thy selfe The most absolute and excellent platforme of prayer that ever was made and is by the maker thereof our LORD and Saviour Iesus Christ commended vnto vs for our dayly vse confirmeth this point vnto vs. The fift petition therein is that God would be pleased to forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Wherefore as in all sincerity we desire our selues to be looked vpon with the eies of grace and mercy from heaven without any fraud or hollownes or dissimulation in the LORD so are wee taught by that clause our selues to deale with others so truely so honestly so heartily so sincerely and vnfainedly forgiving ever as we may boldly say so LORD do thou to me as I to others Now if these hearts of ours bee so sturdy strong in their corruption as that they wil not relent and yeeld to forgiue such as haue trespassed against vs how can we looke that our praiers should take effect A third reason why we should forgiue our enimies is that our good workes may be acceptable vnto God Let a man every day do as many good works as there are stars in HeaveÌ„ yet as long as in heart he beareth hatred to his enimie God will not accept anie one of theÌ„ Maâ—â—â— noÌ„ acceptatur nisi aute discordia ab animo pellatur saith Gregorie thy gift is no waies acceptable vnto God vnlesse thy heart be first freed from discord Let no man circumvent himselfe seduce himselfe deceiue himselfe i Augustin serm 5. de S. Stephano Whosoever hateth but one maÌ„ in the whole world whatsoever he offereth to God in Good workes all will be lost Witnesse S. Paul 1. Cor. 13.3 Though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I giue my body that I be burned haue not loue it profiteth me nothing If then wee would haue our good workes pleasing vnto God we must be reconciled to our neighbours Our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ so adviseth vs Matth. 5.24 Goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift A fourth reason why we should forgiue our enimies is that our soules may liue for by hatred rancour we slay our soules S. Ioh. ep 1. chap. 3. verse 15. avoweth it that he whosoever hateth his brother is a manslayer Homicidiest scilicet propriae animae saith k Pet. de Pal. vbi supra one he is a murtherer of his owne soule An exposition not absolutely to be disallowed for as much as it followeth in the same verse Yee know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him The life of the soule is loue therefore hee that loueth not is dead So saith the same blessed Apostle Ep. 1. cap. 3. verse 14. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death And greater is the dammage by the losse of one soule then of a thousand bodies The whole world in respect of one soule is not to be esteemed This is proved by our Saviours question Marc. 8.36 What shal it profit a maÌ„ though he shold win the whole world if he loose his owne soule A fift reason why we should loue our enimies is the reioycing of Saints and Angels To loue our enimies is an infallible signe of our conversion Now we know by Luk. 15.7 that there shall be ioy in Heaven for one sinner that converteth and verse the 10. that there is ioy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Thus whether we respect the reioicing of Saints and Angels or the life of our soules or the acceptance of our good works or the fruit of our prayers or the forgiuenesse of our sinnes we must loue our enimies after St Stephen his example Act. 7.60 LORD lay not this sinne to their charge after S. Paule his example 1. Cor. 4.12 13. We are reviled and yet we blesse wee are persecuted and suffer it we are evill spoken of and we pray after Christs example Luk. 23.34 Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe Adde hereto Christs commandemeÌ„t Math. 5.44 Loue your enimies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you Leaue yee vengeance to the God of vengeance so shall yee bee the vndoubted children of your heavenly Father And thus farre of the second vse which was to admonish vs not to intermeddle in the Lords office of executing revengement A third followeth Is it true Is it proper to the LORD to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sinnes Here then in the third place is a treasurie of comfort of terrour of coÌ„fort to the Godly of terrour to the wicked For though the LORD doe vse the wicked to correct the Godly yet will he in due time overthrow the wicked with a large measure of his iudgements and free the godly Gods holy practise in this kind must be hereof a warrant vnto vs. The Israelites were kept in thraldome and bondage many yeares by the Egyptians The Egyptians they were but the weapons of Gods wrath wherewith hee afflicted his people They were Gods weapons Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Witnesse those ten great plagues which at length God wrought vpon them and their fearefull overthrow in the redde sea at large set downe in the book of Exodus from