word notwithstanding al alone sufficient to cōtent our souls alone able to make the Angels stoope to looke into it to the depth Therefore as he saith elsewhere in the like sense 1 Pet. 1.12 that whereas b Phil. 3.5 6 7. He is of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Beniamin touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law blamelesse which things were great gaines to him those he counted losse for Christ Not but that it was honourable for him to be of the seed of Abraham the Father of the faithfull Neither but that it was profitable vnto him to endeauour to conforme himselfe to the Law of God holy spiritual the rule of life giuen by the Ministery of the Angels But saith he I count all things losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may winne Christ Esteeming it more glorious to participate of the ignomie of his Crosse than of all the prerogatiues of the circumcision and therefore saith he c Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory saue in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Glorying more in his infirmities than in his vertues than in his greatest preheminencies Therfore he saith to the Corinthians speaking euen of his Reuelations visions and rauishment d 2 Cor. 12.1 9. It is not expedient for me doubtlesse to glory most gladly will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest vpon me To know therefore Christ is a great Art a great Mysterie which hee will onely know teach onely And that to the Graecians so much presuming of their knowledge and that to the Corinthians so curious among the Greekes who without doubt would haue taken more delight if he had related to them some newes of Paradise if he had made as that pretended Areopagite an Inuentory of heauen a numbring of Angels Notwithstanding he makes them lay downe all their knowledge with his knowledge much better than theirs at the feet of the Crosse For I determined saith he not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Iesus Christ saith hee crucified and who knowes it not Where is that silly woman where is the child that is ignorant thereof and what so great mystery doth he tell vs of whereas we expected hauing seene so much that hee would haue decyphered vnto vs the Thrones and Dominions the Cherubins and the Seraphins the Principalities and Powers Yea but thou that speakest thus stay and thou shalt quickly know that thou knowest not Christ scarcely the first letter who notwithstanding wouldst haue the Apostle relate to thee heere e 2 Cor. 12.4 those vnspeakable words which it is not lawfull for a man to vtter as little lawful to thee to vnderstand them yea to heare them Thou thinkest thou knowest Christ because thou hast read and heard that hee is come into the world is the Son of God hath taken our flesh A history which hath passed thorow thine eare which thou superficially belieuest which the Iewes and other Infidels doe not beleeue and thereupon thou imaginest to be at the end of thy lesson as wise as S. Paul who will learne will teach no other thing but that which already thou think'st thou knowest wilt thou behold the small or no profit at all of this thy bare superficiall knowledge thou beleeuest that the Son of God the Iudge of the world came into the world but if thou doest know him if thou hast neuer so little a feeling canst thou hope in him rather shall he not be an horrour to thee When as a malefactour as thou art thou seest him come what canst thou doe but hide thy selfe amongst the trees as Adam did when God walked in the Gardē A miserable shadow against too scorching a Sunne What canst thou expect nought but confusion vpon thee fire and brimstone on all thy works when God vouchsafes to come downe and to consider them For doest thou not remember of his walking in the coole of the day what happened vnto Adam The earth did set vp its bristles against him bringing forth to him thistles and thornes himselfe God withdrawing his graces became a ground full of briers a thicker of brambles and thornes to himselfe Besides what seeft thou proceed frō his comming downe to see the proud work which the childrē of men had builded in the plain of the land of Shinar to informe himselfe of the enormities of the Cities of Seboim what else but vnto those a ruine of their designes confusion of languages diuisiō of men from thence how many euils multiplied to mankinde To these an horrible combustion of a second Eden of a place heretofore as the garden of the Lord a Paradice the delights of the world a land which burns to the very bottome of the waters which one may reade as yet to this day in its ashes In a word was it not vnto the holy Patriarks an argument of death to see God in this flesh what veile soeuer he tooke f Iudg. 13.22 We shall surely die said they because we haue seene God Much lesse can wee liue subsist neuer so little if he lookes on vs if hee eyes vs with a sterne countenance yea if he visit vs and that with the eye of a Iudge for the Iudge of the world commeth hee otherwise than with iustice than for iustice But thou sayst thou dost not only know him come descended from aboue but that which the Apostle saith crucified what wants there therefore Yea but the Deuill knowes as much who said to our Lord g Luk. 4.34 I know thee who thou art the holy one of God And