumpets make one sound in the Soul then the comforts are good of the right kind of God and his spirit I told you before that there are several degrees of sufferings wherefore it is not to be expected that he that suffers but little should partake of the comforts that are prepared for them that suffer much He that has only the scourge of the tongue knows not what are the comforts that are prepared for him that meets with the scourge of the whip And how should a man know what manner of comforts the holy Ghost doth use to give at the Gaol and the Gibbet when himself for righteousness never was there But whether this or the other Christian knows it God has his consolations for his suffering people and those too such as are proportioned to the nature or degree of their sufferings The which shall assuredly be made appear to them that shall after a godly manner stick to his truth and trust him with their Souls Joseph was cast into Prison but God was with him John was banished into the Isle called Patmos for the word of God But what revelations of God had he there even such as he was a stranger to all his life before this therefore is to be well heeded For it is a demonstration of the faithfulness of God to those that suffering according to his will do commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Fourthly He will also be faithful to us in this He will not let the sharpness nor keenness nor venom of the arrows of the enemies of his people reach so far as to destroy both body and Soul at once but he will preserve them when what can be done is done to his eternal Kingdom and Glory Thus being preserved to his eternal Kingdom and glory is a m●rvellous thing But it must be so because God has called them to it Wherefore after Peter had told them that the Devil their adversary sought to devour them and had bidden them resist him stedfast in the faith he saith But the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal Kingdom and glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while make you perfect strengthen stablish settle you 1 Pet. 5.8 9 10. The truth is persecution of the godly was of God never intended for their destruction but for their Glory and to make them shine the more when they are beyond this valley of the shadow of death Indeed we oft-times when we are perscuted do feel the terrors of our adversaries in our minds But 't is not because they can shoot them thither nor because they of themselves have power to reach so far but we like fools by our ignorance and unbelief do admit them thither No suffering nor inflicter of suffering can reach the peace of the sufferer without his own consent This is provision of Gods making Yea and if thorow our folly their terror is admitted to touch us yet since we are not our own but are bought with a price we are not so at our own dispose but that God will have the butting and bounding of their rage as also a power to uphold and support our spirits When I said my foot slipped thy mercy O Lord held me up And the reason why by Gods ordinance the spirit is not to be touched in suffering is because that is it that is to sustain the infirmity of the sufferer therefore God will have the spirit of his servants kept sound and in good health Prov. 18.14 Isaiah 57.16 The room therefore and the ground that the enemy has to play upon is the body and outward substance of the people of God but the spirit is reserved for the reason hinted before and also that it might be capable of maintaining of communion with God And how else could they obey that command that bids them rejoyce in tribulation and glorifie God in the fires as it is Rom. 12 and Isaiah 24.15 But I say if they have not power to touch much less to destroy body and Soul for ever The body is Gods and he gives that to them to destroy the spirit is Gods and he keeps that to himself to shew that he has both power to do with us what he pleases and that he will recover our body also out of their hand for if the spirit lives so must the body when men have done what they can therewith This is the argument of our Lord Jesus Christ himself Luke 20.37.38 Therefore the faithfulness of God not only is but also will be seen by them that dare trust him till the next World to his glory and their eternal comfort We will now conclude with a short word by way of use you see how I have opened the Text and what hath naturally followed thereupon from the whole of which may be gathered First that the people of God are a suffering people a people subject to trouble for their faith and profession The reason is besides what hath been said already because the power of truth is in their
Creator he is fastned to Christ yea is in him by an act of Creation Eph. 2.10 So that unless Christ and the creation of the holy Ghost can be destroyed he is safe that is suffering according to the will of God and that hath committed the keeping of his Soul to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator And this I would have you consider moreover the man that suffereth according to the will of God committeth not such a Soul to this Creator as dwells in carnal men a naked Soul a graceless Soul a Soul that has nothing in it but sin but he commits a converted Soul a regenerate Soul a Soul adorned beautified and sanctified with the Jewels and bracelets ear-rings and perfumes of the blessed spirit of grace And I say again this is the work of a Creator and a Creator can maintain it in its gallantry and he will do so but he will put forth acts of creating power for it every day Sixthly a Creator he that can create can turn and alter any thing to what himself would have it He that made the seven Stars and Orion turneth the shadow of death into the morning He can make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water Amos 5.8 Isa. 41.18 Our most afflicted and desolate conditions he can make as a little haven unto us he can make us sing in the