apud Greg. Naz. orat 31. Chrysost contra Anomaeos orat 5. Greg. Rom. in Pastore p. 3 c. 1. §. 1◠their inward sense of their wants and instant desire of having them supplied putting a great deale of spirit and life more than ordinary into them An hungrie belly an emptie maw will make a begger begge more earnestly than when hee hath beene feeding but a little before Reade but u Psal 42. 44. 63. 77. 84. 88. 89. 102. 119. c. the Psalmes and Prayers that the Saints of God have made and penned in such cases and upon such occasions and marke what a deale of spirituall vigour and vivacitie appeareth in them Not to stand I say upon this Even the weakest and the feeblest that are must for their comfort and encouragement in this kinde be informed that x Spinaeus de Iustit Christian translated into English by Mr I. Field A booke that I wish were reprinted againe as the broths and meats and medicines that sicke persons take though they delight not the taste nor doe they finde any good relish in them by reason of their present infirmity and weaknesse yet may doe them much good and be a means both to preserve life to keepe from fainting and further weaknesse and to strengthen also in some measure so holy actions though performed with much infirmity and weaknesse yet with an holy and religious diligence may much benefit the soule so performing the same albeit it finde little spirituall relish in them or feele no comfort from them for the present Yea howsoever it be true as I said a Motive 2. before that the want of alacrity and cheerfulnesse in performance of holy Duties especially procured by some wilfull neglect or by some peevish and wayward disposition framing matter of griefe to it selfe from idle toyes and trifles unto the disturbance of it selfe in such duties doth much diminish and take away much the grace of them yet it is no lesse true that b Quibusdam lac quibusdam vinum apponitur Lac suaviter bibitur dulciter liquatur sine laesione sine amaritudine vinum asperius est minus suave Lac bibunt qui in sancto proposito suaviter incedunt dulciter currunt c. Vinum bibunt qui vias vitae aggressi ingressi corporis animae que tribulationibus contorquentur sed non cedunt neque recedunt tamen Sed quis horum tibi videtur vel ille qui in suavitate vel ille qui in asperitate currit viam mandatorum Dei primus foelicior secundus fortior uterque tamen justus uterque pius Bern. de conscient c. 3. the constant and conscionable persisting in performance of such duties notwithstanding that all good means used the poore Christian soule cannot attaine to that alacrity that faine it would may make them no lesse acceptable if not more acceptable to God than if they were done even with the greatest delight Suppose two persons attend the King in his hunting or at his sports the one that taketh much delight in the game the other that hath little or no delight in it or the one lusty and healthy and that attendeth him therefore with ease the other weake and faint or lame or having some hurt about him in regard whereof he cannot follow him but with much paine and difficulty and yet will not give over but be hard at his heeles still as ready and forward as the former His c Voluntas est quae apud nos ponit officium Senec. de benef lib. 6. c. 12. will may bee every whit as good as the other and his Soveraigne is no lesse if not more for such his service beholden to him than to the other Nor may the service of such a poore soule therefore be the lesse acceptable to God because it cannot performe it with such alacrity and delight as d Quomodò de aegroto Aug. in Psal 118. conc 8. Aegrotus qui fastidio laborat vult evadere hoc malum concupiscit defiderare cibum dum concupiscit non habere fastidium Et appetit animus ut appetat corpus quando appetit animus nec appetit corpus it desireth And in like manner for Faith and dependance upon God It is not an argument of no Faith when a man cannot yet attaine to a full perswasion and assurance of Gods speciall favour towards him and of the free remission of his sinnes in Christ that many other faithfull e Galat. 