can he bee ignorant of his crosse who was chiefe and Captaine of the commission to put him on it who put it in the heart of Iudas to betray him notwithstanding he cries out Thou Iesus of Nazareth let vs alone what haue wee to doe with thee art thou come to destroy vs Certes there is therefore something to be here added or rather to bee vnderstood which elsewhere he expresseth crucified for the sinnes of men Otherwise to what purpose was the Sonne of man crucified and what followed the slaying of the Sonne of the master of the Vineyard of the Lord of the world but that the Vineyard was rooted vp the ground desolate the vniuersall ruine at the last both of man and of the world Besides it sufficeth not if thou doest not know him crucified for thee For what carest thou that the rest bee saued if thou be lost This knowledge will it not encreasethy sorrow b Eccl. 1.18 and on the otherside is it not the scope of the Apostle in this place to preach comfort and ioy Wherefore S. Iohn a Doctour in this knowledge faith vnto those that knew Christ to the true beleeuer i 1 Ioh. 3.5.10 Ye know that he was manifested to take
THREE MEDITATIONS Vpon these three places of Scripture 1 COR. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified PSAL. 6.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger c. PROV 3.11 12. My sonne despise not the chastisement of the Lord c. By IOHN BVLTEEL LONDON Printed by I. H. for Nathanael Newbery and are to be sold in Popes-head Alley at the signe of the Starre 1627. TO THE RIGHT Honorable the right vertuous and most truly Religious Lord Robert Earle of Warwicke Baron of Leeze c. Right Honourable IT is not without cause that the Apostle S. Paul did desire to know nothing but Christ crucified nor to glory in any thing but in his crosse because the knowledge of this is the substance and marrow of true knowledge for if we know Christ it is no matter though wee know nothing else but we know nothing if we know not Christ though we vnderstand all mysteries all knowledge which knowledge consisteth not in going on pilgrimage to the mount of Caluarie and beholding the place where Christ was crucified in Golgotha or to behold him in a wooden crucifix or in an image as the Papists do but as the Apostle saith to goe vnto him out of the campe not with bodily feet or with corporall eyes he is in heauen but with the feet of faith which represents things past as if they were present with spirituall eyes to behold his passion with compassion himselfe bearing his crosse and his crosse beares him he carrying the wood as Isaac wheron he was to be sacrificed as Noah carried on the Arke yea carrying the Arke to saue vs from the Floud of Gods wrath as Iacob bearing on his shoulder the ladder whereby we mount vp into heauen as Moses with the rod of his crosse ouercomming his enemies in the red sea of his bloud and sauing his people to behold the God of glory crucified betweene two theeues as the greatest sinner of all that hee might glorifie vs with Angels that diuine head at whose presence the very powers of heauen were wont to tremble that had heretofore a crowne of glory all to be crowned and pricked with a crowne of thornes That Angellike face defiled with the spittle of the Iewes bowing it his head to kisse vs. Those chrystall eyes once clearer than the Sunne beames bloudshed and cast ouer with the darknesse of death thirsting that he might shew his desire of our saluation his mouth so sweet full of Gall and Vinegar that he might satisfie for that deadly iuice which Adam sucked out of the forbidden fruit his hands and armes that framed and fashioned the heauens all bespred and distrained on the crosse on the left on the right side that hee might call all vnto him ready to embrace both Iew and Gentile naked but cloathed with charitie because of Adams nakednesse that we may bee cloathed with grace and glory his bloud gushing from him as the foure riuers of Paradise to water Gods Eden wash his Church with his bloud crying with feare that wee might cry in faith crying in the anguish of his soule in his feeling as if hee were left not of Angels or men that was but little but of God his Father crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me At this voyce the earth trembled because it could not beare so great a burthen as the Crosse The Crosse trembled because it bare Christ Christ trembled and was in a bloudy sweat because he had so great so heauy and so insupportable a weight for first he bare our persons secondly hee bare our sinnes a great burden thirdly hee bare the floud of Gods anger and iustice powred on him for our sinnes At this most dreadfull cry which at once mooued all the powers of heauen and earth the Sun was eclipsed and that contrary to its course and custome which made a Heathen Philosopher to cry that either nature suffered or the world was at an end and mooued the Centurion to say Verily this was a iust man this was the Sonne of God the Sunne was eclipsed because it could not behold the Sonne of Righteousnesse not onely eclipsed with the interposition of the body of the earth of his humane nature but also eclipsed with the veile of his Passion yea the very stones were rent asunder and the graues were opened Euery creature saith S. Hierome suffereth with Christ at his suffering the Sunne is