wilderness and give us our vineyards from thence Hos. 2.14 15. He can make Paul sing in the stocks and good Rowland Taylor dance as he goeth to the burning stake Gaols and mocks and scourgings and flouts and imprisonments and hunger and nakedness and Peril and Sword and Dens and Caves and Rocks and Mountains God can so sweeten with the Honey of his word and make so famous for situation by the glory of his presence and so rich and fruitful by the communications of the holy Ghost and so easie by the spreading of his feathers over us that we shall not be able to say that in all the world a more commodious place or comfortable condition can be found some have known this and have been rather ready to covet to be here than to shun and fly from it as a most unsavoury condition All these things I say God doth as a Creator He hath created Antipathies and he can make Antipathies close and have favour one for another The Lion and the Calf the Wolf and the Lamb the little Boy and the Cockatrice's den he can reconcile and make to be at agreement So sufferings and the Saint the Prison and the Saint losses crosses and afflictions and the Saint he can make to lie down sweetly together Seventhly A Creator A Creator can make up all that thou hast or shalt lose for the sake of thy profession by the hands of the Children of men be they Friends Relations a World life or what you can conceive of 1. Hast thou lost thy Friend for the sake of thy profession is the whole World set against thee for thy love to God to Christ his cause and righteousness Why a Creator can make up all Here therefore is the advantage that he hath that suffereth for righteousness sake Jonathan the very Son of bloody Saul when David had lost the help of all his own Relations he must fall in with him stick to him and love him as he loved his own Soul 1 Sam. 18.1 2 3. Obadiah Ahab's Steward when the Saints were driven even under ground by the rage of Jezabel the Queen he is appointed of God to feed them in Caves and holes of the Earth Yea the very Raven complied with the will of a Creator to bring the Prophet bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh at night 1 King 18.13 chap. 17.6 When Jeremiah the Prophet was rejected of all yea the Church that then was could not help him he was cast into the Dungeon and sunk to a great depth there in the mire God the Creator who ruleth the spirits of all men stirred up the heart of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian both to petition for his liberty and to put him out of the Dungeon by the help of thirty men Jer. 38.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. These now as Christ says were both Fathers Mothers Brothers Sisters and as a Loving Wife or Child Mat. 19.29 2. Hast thou for the sake of thy faith and profession thereof lost thy part in the World why a Creator can make thee houses as he did for the Midwives of Egypt and can build thee a sure house as he did for David his Servant who ventured all for the love that they had to the fear of God and his way Exo. 1.20 21. 2 Sam. 7. David was thrust out of Sauls house and driven from his own and God opened the heart of Achish the King of Gath to receive him and to give him Ziklag David when under the tyranny of Saul knew not what to do with his Father and his Mother who were persecuted for his sake but a Creator inclined the heart of the King of Moab to receive them to house and harbor 1 Sam. 27.5 6. Chap. 22.3 4. 3. Is thy life at stake is that like to go for thy profession for thy harmless profession of the Gospel Why God the Creator is Lord of life and to God the Lord belong the issues from death So then he can if he will hold thy breath in thy nostrils in spite of all the World or if he shall suffer them to take away this for his glory he can give thee another ten times as good for thy comfort He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Joh. 12.25 4. Is thy body to be disfigured dismembred starved hanged or burned for the faith and profession of the Gospel Why a Creator can either prevent it or suffering it can restore it the very same to thee again with great and manifold advantage He that made thee to be what thou now art can make thee to be what thou never yet wast It doth not yet appear what we shall be further than only by general words 1 John 3.2 Philip. 3.21 Eightly A Creator Peter sets him before us here as a Creator because he would have us live upon him as such as well as upon his grace love and mercy In Jobs day this was bewailed that none or but a few said where is God my maker that giveth songs in the night Job 35.10 Creator as was hinted before is one of Gods peculiar Titles It is not given to him above five or six times in all the Book of God and usually when given him it is either to shew his greatness or else to convince us that of duty we ought to depend upon him and not to faint if he be on our side for or under any adversity according as we are bidden in the Text Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit
disadvantages If the scourge stay suddenly that 's more than it hath done to thee he will laugh at the tryal of the innocent Job 9.23 It is a great delight to our God to see his people hold fast their integrity and not to deny his Name when under such cloudy dispensations and discouraging circumstances And considerations that thy thus doing is pleasing in his sight thorough Christ will be a support unto thee God sees thee though thou canst not now see him and he observeth now thy way though darkness is round about him and when he hath tryed thee thou shalt come forth like Gold Seventhly Take heed of setting of thy self a bound and period to thy sufferings unless that period be the grave Say not to thy afflictors Hitherto and no further and here shall your proud waves be stayed I say take heed of doing thus for fear God should let them go beyond thee For a man is not prepared to suffer