the 7. chapter to the 14. This was it which God said to Abraham Gen. 15. vers 13 14. Knowe for a suretie that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs foure hundred yeares and shall serue them notwithstanding the nation whom they shall serue will I iudge Ahab the most wicked of the Kings of Israel who sold him selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the LORD and his accursed wife Iezebel were Gods instruments to afflict Naboth with the losse of his life and vineyard Ahab Iezebel were Gods instruments were they therefore to escape vnpunished NO Witnes both their ends The end of Ahab recorded 1. King 22 38. In the place where dogges licked the blood of Naboth did dogges licke the blood of Ahab also And the end of Iezebel registred 2. King 9.35 Shee was eaten vp with dogges all saving her skull her feete and the palmes of her hands It was a part of Daniel his afflictions to be cast into the denne of Lyons his accusers vnto Darius were the instruments of this his affliction These his accusers were the Lords instruments for this businesse Were they therefore to escape vnpunished No. Their fearefull end is set downe Dan. 6.24 By the commandement of King Darius they with their wiues and children were cast into the denne of Lyons the Lyons had the masterie of them and brake all their bones in pieces yer ever they came to the ground of the denne Here might I recall to your remembrances other iudgements of God of this qualitie written downe in the register of God's workes his holy word How and what he
no fellowship with thē Must we reproue thē rather What saith old Adam What saith flesh and blood to this Our Gallants of this age can entertaine no such advise that it may be fulfilled which our Saviour Christ foretold of the ende of the world Luk. 21.10 16. Nation shall rise against nation kingdome against kingdome a father against his sonne a brother against his brother a kinsman against his kinsman and a friend against his friend A fitter remedie for this maladie I find none then to imitate blessed Abraham There grew a debate betweene his servants and the servants of Lot their heardmen could not agree What doth Abraham in this case As the manner of Masters is now adaies No he breaketh not out into choler he saith not my servants are abused my cosin LOT his servants doe seeke to crow over them and to rule the rost as they list This is an iniurie to mee their master and a shame to suffer it So a man may be made a foole indeed and counted a wretch and a dastard of no reputation Never will any man care to serue me if I sticke not better to my men then so Such language as the world now goeth is very rife among vs. But Abraham spake not so Grace was in his face mildnesse in his words For thus spake he vnto his nephew Lot Gen. 13.8 I pray thee let there be no strife betweene thee and me neither hetweene thy heardmen and my heardmen for we are brethrē We are brethren I pray let there be no strife between vs. Let vs be mindfull of the covenant wherein nature hath vnited our affections we are brethren the bond of brotherhood and consanguinitie let it moderate our passions why shall we iarre and be at odds betweene our selues Are we not brethren An excellent patterne of imitation for all estates high and low rich poore one with another Noblemen Gentlemen Yeomen all whosoever may say they are brethren either in nature or in Christ and religion haue in Abraham a patterne for their imitation We must abstaine not only from raising strife and debate our selues but also from fostering and cherishing it in others Such was Abrahams choice Hee would not maintaine his servants against Lots servants hee tooke it to be farre more credit for him to haue vnitie and good loue then the bitter effects of the contrarie Among the beatitudes Matth. 5. the seaventh is Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are they who loue concord regard peace seeke it and insue after it Blessed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish maintaine peace and concord betweene others Blessed are they who doe their best to revnite in loue such as are fallen out to make an end of quarrels and dissentions Blessed are the peacemakers the reason is annexed for they shall be called the children of God that is they will by their loue of vnitie and concord make it appeare vnto the world that they are the sonnes of God From whence it followeth by an argument from the place of contraries Accursed are makebates for they shall be called the children of the Divell Cursed are they who are of themselues quarrelsome and contentious Cursed are they who bestirre thēselues to cherish and maintaine strife debate in others Cursed are they who doe their best to set at variance such as haue long lived in peace and vnitie Cursed are makebates I annexe the reason for they shall be called the sonnes of the Devill that is They will by their loue of strife and debate make it appeare to the