darkned the earth mooued the rockes cleaue asunder the veile of the Temple diuided the graues opened only miserable mansuffereth not with Christ for whom alone Christ suffered Lest therefore we shew our selues vnsensible vnthankfull and vnfaithfull let vs consider his passion with compassion with faith with admiration and as Saint Austin saith behold the wounds of patient Christ the bloud of him dying the price of our redemption consider what they are weigh them in the ballance of thy heart that hee may be wholly fixed in thy heart that was for thee wholly fastned on the crosse And in it consider the loue of God the Father the charity the humility the patience of God the Sonne who loued vs his enemies more than himselfe consider our sinnes and wounds which were healed by the precious balme of his bloud Consider Oman saith Bernard how great are those wounds for the curing of which the Lord Christ must needs bee wounded If these wounds had not beene deadly yea and to eternall death the Sonne of God would neuer haue died that he might cure them Besides we must crucifie our sinnes our members as Christ was crucified be crucified to the world the world crucified to vs he alone saith S. Hierom can glory in the crosse who takes it vp and followeth Christ who crucifieth his flesh his concupiscence So then we must crucifie our heart that it may die to wicked cogitations crucifie our hands so that they may haue no life to commit euill actions crucifie our eyes that they take no delight to gaze on worldly vanities crucifie our eares that they listen not to fruitlesse and friuolous words crucifie our tongue yea crucifie the old man that hath been a tenant so long and hath had his habitation in our bosome that he being dead hee may be carried to his graue that our soule may be infected no longer with his carnall impiety and that wee may no longer loue but loathe and for euer leaue his damnable company Besides the crucifying of the old man we must suffer and beare afflictions as pouerty crosses sicknesse temptations for what meruaile If God did afflict his Son for our sinnes if he afflict vs for our own and God had in the arke of the Couenant both Manna and the rod of Aaron shewing that as a Father hee nourisheth vs and as a Father hee chastiseth vs as his Sonnes and these afflictions are ensignes markes of his loue So saith Christ I reproue chastise those whom I loue So Iacob
findes them wetted with the waters of Siloe plunged in the spring of eternall life in the bloud of his onely Sonne This in that hee also loueth so tenderly his creatures that of a Creator he wil become a Father spares not to redeeme them from perdition the bloud of his owne Sonne himselfe the Creator for miserable creatures the eternall God for mortall men the righteous for sinners the Almighty king for vile slaues And therefore concerning that the Prophet telles vs ſ Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand t Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgment with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified For u Rom. 6.23 the wages of sinne is death And consequently the Scripture saith x Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded them all in vnbeliefe and y Rom. 3.19 all the world is become guilty before God and therefore guilty of eternal death this is the vnmeasurable depth of his iustice But concerning this mercy doth sweeten and ouer prize it z Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer belieueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Fearest thou poore sinner to draw neere him as the Pitch neere the fire a Eph. 3.12 In him thou hast boldnesse and accesse vnto him with confidence by the faith of Christ Fearest thou to bee accused to bee condemned b Rom. 8.33 34. It is God that iustifieth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for thee c Rom. 6.23 The guift of God is eternall life which is giuen thee in Christ Iesus our righteousnesse The d Col. 3.12 Scripture indeed hath concluded all vnder sinne but it is that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to thē that beleeue e Rom. 11.32 God hath concluded all in vnbeleefe but it is that he might haue mercy vpon all that none might glory of his saluation but in his sole mercy And therefore the Apostle speaketh of this grace which exceeds sinne of this charitie which ouerflowes his iustice f Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded by the law grace did much more abound by faith in Christ In Christ sent graciously by the Father vndergoing charitably the hard yoke of that commission for vs wherefore Saint Iohn saith g 1 Ioh. 3.16 Hereby perceiue we the loue of God the Sonne because he laid downe his life for vs. And Saint Paul hauing most magnificently handled the mystery of the crosse of Christ It is saith he h Eph. 3.17 18 19. That yee being rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God Hee could not take the measure either of his iustice or mercy of these two vnscrutable and vnmeasurable depths by any other thing than by the crosse of Christ than by Christ crucified sufficiently for all effectually for vs where one may reade in great Characters legible for all men be they neuer so short sighted both the infinite anger of God against sinne and his vnspeakable loue towards his creatures