further than he thinketh the enemy may be permitted to go Hence Christ sets their bounds at the loss of life and no nearer So then so far as they go beyond thee so far they will find thee unprovided and so not fortified for a reception of their on-set with that Christian Gallantry which becomes thee Observe Paul he died daily he was always delivered unto death he despaired of life and this is the way to be prepared for any calamity When a man thinks he has only to prepare for an assault by footmen how shall he contend with horses or if he looks no further than to horses what will he do at the swellings of Jordan Jer. 12.5 6. Wherefore set thine enemies no bounds say not they shall not pursue me to the death have the sentence of death in thy self For though they may but tick and toy with thee at first their Sword may reach thy heart blood at last The Cat at play with the Mouse is sometimes a fit emblem of the way of the wicked with the children of God Wherefore as I said be always dying die dayly he that is not only ready to be bound but to die is fit to encounter any amazement Eighthly If thine enemies would or do put thee under a cloud if they wrap thee up in a Bears-skin and then set the Doggs upon thee marvel not at the matter this was Joseph's David's Christ's Stephen's portion only be thou innocent say nothing do nothing that should render thee faulty yea say and do always that that should reader thee a good neighbour a good Christian and a faithful Subject This is the way to help thee to make with boldness thy appeals to God This is the way to imbolden thy face against the faces of thine enemies this is the way to keep thy conscience quiet and peaceable within thee and this is the way to provoke God to appear for thy rescue or to revenge thy blood when thou art gone And do this because 't is thy duty we must fear God and honour the King And because this is the way to make the work of thy enemies hard Few men have that boldness as to say this I do against you because you profess Christ. When they persecuted the Lord himself they said to him for a good work we stone thee not John 10.32.33 Religion that is pure is a hot thing and it usually burns the fingers of those that fight against it wherefore 't is not common for men to oppose Religion under its own naked complexion wherefore the Jews sought to fasten other matters up on Christ to kill him for them though the great spite they had against him was for his Doctrine and miracles 'T was for envy to that that they set themselves against him and that made them invent to charge him with Rebellion and Treason Mat. 27.18 Luk. 2● 2 Ninthly Wherefore it becomes all godly men to study to be quiet to mind their own business and as much as in them lies to be at peace with all men To owe no man any thing but love Pray therefore for all that are in authority pray for the peace of the Countrey in which thou dwellest Keep company with holy and quiet and peaceable men Seek by all good ways the promotion of godliness put up injuries be good to the poor do good against evil be patient towards all men for these things are good and profitable to men Tit. 3.8 Be not enclining to injure men behind their backs speak evil of no man reproach not the Governour nor his actions as he is set over thee all his ways are Gods either for thy help or the tryal of thy graces Wherefore he needs thy prayers not thy revilings thy peaceable deportment and not a troublesome life I know that none of these things can save thee from being devoured by the mouth of the Sons of Belial 1 King 21.12 13. Only what I say is duty is profitable is commendable is necessary and that which will when the Devil has done his worst render thee lovely to thy Friends terrible to thine enemies serviceable in thy place as a Christian and will crown the remembrance of thy name to them that survive thee with a blessing The memory of the just shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10.7 Tenthly I will conclude then with a word to those professors if there be any such that are of an unquiet and troublesome spirit Friends I may say to you as our Lord said once to his Disciples ye know not of what spirit ye are To wish the destruction of your enemies doth not become you If ye be born to and are called that you may inherit a blessing pray be free of your blessing bless and curse not If you believe that the God whom you serve is Supream Governour and is also wise enough to manage affairs in the World for his Church pray keep fingers off and refrain from doing evil If the counsel of Gamaliel was good when given to the enemies of Gods people why not fit to be given to Christians themselves Therefore refrain from these men and let them alone if the work that these men do is that which God will promote and set up for ever then you cannot disannul it if not God has appointed the time of its fall A Christian and of a troblesome spirit for shame forbear shew out-of a good conversation thy works with meekness of wisdom and here let me present thee with three or four things First consider that though Cain was a very murderer yet God forbad any mans medling with him under a penalty of revenging his so doing upon his own head seven said And the Lord said unto him therefore whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold Gen. 4.15 But why not meddle with Cain since he was a murderer The reason is because he persecuted his Brother for righteousness sake and so espoused a quarrel against God for he that persecutes another for