world that they are the sonnes of the Devill Now dearely beloued in the LORD I beseech you to remoue farre from you all cogitation and thought of strife variance and debate to remember your brotherly covenant Know yee that the bond of one body one spirit one hope one God one faith one baptisme is as farre aboue the bond of one father one mother one village one house and the like as the spirit is aboue the flesh spirituall things aboue carnall and God aboue man I will shut vp this point with the exhortation of S. Peter 1. ep chap. 3.8 Be yee all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be courteous render not evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke but contrarywise blesse yee blesse I say and knowe that you are therevnto called that yee should be heires of blessing Thus farre of the thirde part of this Prophecie Now followeth the fourth Vers 10. Therefore will I send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof This is a particular denunciation of a conquest and desolation against the city Tyrus for her sins According to this prediction it came to passe saith Drusius either in the warre of Salmanassar against the Tyrians or in the warre of Nabuchodonosor Yet this he affirmeth not Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus three yeares and three moneths then tooke it so saith Winckleman out of Iosephus lib. 1. contra Appionem the Latine copies of Iosephus which I haue seene make mention of the continuance of this siege for thirteene yeares The Greeke copy hath nothing of the continuance of it For therein I read only that when Thobalus was king Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyrus This was about the yeare of the world 3345. Tyrus after this was reedified and did flourish But shee was in her pride againe besieged and taken by Alexander the great in the yeare of the world 3632. And lōg since A.C. 1290 she was sacked and levelled with the ground by Alphix then Sultan of Egypt Thus hath Gods hand beene strong prevailing against Tyrus according to the tenour of this prophecie The very words whereof you haue heard before expounded in the fourth and seaventh verses of this chapter Now I pray you only recount with me such heads of doctrine as heretofore haue beene observed out of these words Therefore will I send a fire c. Wherein three circumstances are to be observed 1. The punisher 2. The punishment 3. The punished The first circumstance is the punisher the LORD For thus saith the LORD I will send The doctrine is It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vpon the wicked for their sins The second circumstance is the punishment and that is by fire I will send a fire The doctrine is The fire and all other creatures are at the Lordes commaundement to be employed by him in the punishment of the wicked The third circumstance is the punished the wals and palaces of Tyrus I will send a fire vpon the wals of Tyrus and it shall devoure the palaces thereof First must the glorious city Tyrus be destroied The doctrine is No munition can saue that city which God will haue destroyed Secondly must the Wals of Tyrus bee devoured with the fire of Gods displeasure The doctrine is It is the good blessing of God vpon a kingdome to haue wals strong holds munitions fortresses and bullwarkes for
Elias Elizeus Paule and Christ himselfe angrie their anger was a good anger I thus describe it A good anger is a Godly and reasonable desire of iust revenge stirred vp in vs by a true zeale of iustice whereby being displeased as well with our owne sins as with other mens we covet after a lawfull revenge that the persons may be saved that Gods wrath may be appeased that the kingdome of Christ and his glory may be promoted My description I thus explicate A good anger is a Godly and reasonable desire of iust revenge stirred vp in vs by a true zeale of iustice I say a true zeale because there is also a false zeale wheÌ„ some men do pretend Gods glory indeed intend nothing lesse This true zeale directeth our anger against mens vices not their persons we must loue the man but be angry at his sin not at his sinne only but at our owne also we must detest our owne sins as well as other mens and lawfully vindicate as well other mens sins as our owne al this that our selues others may be saued that Gods wrath may be pacified that the kingdome of Christ his glory may be advanced I will not now examine whether this good anger hath at any time affected your hearts to the beating downe of sin Whether you haue with connivencie patience and silence endured God his coÌ„mandements to be violated his holy name by vaine and fearefull oathes to be blasphemed the Sabbaoth to be prophaned parents to be dishonoured murders adulteries or theftes to be committed your neighbours to be wronged and other like sins to be acted whether you haue with connivency patience and silence 〈…〉 such foule demeanours which you should in 〈…〉 haue reproved and