and cry out with the Apostle who handleth this point on the brim of these depths i Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Why then to know Christ crucified is a profound mystery an Art that goes farre And you must not hereafter wonder if the Apostle stands to it if with more reason hee detains vs in it But there is more for it is not an idle knowledge a hollow meditation but solide and actiue that carrieth its fruit in it selfe is neuer empty From the knowledge that it giues vs of our corruption and of Gods iustice it engendreth in vs a hatred of sinne which conuerts vs from our selues to him from our dead works to a better life from the knowledge of his mercy of his loue towards vs it kindleth in vs a loue towards him towards his word A loue that makes vs to compose all our actions and behauiour to the pleasure of his law A loue which seeing it selfe not able to doe any thing that may serue him or doe him good endeuoureth to become so much the more faithfull so much the more affectioned in that it feeles it selfe vnprofitable and therefore reflecteth it selfe vpon our neighbor vpon his image on all that beares his marke or stampe And that 's that which S. Iohn saith k 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we doe know that wee doe know him if we keep his commandements On the contrary l 1 Ioh. 3.6 whosoeuer sinneth that is to say makes a trade of it hath not seene him neither knoweth him S. Paul also m 1 Thess 4.1 2 3 4. Yee know what commandements we gaue you by the Lord Iesus and what That euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification honor That euery one endeuour so to walke and to please God that he may abound more more not thinking it sufficient n 2 Cor. 4.14 16. That wee know that he which raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs also by Iesus On the contrary For this cause we faint not but worke so that though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renued day by day And this is one of the euidences whereby we may know that we know Christ in effect The other followeth The loue towards God which manifesteth it selfe towards our brethren for our Sauior saith o Ioh 5.24 He that beleeueth on me is passed frō death to life But wilt thou know who he is We know saith S. Iohn p 1 Ioh. 3.14 16. that we haue passed from death vnto life because we loue the brethrē he that loueth not his brother abideth in death And againe Hereby perceiue we the loue of God because he laid downe his life for vs and we ought to lay downe our liues for the brethren For S. Paul tells vs also q 1 Cor. 13.2 Though I haue the gift of prophesie and vnderstand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I haue all faith so that I could remoue moūtains haue no charity I am nothing Charity is that knowledge of Iesus Christ and him crucified which his charity imprinteth in vs which we are to expresse towards our brethren not able to exercise it on him for what heat what light can a small candle yeeld vnto the Sun what loue what charity can wee render backe vnto Christ and notwithstanding he will esteeme it as his and make much reckoning of the good which we that are his impart vnto our brethren r Marth 10 42. Whosoeuer
Christ is a long Art and our life is short It is the mysterie of God e Coloss 2.2 3. saith the Apostle and of the Father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge vnto the which alone charity faith repentance haue reference And therfore let vs not be ashamed to study in it at all houres being sure that if we should liue an hundred yeares we may profit therin hourely Notwithstanding feeble and trembling soule feare not in this vnmeasurable depth the Lambes wade ouer and the Elephants finde it deep enough to swim To abridge thy lesson know that thou art wholly lost in thy selfe that God by his infinite mercy hath saued thee in the alone bloud of his Sonne crucified profit daily in it conforming thy selfe vnto his word and thou hast indeed this knowledge Proud heart who thinkest thou hast thy flight more lofty than other think not thou hast heere done thy worke to sound and diue deeply into mans misery and thine owne the iustice of God and his mercy to fadome them in all dimensions and in all senses is not a small taske for thee which surpasseth the capacity and vnderstanding of all the Angels and not of men onely The greatest spirits hauing past ouer all other Sciences haue taken their harbour in this Hauen haue happily bounded their courses in this knowledge because f Luke 10.22 no man knoweth who the Sonne is but the Father and he to whom he will reueale him Now the mysteries that are hidden to vs in this Sonne but those vnto whom they are giuen mysteries notwithstanding vnprofitable vnto vs and vnto vs hurtfull sauing in as much as we liue in him we liue to him let vs ardently and continually pray him that as he hath giuen vs to haue Iesus crucified before our eyes so he will giue vs more and more the grace to consider him and withall to be crucified with him that wee may say with the same Apostle g Gal. 2. I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for mee Procuring with al our power on what perill soeuer it be the saluation of our brethren ready to die when it shall please him by his grace in him by his vertue for him Amen A