righteousness sake sets himself against God fights against God and seeks to overthrow him Now such an one the Chrian must let alone and stand off from that God may have his full blow at him in his time Wherefore he saith to his Saints and to all that are forward to revenge themselves Give place stand back let me come leave such an one to be handled by me Dearly-beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Rom. 12.19 Wherefore the Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should slay him You must not indeed you must not avenge your selves of your enemies Yea though it was lawful once so to do it is not lawful now Ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy but I say said our Lord love them bless them do good to them and pray for them that hate you Mat. 5.43.44 Secondly Revenge is of the flesh I mean this our revenge of our selves and it proceeds from anger wrath impatience under the cross unwillingness to suffer from too much love to carnal ease to estates to enjoyments to relations and the like It also flows from a fearful cowardly spirit there is nothing of greatness in it except it be greatness of untowardness I know there may for all this be pretences to justice to righteousness to the liberty of the Gospel the suppressing of wickedness and the promoting of holiness but these can be but pretences or at best but the fruits of a preposterous zeal For since as has been often said in this Treatise the Lord hath forbidden us to do so it cannot be imagined that he should yet animate any to such a thing by the holy Ghost and the effects of the graces thereof Let them then if any such be that are thus minded be counted the narrow spirited carnal fleshly angry waspish spirited professors The professors that know more of the Jewish than of the Christian Religion and that love rather to countenance the motions passions and gross motions of an angry mind than with meekness to comply with the will of a heavenly Father Thou art bid to be like unto him and also thou art shewed wherein Mat. 5.45 46 47 48. There is a man hates God blasphemes his Name despises his Being Yea says There is no God And yet the God that he carrieth it thus towards doth give him his breakfast dinner and supper clothes him well and when night comes has him to bed gives him good rest blesses his Field his Corn his Cattel his Children and raises him to high-estate Yea and this our God doth not only once or twice but untill these transgressors become old his patience is thus extended years after years that we might learn of him to do well Thirdly a professor and unquiet and troublesome discontented and seeking to be revenged of thy persecutors where is or what kind of graces hast thou got I dare say they even these in which thou thus actest are none of the graces of the spirit The fruits of the spirit are love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law But wrath strife seditions traitors and inventors of evil things are reckoned with the worst of sins and sinners and are plainly called the works of the flesh Rom. 1.29 30 31. 2 Tim. 3.3 4. Galat. 5.19 20 21. But I say where is thy love to thine enemy where is thy Joy under the Cross where is thy peace when thine anger has put thee upon being unquiet where is thy long-suffering for as thou actest not ought but thy waspishness can be seen where also is thy sweet meek and gentle spirit and is goodness seen in thy seeking the life or the damage of thy enemy Away away thy graces if thou hast any are by these thy passions so jostled up into corners and so pent for want of room and liberty to shew themselves that by the word of God thou canst not be known to be of the right kind what a noise soever thou makest A Christian when he sees trouble coming upon him should not fly in the face of the instrument that brings it but in the face of the cause of its coming Now the cause is thy self thy base self thy sinful self and thy unworthy carriages towards God under all the mercy patience and long-suffering that God has bestowed upon thee and exercised towards thee Here thou mayest quarrel and be revenged and spare not so thou take vengeance in a right way and then thou wilt do so when thou takest it by godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 11. A Christian then should bewail his own doings his own unworthy doings by which he has provoked God to bring a cloud upon him and to cover him with it in anger A Christian should say this is my wickedness when a persecutor touches him yea he should say it and then shut up his mouth and bear the indignation of the Lord because he has sinned against him Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thy heart Jer. 4.18 Fourthly What conviction of thy goodness can the actions that flow from such a spirit give unto observers none at all Yea a spirit of unquietness under sufferings and that seeketh to be revenged of those that do for thy faith and the profession thereof persecute thee is so far off of giving conviction to beholders that thou art right that it plainly tells them that thou art wrong Even Julian the Apostate when he had cast away whatever he could of Christ had this remaining with him that a Christian ought to take with patience what affliction fell upon him for his masters sake and would hit them in the teeth with an unbecoming behaviour that complained or that sought redress of them that had abused them for their faith and godly profession What will men say if you shrink and whinch and take your sufferings unquietly but that if you your selves were uppermost you would persecute also much more have they ground to say so when you will fight lying on your backs Be quiet then and if thine enemy strike thee on one cheek turn to him the other and if he also revile and curse thee down upon thy knees and pray for him This is the way to convince thy observers that thou art a godly man Father forgive them for they know not what they do was one of those things that convinced the Centurion that Jesus was a righteous man For he stood by the Cross to watch and see how Jesus carried it in these his sufferings as well as to see execution done Mat. 27.54 Luk. 23.34 47. Fifthly A professor unquiet and turbulent under sufferings and seeking his own revenge cannot be a victor over what he should nor a keeper of