2.20 1 Iohn 3.14 5.19 20. have had and many doubtlesse also ordinarily have This is a consequent rather of Faith that as f Non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum Aug. de fid oper c. 14. Augustine saith of workes rather followeth the person justified than precedeth and goeth before Iustification as Faith being g Rom. 3.28 3.1 an instrumentall cause of producing it as an effect doth It is a consequent I say of it deduced from it as the same Father well h Servator loquitur Veritas pollicetur Qui audit verba mea credit ei qui misit me habet vitam aeternam transiit de morte ad vitam in judicium non veniet Ego audivi credidi infidelis cùm essem factus sum fidelis Transii ergò à morte ad vitam in judicium non veniam non praesumptione mea sed ipsius promissione Aug. in Ioan. 5.24 sheweth by a Syllogisme wherein Faith is assumed and this perswasion concluded from it and that not simply and absolutely necessary neither but such as is by generall consent oft severed from it But for a man though he cannot yet attaine to it yea though he never should so long as he liveth yet to resolve i Act. 11.23 Hoc suaderi à verbo quaeri persuaderi inveniri est Bern. in Cant. 84. to cleave unto God with full purpose of heart to sticke close unto him to depend wholly upon him and not to give over still seeking and suing to him for it and the constant use of all good meanes to attaine it k Psal 13.1 5. 43.2 5. like a Courtier who though the King shew him no Countenance but seeme wholly to neglect him and not at all to regard him yet will still follow the Court and tender his service and resolve to give attendance hoping yet to find acceptance at length yea to doe it constantly whether he shall finde acceptance or no or like l Matth. 15 22-28 the woman of Canaan that would follow Christ still and would take no nay of him though he seemed not only not to regard her or any other that made suit for her but to reject and put her off with much disgrace it is a sound argument of a true and a lively Faith and of no small measure of the same Question Where if it be demanded how this trusting to and dependance upon God may stand with the want of such
not every day prepared for death that is not ready to goe to God every day if God should call for him that day as who knoweth but that hee may For k Gen. 19.23 24 25. how many have risen well in the morning that never went to bed againe l Nonne multi sani dormierunt obdormierunt Aug. homil 28. Et mors somno continuata est Senec. ep 66. how many have gone well to bed that never saw day-light againe And m Cuivis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest P. Syrus apud Sen. ad Marc. c. 9. de tranq c. 11. looke what hath befalne one man may befall any man n Hodie fieri potest quicquid unquam potest Senec ep 63. that may well fall out this day that may fall out any day and o 2 Sam. 14.14 that must needs come to passe one day But yet that rule of living every day as if that day were a mans dying day must bee conceived for the manner of our behaviour and cariage not for the matter and substance of it To make this more plaine For the maine matter and substance of a mans imployment that is the workes duties and offices to bee performed of him it is not true For did a man know that this day should bee his last day or had hee some strong presumption that it were so to bee it were not lawfull for him to follow either his lawfull disports and delights or the ordinarie works of his speciall calling but rather leaving either of them hee ought wholly to apply himselfe to the setting of his house in order as p Esa 38.1 Esay willed Ezechias and the making of all straight and even betweene God and his owne soule to praier and supplication and such holy meditations as the present occasion should require But for the manner of a mans cariage in those duties that hee is dayly called unto or is conversant about it is true a man ought continually so to behave himselfe in them in being q Hoc citra diem mortis praesta moriantur ante te vitia Senec. epist 27. Vno dic ante mortem poenitentiam agito Sapiens quidom Hebraeus i. omni die Quomodo enim de die in diem differendo peccas cùm extremum diem tuum nescias Aug. epist 145. as carefull to eschew all evill whatsoever or to repent him without delay of whatsoever evill he hath beene overtaken withall and r Id ago ut mihi insta◠totius vitae sit dies Nec tanquam ultimam rapio sed sic illum aspicio tanquam esse vel ultimus possit Hoc animo tibi hanc epistolam scribo tanquam cùm maximè scribentem mors evocatura sit Paratus exire sum Senec. epist 61. to doe whatsoever worke hee doth as sincerely and as circumspectly as hee would doe if hee were to doe such duties upon his death-bed or upon his dying day or as hee would doe them if instantly upon it hee