MEDITATION on the sixth Psalme PSAL. VI. O LORD vnto whom doth this Discourse sort better thā vnto me thā vnto me whom thou pursuest in the flesh yea vnto the bones than vnto me whom thou hast made a But vnto thine arrowes arrowes dipped in gall and piercing with griefe Thou knowest how oft I haue made prayers vnto thee thou hearest not Thou hearest but alas not for me O Lord what can I say more Certes but at last at least heare at this time 1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure I demand not O Lord that thou rebuke me not God forbid those whom thou rebukest not are those whom thou daignest not to amend those of whom thou hast no care whom thou vouchsafest not to be thy children but disclaimest them And what would thy lessons auaile if thou didst not rebuke or thy reproofes O Lord in the hardnesse of our hearts if thou tookest not sometimes the rod But O God rebuke mee in thy mercie and not in thine anger in thy gentlenesse not in thy furie Those whom thou sauest O Lord thou rebukest them in thy mercies but those whom thou destroyest in thy furie O Lord wouldest thou then destroy mee yea Lord permit me to say this word Couldst thou cast me away O Lord thou hast made me with thine hands and the worke-man doth not willingly lose his worke I was lost and thou hast redeemed me redeemed mee with the precious bloud of thine onely Sonne Lord how vile soeuer I be in my selfe I cannot chuse but be most precious to thee Keepe O Lord thy furie for the vessels of thy furie I am a vessell of thy mercie thy wrath for the children of wrath Thou hast by thy grace redeemed mee thou hast adopted mee for thy childe for heire of thy grace and co-heire with Christ and now O Lord I crie vnto thee with confidence Abba Father Father therefore I beseech thee againe in fauour of thy Welbeloued Rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastize mee in thy hot displeasure but rather 2. Haue mercie vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed O Lord I am assured that thou rebukest mee not to cast me away and therefore thy mercies will put some end vnto my miseries Ah father of mercies wherfore tarriest thou then So many yeeres are passed in griefe so many daies and nights in teares My flesh stickes vnto my bones and my bones are impaired O Lord why doest thou any more with thy rod and if thou redoublest thy blowes neuer so little what difference will there be between the hand of thy gentlenes and that of thy furie The father strikes the childe till hee feeles it to the quicke And thou knowest it O Lord if I doe feele thee if thy chastisement hath pierced euen vnto the marrow of my bones Till hee hath promised amendment And thou knowest O Lord if I haue a desire therof and if continually I aske for thy Spirit to better mee But thou wilt doe more O Lord for thy rods are the medicines of the soule And therefore thou wilt haue them pierce so farre that they penetrate into the verie bottome of our hearts Certainly O Lord I will say more for 3. My soule is also sore vexed but thou O Lord how long O Lord when thou dost visit vs with thy rods it is iustly for thou art a righteous Iudge Then thy iustice doth discouer our iniustice The languishment and drooping of our bodies doth manifest the impairement and defects of our soules our soules truly confected in leprousie which giuing feeling to the body feeles not notwithstanding its owne euill but in the paine of the body neuer remembers its owne misery but in the misery that it suffereth Thou doest afflict vs O Lord we haue therefore sinned and continually Ah good God I beseech thee make my soule dolorous for it selfe sensible for it selfe and not for this body giue it a feeling of its faults and not of its punishment At least ô Lord of its faults by its paines But O God let it be pained and not troubled pained in the acknowledgment of its sin not troubled but comforted in the assurance of thy mercies for thy afflictions O Lord are termed the visitations of our soules and visitings are of a friend to his friend of the physitian to his patient Thy visitations therefore ought to be welcomed of vs that are so wholesome vnto vs wholsome to the soule by the body healthfull and profitable vnto the body it selfe after
himselfe not vp Hee loues the childe that vnderstands him at halfe a word that is not dul but is sensible of the chastisement shakes at the very shadow of his rod. Patience is not a stupidity or a want of apprehension of griefe in paine it presupposeth on the contrary a griefe a suffering but the quicker the paine is the greater is the patience which proceedeth from faith and produceth also obedience faith which maketh vs turne our eye to the cause rather than carry our hand to the sore Faith which makes thee mount vp to God to receiue from his hand that which hee pleaseth to giue to descend into thy selfe to examine thy soule turne ouer the leaues of thy conscience to finde there that which displeaseth him to dislike thy selfe confesse thy debt haue recourse to his benignity And that is it which hee bids thee be not weary whē God doth chastise thee this is the exercise properly which thou must vndertake What haue I done what haue I not done beholding thy selfe in the glasse of the law measuring thy selfe with his graces the Law that shewes thee his will and