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
tribulation also In as much also as p Rom. 8.28 all things worke together for good as it were in emulation one of the other to them that loue God to them vnto whom by his loue shed abroad in their hearts hee hath giuen to loue him called according to his purpose in as much in a word that in all things bee they neuer so difficult q Vers 37. wee are more than conquerours through him that loued vs our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ beloued with so strong a loue and coniunction that in him and by him the father loueth vs the father vouchsafes to delight in vs where we crie confidently with the Apostle that r Rom. 8.35 38. neither tribulation nor distresse shall separate vs from the loue of Christ in those tribulations he acknowledgeth his badge nay not death it selfe nor any thing that may happen vnto vs how sharpe soeuer it bee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Nay rather they doe assure vs they doe testifie vnto vs his loue are vnto vs pledges of his grace and good will first fruits of his glorie But here the flesh repugneth Why saith it shall affliction be a marke of the children of God why then all they who are chastized are they his children Contrariwise looke about you see in how many sorts this marke is defectiue I but the wise man saith not that all those whom God strikes are his children for theÌ„ what should become of his iudgments so frequent on strangers on the wicked But he meanes that all his children those to whom he vouchsafeth to be in his house are subiect to feele his hand and children as they are of his mercie they feele it not in his anger as those children of wrath but in his mercie And wilt thou know the difference those impute it to fortune to nature to mischance thinke on nought but on their paine if any thought of God enters perhaps into their mindes they smother it presently ready to doe worse if they doe but escape These in their paine feele the hand of God thinke on their sinne forget their paine conuince themselues and conuicted humble themselues at the foot of his clemencie more ashamed of their offence than of their punishment more confounded in themselues before the benignitie of such a father than before the inflamed anger of the most rigorous Iudge walking henceforth warily not so much for feare of incurring his indignation as out of a desire not to commit any thing vnworthy of his adoption of his family So doe we read of Pharaoh when he feeles the lice and swarms of flies the other rods of God according as he doth redouble them he grieueth is disquieted is impatient makes a capitulation with God but eftsoones returneth who is that God whom you doe so much alleage it is maruell hee saith not Let mee see him and thereupon hee hardneth his heart Gods rod went but to his backe little sensible thereof in his soule On the contrary Dauid sees the destroying Angell smiting his people threatning very neere his owne person forgets his owne danger for his sinne readie to redeeme Gods anger with the losse of his life f 2 Sam. 24.17 Lee I haue sinned saith he and I haue done wickedly but these sheepe what haue these done let thine hand I pray thee be against mee and against my fathers house because he was sensible of his sinne insensible of his paines Grieue not therefore when God chasteneth thee rather grieue when he correcteth thee not feare that hee hath forgot thee and left thee to thy selfe thou oughtest to suspect those prosperities which thou drinkest in long draughts The sicke man who hath neuer so little iudgement takes it for an ill signe when the Physitian permits him to take any thing lets him drinke wine in his full feuer because he forbids nothing to desperate sicke folkes hee neuer maketh incision on those that are mortally wounded there is both reason and art to let them die at leasure I but it is the correction of a father the chastisement of a sonne to cut off an arme or leg pull out our eyes or bowels and shall wee not thinke that these words serue rather to lull vs asleepe for what could the greatest enemie doe to vs more in the heat of his anger I but vnaduised flesh refraine thy selfe it is God that speakes and if thy vine could speake and should vpbraid thee and tell thee how often thou makest it to weepe when thou cutst it and cutst it againe leauest but a twig in an vnassured hope notwithstanding of more fruit Good husband-man as thou thinkest thy selfe to be wouldst thou not mock at it And how often to heale the bodie to preuent a Cangrene secst thou the arme the leg offred to the Surgeons saw without caution or assurance to be bettered to a losse to an anguish both certaine extreme Why then ought we not to suffer in this bodie and in all worldly things to heale to soue the soule of God aboue all who hath made the soule and bodie Creatour of this vniuersall world who knoweth how farre the dammage of our body the losse of this present world may serue may contribute to the saluation of our soules But behold I see what troubleth thee I am the nian Lam. Ier. 3. 1 3. sayest thou that hath seene affliction by the rod of his wrath surely against mee is be turned hee turneth his hand against mee all the day He hath taken from me an onely sonne and thorow the sonnes side hath pierced the mother A sonne in the flower of his age the stay of my declining yeeres in this corrupted age a bud of manly vertue already the honour of his age A woman a wife my counsell in perplexitie my comfort in aduersitie a continuall spurre to good surpassing most yea all both in regard of her sex and of that age And thereupon thou framest thy reply And thereupon Satan doth tempt thee Thy force and thy hope in God is gone I but consider that wee must all die and by Gods will according as it pleaseth him to call vs. This call is our calling he hath preuented thy sonne by his mercie hee hath taken him away from corruption what caution what securitie be it neuer so firme can one haue to swim against the streame of this â—â—â—â—uption hath taken him away from hence with honour hath aduanced and taken him vp into his glorie Setapart the interest thou hast hast thou occasion to complaine And wouldest thou O miserable man on the hazard of his soule haue thy condition amended to support some few yeeres which remaines to thee see him deliuered and giuen ouer to the windes of youth the waues of vanitie among so many rockes yea amongst so many Sirens Hee tooke a little while after thy wife away But note his prouidence by the death of that deare Sonne shee was weaned from all pleasure from all hope