were to answer not before man but before God for the doing of them And surely a speciall meane it would bee to keepe us in compasse if we could but thinke with our selves when we are about to behave our selves in ought otherwise than we ought and than our conscience telleth us that wee should Would I doe this or doe thus if this were to be my last worke were I to die upon the doing of it or were I presently to give up an account and to make mine answer before God for it And ſ Dic tibi dormituro Potes non expergisci Dic experrecto Potes non dormire amplius Dic exeunti Potes non reverti Dic revertenti Potes non exire Senec. ep 49. who knoweth but that that worke whatsoever it bee may be thy last worke Who can tell but that thou maist be taken away in the very act of it as t Num. 25.8 2 Sam. 6.7 some have beene in the very act of iniquitie Oh how sincerely how circumspectly would we in all things behave our selves did such thoughts possesse our soules § 57. Helpe 7 A seventh helpe to this watchfulnesse is u Toti incumbamus huic operi tam sancto tam necessario scrutemur vias studia nostra in eo se quisque judicet profecisse non cùm jam non invenerit quod reprehendat sed cùm quod invenerit reprehendet c. Bern. in Cant. 58. to be oft sifting and examining our selves viewing and surveying our hearts and our lives taking account of our selves how wee watch and how wee walke how the case standeth betweene us and God how we goe backward or forward in the good waies of God and how we thrive or pare in the gifts and graces of his Spirit x 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves saith the Apostle wee should not bee judged As y Bonum judicium quod divinum praevenit quod divino subducit Volo praesentari vultui ira judicatus non judicandus Bern. in Cant. 55. there is no surer way to prevent the judgement of God than by our judging of our selves so there is no better course to prepare us for the judgement of God than by fore-judging of our selves z 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man therefore saith the same Apostle examine himselfe and so repaire to Gods boord As examination of our selves is a meane to fit us for Gods table so is it a meane also to further us in our account which we are to give up unto God Wee should live every day as wee would if wee were to goe that day to Gods boord and we should so addresse our selves when we are to repaire to Gods boord as wee would if wee were then to goe unto God and the diligent discussing of our selves and our courses is a good meane to further us in to fit us for either § 58. a Psal 4.4 Stand in awe saith the Psalmist and sinne not examine your owne hearts on your beds and be still And of himselfe else-where b Psal 119.59 I considered my waies and turned my feet againe to thy testimonies And c Zephan 2.1 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excutite vos iterumque excutite Iun. sift or search your selves saith one Prophet and search againe and againe for so the words would there be read before the sentence be executed and ye be carried away as chaffe before the fierce wrath of God come upon you and the day of Gods indignation overtake you And d Lament 3.40 Let us search and sift our waies and our courses saith another and returne unto the Lord. And e 2 Cor. 13.5 Prove your selves saith the Apostle whether you bee in the Faith or no that ye may know whether Christ be in you or no whether you be sound and sincere or but f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 counterfait Christians And againe g Galat. 6.4 5. Let each man trie his owne worke that hee may have
may a man know himselfe to bee truly religious if hee have a minde contented ever with his present estate not a Feras non culpes quod vitari non potest P. Syrus Optimum est pati quod emendare non possis Sen. ep 107. leve fit patientia Quicquid corrigere est nefas Hor. carm 1.24 barely because hee cannot mend the matter or ease himselfe by being discontent at it that is a kinde b Affectio humana caninae aequanimitatis stupore sirmata Tertull de patient of doggish stupiditie rather than Christian aequanimitie as one well saith but because c Psal 39.9 119.75 Deum quo authore cuncta proveniunt sine murmuratione sequi Senec. epist 107. Quicquid inciderit non tanquam malum aspernabitur in se casu delatum sed quasi à Deo delegatum sibi lubens amplexabitur Idem ep 120. God hath placed him in it and seeth it fittest and best for him whose d Matth. 