thy sinne his graces which according to their proportion doe multiply it according as thou hast receiued more and didst owe more An exercise where the best men neuer want worke where the more they haue the more they finde the more cleere sighted they are in their infirmities sensible of his anger yea although that God doth visit them especially to put them to the proofe to make it appeare vnto the world what the power of his spirit can doe in their weaknesse vnto Sathan himselfe what their faith can doe against his tentations against his malice against his warrefare they omit not to draw that profit from thence seeke for it themselues and they neuer want it they know that their c 1 Pet. 1.7 faith as gold in the furnace is to bee tried with fire how many are there who otherwise faile at the touch and how pure soeuer they seeme to be haue but too much drosse and skum wherewith at all times they are ouercharged that d Vers 7. the triall of their faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth might be vnto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ according to that which is elsewhere said of this chastening e Heb. 12.11 for the present it seemeth not to be ioyous but grienous and therefore thou art weary thereof Neuerthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby And therefore thou better instructed by the wise man Bee not weary of his correction And the reason followeth for God is so gentle and courteous that he disdaineth not to render a reason of that which hee doth to vs his poore miserable creatures For whom the Lord loueth hee correcteth euen as a father the sonne in whom hee delighteth Not him whom simply hee loueth his loue is powred ouer all creatures but him whom hee loueth tenderly whom of a creature he hath daigned to make his child of whom hee will haue a particular care so that this discipline of affliction makes a difference between his children and strangers yea a difference betweene his owne children in regard of the degrees of his graces so that the Apostle groweth confident yea presumeth to say to the Hebrewes f Heb. 12.8 If you be without chastisement whereof all are partakers namely all the faithfull then are yee bastards and not sonnes Alledge not vnto mee that ye are the children of God yee are not his schollers g Heb. 12.6 For the Lord chasteneth him whom he loueth and the more certes he loueth him for saith hee Hee scourgeth euery sonne whom hee receiueth whom particularly he adopteth into his familie he measureth him his correction according to his loue And so indeed we let passe many things in our seruants w th we correct which we cannot beare with in our children in those not reprehending ought for the most part but that which hindreth our businesse and profit in these with a cordiall loue with a curious eye with an exact iudgement regarding examining from the head to the foot desirous to frame and order them to the best gestures in their behauiour and carriage so that hee that doth it the oftner is reputed the better father h Prou. 13.24 23.14 Hee that loueth his sonne saith the Wise man chasteneth him betimes deliuers his soule from hell Indulgence and forbearance as they cause contrarie effects so doe they giue him a contrarie qualitie and name He that spareth his rod hateth his sonne And the Apostle doth ordinarily argue from our carnall fathers to our principall Father in as much certes as loue regardeth care and care discipline where discipline and correction is wanting there care seemeth to wither yea loue yea and father-hood it selfe Why then it is a marke vnto vs that wee are children when God correcteth vs if wee receiue this chastisement as from a father with obedience i Heb. 12.9 We haue had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and wee gaue them reuerence We haue interpreted and taken those corrections in good part wee haue acknowledged them and reuerenced and respected them with an awfull obseruance and the matter was onely to dispose and conforme vs to this life k Heb. 12.9 Shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the father of spirits vnto him who by the afflictions of this flesh qualifieth and composeth our spirits And liue to prepare vs to frame vs to another life A signe say we more that wee are children in whom God takes his delight For saith he whom the Lord loueth hee correcteth not onely as a father the sonne but the sonne in whom hee delighteth the childe whom hee cherisheth the childe for whom he keepeth an inheritance that heauenly inheritance whereof hee maketh vs coheires with that Well-beloued in whom hee is well pleased in whom and by whom alone in vs and with vs he is well pleased l Eph. 1.5 He hath predestinated vs vnto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will whereupon wee ought surely to say with the Psalmist Before m Psal 119 67.71 I was afflicted I went astray it is good for me that I haue been afflicted that I might learne thy statutes Thy chastisements O God haue beene for my conuersion for my correction with the Apostle also n Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when hee is tried hee shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him In as much certes o Rom. 5.3 4 5. as tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs whereupon hee saith we glorie in