â—â—â—ed I leaue to the pâ—â—â—â—o examination of your owne hearts Only let me tell you there is a iudge in heaven that wil one day call you to 〈◊〉 for these things My text now admonisheth me to speake somewhat of â—collanger whereof Edom is here accused by the suffrage of Almighty God In his anger hee spoyled his brother evermore My doctrine was Every childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger My proposition is to be vnderstood of rash vnadvised evill and sinfull anger Which the Austen of our time learned g Comment in Ephes 4. Zanchius thus describeth Evill anger is â—â—t vniust and vnreasonable desire of revenge stirred vp in vs by a sence of some iniury done vs or through the vice of impatience in vs whereby being displeased at men rather then at their vices we wish vengeance to betide them respecting our owne wilfull lusts only and not at all either the safety of our neighbours or any publike good or the glory of God The species or kindes of this anger according to h Orthodox fid lib. 2. c. 16. Damascene are three The first he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may call it choler it is a hasty anger and of short continuance The second he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may call it angrynes it is a more permanent anger of more coÌ„tinuance The third he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may call it wrath it is a setled anger watching opportunity to worke revenge These three kindes of anger S. Paul coÌ„demneth for evil vnder the names of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anger bitternesse wrath Ephes 4.31 Let all bitternes anger and wrath hee put awaie from you Our Saviour Christ Math. 5.22 admonisheth his disciples if not of three kinds yet of three degrees of anger 1. Whosoeuer is angry with his brother without cause vnadvisedly he shal be culpable of iudgement 2. Whosoever saith vnto his brother Raca he shall be worthy to be punished by the Councell 3. Whosoever shall say foole he shall be worthy to be punished with Hell fire The first condemneth the anger in the hart when a man is inwardly moved and concealeth it The second condemneth the anger in the countenance when a man by his face and gesture is discovered to be angry The third coÌ„deÌ„neth the anger in speech when a man by foule and bitter speaking manifesteth himselfe to be angry You see diverse kindes of anger GREGORIE the great Moral lib. 5. cap. 30. applyeth them to mens persons He reckoneth vp foure sorts of men subiect to these evill angers 1. Some are soone angry and soone pacified 2. Some are slowly angry and slowly pacified 3. Some are soone angry and slowly pacified 4. Some are slowly angry and soone pacified Al those do sin in their angers but not al equally Some more some lesse grievously yet all do sin And therefore that the glorie of God may be propagated and the good of our neighbours furthered I beseech you receiue into your devout hearts my propounded doctrine Every childe of God ought to keep himselfe vnspotted of anger If you demand a reason hereof I must repeate vnto you God his holy coÌ„mandement Thou shalt do no murther In the name of murther are inhibited all the kindes of anger aboue specified the anger that lurketh in the heart the anger that shineth in the countenance the anger that is manifested in words whereto I adde that anger that breaketh into action If you wound or but strike your neighbour if you speake bitterly against him if you looke frowningly at him if you hate him in heart or be vnadvisedly angry with him you are before Almighty God guilty of murther And for this cause euery childe of God ought to keep him selfe vnspotted of anger An other reason of this doctrine may be drawne from the foule effects of anger The i Peter de La Primadaye author of the French Academy par 2. chap. 55. thus discourseth of them Anger is a vice that hath wonderfull effects in the body such as are very vnbeseeming a man For first of all when the heart is offended the bloud boileth round about it and the heart is swolne puffed vp whervpon followeth a continuall panting trembling of the heart and breast And when these burning flames and kindled spirits are ascended vp from the heart vnto the braine then is anger come to his perfection from hence commeth change of couÌ„tenance shaking of the lips and of the whole visage stopping of speech and terrible lookes more meete for a beast then for a man Lactantius hath the like discourse in his booke de Ira Dei c. 5. k Ira cùm in animum cuiusquam incidit velut saeva teÌ„pestas tantos excitat fluctus vt statum mentis immutet ardescant oculi os tremat lingua titubet dentes concrepent alternis vultum maculet nunc suffusus rubor nunc pallor albescens When anger saith he is fallen into the minde of man like a sore tempest it raiseth such waues that it chaÌ„geth the very state of the minde the eies waxe fiery the mouth trembleth the toÌ„gue faltereth the teeth