26.39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Epictet dissert lib. 2. cap. 17. Placeat homini quicquid Deo placuit Senec epist 74. ob hoc ipsum quod Deo placeat Hieron alicubi Deus quod vult qui vult is semper est foelix holy will hee desireth to conforme his owne to and e Thymarides Pythagoricus cum discedenti quidam quasi benè precatus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dii tibi dent inquit quaecunque volueris at ille 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bona verba inquit Velim ego potuis quaecunque Dii dederint Iamblych de vita Pythag. l. 1. c. 28. Magnus est animus qu◠se Deo tradidit pusillus degener qui obluctatur de ordine mundi malè existimat Deos mavult emendare quà m se Senec. epist 107. not to writhe and wrest Gods to his and therefore f Iob 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marc. leg spir 159. is willing to receive as well evill as good from God and g 1 Sam. 3.18 Si Deus bonus Diabolus malus nec à malo boni quicquam nec à bono mali quicquam potest provenire August to rest content with whatsoever he doth whom he knoweth h Esa 39.8 to doe nothing but good and i Psal 119.71 67. to doe all things for his good that which is true piety and a good note of sinceritie wheresoever it is found But here every man will be ready to say that he may seeme religious that he is well content with his estate and thanketh God for it with k Iob 1.21 Iob whatsoever it be Well if it be so as Saint Iames saith l Iam. 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy workes so let us m Aesuanimitas vestra nota sit Philip. 4 5. shew our contentment by the effects by the fruits of it Of a note or two of contentment then a word or two and so an end One signe of contentment then is the use of lawfull means onely When a man desireth not nor endevoureth to better his estate by indirect and unwarrantable courses when a man doth n Psal 37.1 8. 73.12 13. not fret to see wicked men rise by bad meanes nor is sory that he may not doe as they doe much lesse is moved to doe wickedly and to take such courses as hee seeth wicked ones thrive withall while himselfe and other godly as himselfe seemeth to observe either decay or else stand at a stay o Genes 14.23 Abraham when the King of Sodome offered him some part of his spoyles refused to take so much as a shoe-latchet of him that the king of Sodome might not say that hee had made Abraham rich that men might not say that Abraham had beene made rich not by Gods blessing but by the Kings meanes hee might thanke the King of Sodome for his wealth So a godly man will not gaine nor desire to gaine so much as a shoe-string or shoe-thred by prophaning Gods Sabbaths with p Nehem. 13.16 the Zidonian Merchants by fraud of deceit by oppression and extortion by biting usury the Devils brokery or by any other unlawfull and indirect course that the devill may not say that he hath made him rich as hee said sometime to our Saviour q Matth. 4.9 All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me For * Illas tibi divitias Diabolus dat quas per furtum quas per fraudem acquiris Operis imperf apud Chrysost hom 5. it is of the devils gift all that is gotten by such means that is compassed by such courses and he hath neither a contented minde nor a religious heart that will seeke or take ought at the devils hand As the r Num. 9.22 23. Israelites therefore travelling through the wildernesse towards the land of promise which to have gone the next way had not been a journy of many daies yet were they many yeers about they were to goe as God led them as they saw the cloud goe before them and not to take that way that seemed best or most compendious in their owne eyes So must we ſ Observare vias Domini Psal 18.22 Heb. 11.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo de migr Abr. Idem Arrian dissert l. 1. c. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythagor apud Boeth de consol lib. 1. pros 4. Laudat Plut. in conviv Cic. de fin l. 4. Sen. de vita beata cap. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cleanthes Epictet enchir Duc me parens celsique dominator poli Quocunque placuit nulla parendi mora est Assum impiger fac nolle comitabor gemens Malusque patiar quod bono licuit pati Ducunt volentem fata nolentem trabunt Sen. ep 107. observe Gods wayes in our trading and trafficking in our walking towards wealth wee must keepe the way that God leadeth us goe no other way than we can see him going in before us follow the line of his Law though it seeme to lead us in and out backward and forward as if wee were treading of a maze and not take those wayes leaving the guidance of it that seeme gainer and neerer in our owne eyes and much more compendious than the other Though wee might compasse wealth with a word or two with the bow of a knee only the one way where as we must travell and toile and moile much ere wee come by it the other way tho wee might attaine to it within a day or a weeke the one way whereas we are like to stay long many yeers it may be ere we come at it the other way yet this way must we keepe and t Matth. 4.10 refuse all the world with our Saviour if it be offered us to intice us out of it Otherwise as the u Num. 14.44 45. Israelites when they went out of Gods precincts they went withall out of Gods protection and so fell before their foes into whose hands they fell forsaking Gods
z 1 Ioh. 5.6 7. Truth it selfe and who * Vult Deum non esse Deum qui vult eum aut impotentem aut injustum esse aut insipientem Bern. de Temp. 58. can no more cease to be true or to be just than he can cease to be God Reason 2 Againe is not God as prone thinke wee and as ready unto Mercy as unto wrath to doe good as to a Esa 45.7 Mala ultoria non peccatoriae poenae non culpae supplicia non delicta Tertull in Marc. l. 2. 3. Mala non peccata sed supplicia August epist 120. c. 19. Iustitiae non malitiae mala quae quia justitiae sunt nec mala sed bona sunt Tertull. ibid. Malum quippe malo non malè redditur Et ei cui redditur malum est quia supplicium est ei à quo redditur bonum est quia rectè factum ejus est August ad epist Pelag. lib. 2. c. 17. doe evill to blesse as to curse to fulfill his promises as to execute his threatnings and his menaces to cause to prosper as to punish Yes undoubtedly and if we may say so b Exod. 34 6 7. Psal 30.5 86.15 103.8 145.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. Epitaph Patr. Est piger ad poenas Deus est ad praemia velox Ovid. Pont. lib. 1. el. 3. much more But Gods threatnings against the wicked shall undoubtedly take effect God hath even c Deut. 29.19 20. 32.40 41 42. by a solemne Oath bound himselfe thereunto and that d Psal 68.21 Mat. 25.46 they shall finde to their endlesse woe one day unfailable that now either deny it or make doubt of it And much more then shall his free promises bee made good all to the godly The rather since that e Heb. 6.17 18. Iurat nobis per quem Juramus nec potest ab eo quisquam falli quo invocato non licet impune mentiri Athalar apud Cassiod var. l. 8. ep 3. he hath bound himselfe by Oath as well to the fulfilling of the one as to the effecting and executing of the other Vse 1 Now this consideration may first serve to cleere many places of Scripture where Gods children seeme to require God even f Psal 143.1 11. in justice to heare and helpe them and doe for them and deliver them And where God is said to bee g 1 Ioh. 1.9 just either in remitting of mens sinnes or h Heb. 6.10 2 Thess 1.6 2 Tim. 4.8 in rewarding of their workes Which places i Bellar. de Iustif l. 1. c. 21. l. 5. cap. 3 16. Rhemens in Heb. 6. 2 Thess 1. alii Popish Writers are wont to abuse and produce for the justification of their pernicious Positions concerning mans merit and the worth of mens workes As if in those places Gods Children pleaded unto God their owne merits in regard whereof God in justice might not deny them their suits they requiring nothing but what by their owne righteous actions they had even in justice deserved at Gods hands Or as if Gods justice it selfe so tied him to the rewarding of their workes in regard of the very worth and dignitie of them that God could not without some taint of injustice doe otherwise But k Apertum est qua ratione justitiam Domini petebat qui dicit Ne intres in judicium c. Nam si justitia judicium significasset hoc petere non poterat quod pavebat Cassiodor in Psal 142. Et causa reddita est quare noluerit ad judicium venire cum Domino ut non sola potestatis reverentia sed ipsa etiam videatur justitiae regula formidata ib. that the justice or righteousnesse that the Saints and Servants of God speake of in those places neither is nor respecteth simply the justice or righteousnesse of their persons in regard whereof and for the worth of which God in justice were engaged to doe for them what they require of him is hereby apparant in that in some of those very places where they require or plead this justice l Psal 143.2 8. Non contendit judicio nec praetendit justitiam recusat judicium Postulat misericordiam facilius sibi veniam impetrare posse quam justitiam vendicare confidens Bern. epist 42. Qui subjungit Sola profectò quae non solet gloriari non novit praesumere contendere non consuevit gratiam inventura est in oculis pietatis humilitas they sue yet for mercy and renounce their owne righteousnesse and refuse to be tried by the precise Rule of Gods justice But what justice or righteousnesse will some say then is it I answer It is sometime m Psal 4.1 2. Deus juste mi vel Deus justitiae mea i. causae justae meae ut Iun. Piscat Sic Psal 119.121 the justice of their cause when being falsely accused and wrongfully charged by their malicious Adversaries with such crimes as they never either committed or imagined they dare n Psal 7.3 4 8. appeale even to Gods justice and offer themselves to be tried thereby for their innocency therein Sometime it is Gods Iustice and Righteousnesse that is his Truth or his Faithfulnesse which the Psalmist therefore o Psal 143.1 joyneth together it is p Veritatem justitiam pro eodem accipit Hugo in Psal 142. ex cassiod Lombard ib. Hugh the Cardinals observation as one and the same For q Bellar. ipse ex illis verbis Neh. 9.8 Et implesti verba tua quâ—niam justus es de Iustif l. 5. c. 16. Truth or Faithfulnesse is as before was said a branch and a limme of Iustice or Righteousnesse That which even our Adversaries themselves also confesse and acknowledge expounding some such places so also themselves r 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confesse our sinnes saith Saint Iohn God is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us how but by Å¿ Ibid. vers 7. Apoc. 1.5 Christs blood from all iniquity Here t Verba illa Iustus Fidelis referuntur ad promissionem divinam Bellar. de Poenit. l. 3. c. 6. those words just and faithfull saith Bellarmine are referred to Gods Promise u Ideò enim Deus fidelis justus dicitur quia peccata confitentibus remittit quia stat promissis nec fidem fallit Bellar. ibid. For therefore saith he is God said to be faithfull and just because hee standeth to his word and breaketh not his Faith Though therein x Loquitur de remissione venialium quae justo Dei judicio redditur bonis meritis justorum Idem de Iustif l. 1. c. 21. he crosseth himselfe againe elsewhere and he addeth wretchedly yea impiously in the same place that a Promissio de remittendis peccatis eis qui confitentur Deo non videtur ulla extare in divinis literis Bellar. ubi sup there seemeth to be no promise at
withdraweth oft his face and favourable countenance away from them not till they repent onely but even after they have repented of them to make them wiser and warier for the time to come and to detest their owne folly the more for the present Reason 5 Fiftly God oft thus withdraweth and estrangeth himselfe from his d Ad crucis opus consummandum That the crosse incumbent may have its full and perfect worke on them which if it were sooner removed it would be the worse for them as when the corrasive plaister is pulled off ere the dead flesh is eaten out and indeed as it were to no end for the Surgeon to clap on a corrasive if he should pull it off againe instantly before it have done ought it were to no purpose for the Finer to put his gold into the fire if he should either pull it out againe or put out his fire before the ore he melted and the drossie matter severed So it would be to small purpose for God to lay crosses on us for the bettering and amending of us if he should presently againe so soone as we feele the smart of them and begin to whine under his hand remove them away instantly ere we be at all bettered by them or have that effected on us that God intendeth in them e Iam. 1.2 3 4. Count it matter of much joy my brethren saith Iames when you fall into many trials or troubles Since you know that the triall of your faith bringeth forth patience And let patience have her perfect worke that you may be sound and entire And f Omnipotens Deus quid nobis profaturum sit sciens dolentium exaudire vocem saepe dissimulat ut utilitatem augeat dum per poenam vita penitius purgatur Greg mor. l. 14 c. 18. Vota differens cruciat crucians purgat ut ad percipiendum quod desiderant ex dilatione melius convalescant Idem ibid l. 8. c. 17. for the furthering and consummating of this worke doth God oftentimes thus withdraw himselfe as it were out of the way and seemeth to keepe aloofe off when he is yet neere at hand with us He doth as the Physitian or Surgeon doth with his Patient when he meeteth with a sore festred or full of dead flesh He applieth some sharpe corrasive to purge the wound and to eat out the dead flesh that would else hinder the cure g Quomodo cùm medicus epithema molestum ardens imposuit aeger ubi medicamento cruciari ceperit rogat medicum ut tollat emplastrum Molestum est inquit mihi istud emplastrum tollas quaeso Rogat ut tollat non tollit Ego inquit novi quem curo Non mihi det qui aegrotat consilium Opus est diu ibi sit aliter enim nil proficiet Aug. in Psal 90. in Psal 98. in Psal 130. in 1 Ioan. 6. Which being done the Patient it may be impatient of paine as soone as he feeleth the smart of it crieth to have it removed But hee telleth him No it must stay there till it have eaten to the quicke and effected that throughly for which it is applied And to this purpose having given charge to them that be about him to see that nothing be stirred till he come againe to him withdraweth and retireth himselfe till it be full time to take it off againe Meane while the Patient lying in paine counteth every minute an houre till the Surgion come backe againe and if he stay long thinketh that sure hee hath forgotten him while he is taken up with other Patients or is otherwise imployed and will never in any time returne againe to him when as the Surgion it may bee is all this while but in the very next roome to him there by the houre-glasse to that purpose set up attending but the time till the plaister have wrought that that it is to effect And in the very selfe-same manner doth God deale oft with his dearest ones Thus h 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. Paul buffeted by Satan it was no small corrasive and heart-sore you may bee well assured that troubled so much so magnanimous a spirit as his was was instant with God more than once or twice to be rid of that evill But i Non est ablatum quod volebat auferri ut infirmitas illa sanaretur August in Ioan. 7. Ita Deus denegans exaudit exaudiens denegat tribuens aufert non tribuens donat Simon Cass in Evang l. 5. c. 24. the answer he had from God was that he must patiently abide it hee should not want his grace that should enable him to undergoe it But it would bee worse with him if it were otherwise hee would be in much perill of being puffed up with pride if he were wholly freed from it Yea thus DAVID when Gods hand was somtime upon him and he felt it harsh and heavy hee crieth earnestly unto God to have it removed from him k Psal 39.10 Take saith hee thy plague away from me I am even consumed with the stroke of thine hand And he pleadeth with God as the Patient would doe with the Physitian when he is full of paine with that that is applied hee is sure that the plaister hath done enough by this time l Psal 119.71 67. It is good for mee that I have beene afflicted This affliction surely hath done mee much good I am very much amended by it For m Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but since I have beene thus troubled I am growne more carefull of my courses now I keepe thy Commandements But n Non se norat aegrâ—tus sed aegrotum norat medicus August in Psal 138. Inspecta vena quid intus ageretur in aegroto medicus noverat aegrotus non noverat Idem in Psal 44. God saw that in DAVID that he it may be saw not in himselfe He saw much dead flesh much corrupt matter behinde that was yet to bee eaten out or it would bee ready soone to breake forth into some outrage as also afterward it did when DAVID came to bee free from that harsh course of cure and hard and strict diet that God had a long time before held him to True it is that o Esa 48.10 Conflabo te non cum argento tamen i. Non agam summo jure tecum quia si ab omni scoriâ ut argentum expurgandus esses totus disperires Iun. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Psal 7. God dealeth not with us in this kinde as the Finer doth with his oare who never linneth melting it and passing it thorow the fire againe and againe as long as any drossie matter remaineth mixt with it or as those that boile broths or curious confections for sicke persons that never leave blowing and boyling so long as any scum at all ariseth on them If he should so doe wee should never be any of us out of the