whom he loued and Moses the beloued of God and man And Dauid a man according to GODS heart So Solomon called Iedidia i. the beloued of God yet if hee sinne God will chastise him as a Father his Son for God chastiseth vs to humble vs to make vs haue zeale and repentance to try our faith obedience patience hope as Iob Though thou kill me yet will I hope in thee and these afflictions yea armies of crosses God sendeth against his children to chastise them not to hurt them as Dauid sent his armie against Absolon Deale gently for my sake with the young man euen with Absolon He reproueth vs not in his fury but in his mercy according to our desire and sendeth vs these vipers of afflictions that we may shake them off as Paul did and make an antidote treackle against sinne and death for they are not vnto death as Christ said of Lazarus at least not vnto eternall death but Chariots to carry vs vp to Heauen for by afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen Neither is this all for wee must goe forth vnto Christ out of the camp to beare reproaches crosses for Christ for Augustine saith if we remember the passion of Christ there is nothing so difficult but wee will patiently endure bearing according to his commandement his crosse after him And Simon Cyrenaeus exāple to carry Christs crosse for him first because he did beare the crosse and reproach yea died now if the head then much more the members if that was done to the green wood then much more to the dry wood the seruants condition ought not to be better thā the masters secondly because Christ did beare our reproach died for vs and therefore with Thomas let vs goe and die with him and for him thirdly because the reproches which we endure for Christ are not tearmed ours but his so Christ saith to Iames and Iohn Yee shall drinke of my cup. And Simon Cyrenaeus could not say I beare mine owne crosse but Christs crosse because he bare Christs crosse and for Christ And therefore S. Paul saith I beare in my body the markes of the Lord Iesus and that in three respects First As a member of Christ for as the marke on the hand or forehead redounds not to that member but to all the members to the head yea to the whole person and that hand should not be branded but that it is the hand of such a person so the Christians branded and marked because the members of Christ Christ is branded marked whipped in their person Paul and Silas are they whipt in prison Christ is whipped in their person Christ though in heauen yet he said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Secondly As an Ambassadour for if the iniury offered to an Ambassadour redounds to the King who sends him so the dishonour offered by Hanun King of the Ammonites vnto the Ambassadours of King Dauid redounded vnto King Dauid and he reuenged himselfe on the Ammonites then the dishonour offered to Christs Ambassadours and Ministers redounds to Christ himselfe for who receiueth you receiueth mee who reiecteth you reiecteth mee who dishonoureth you dishonoureth me Thirdly As a Souldier for as a souldier who receiueth wounds and skarres in his Princes quarels or for his Countries sake dares say hee beares his Princes wounds the skarres of his Country so Paul beares the skarres and markes of Christ Iesus hee beares on him as Chrysostome saith the ensignes of honour hee is not ashamed of them but he shews them open to the whole world as Emperours that carrie openly their Coronets Diadems and precious ornaments and as souldiers chosen out of companies to vndertake some enter prize thinke themselues honoured though they vndergoe those dangers with the danger of their liues because they are preferred before the rest though there be no merit so the Apostles reioyced in that they were thought worthy to be whipped for Christ his sake and as a souldier is not ashamed to shew his wounds to the world So Sertorius hauing an eye lost in warre was not ashamed thereof but glorying in it said that others keepe in their houses their ensignes and other marks of victory but he carried thē in his body Yea as men yea noblemen thinke themselues honoured with the order of a King as for example the order of the Garter though in it selfe it is a matter of nought it is but a Garter yet because it is of a royall institution and a King hath made this order and held those Knights of that order to be his brethren and companions so though ignominies reproaches imprisonment chaines are vile and naught in its selfe and ignominious to the world yet are they honourable to the Saints Angels God because they are the order of Christ the crosse is his order the chaines are the order of Christs gates and therefore Moses himselfe did esteeme more of this order of the reproach of Christ than of all the riches of Aegypt And Tertullian said There is no nobler order of Chiualry nor no better and fairer colours than the chaines wherewith the Martyrs of Christ are chained and manacled with and there are not more precious bracelets than the manacles wherwith the hands are chained And it is said in the Ecclesiasticall History of an ancient Father Babylas the holy Bishop of Antioch who being detained in a filthy and villanous prison for the name of Christ wherein he died did request his friends that came to visite him that after his death they should bury with him his ornaments marks of his valour vnderstanding by thē the chaines wherwith his hands and feet were chained So our holy Martyrs in the time of Queene Marie did kisse the chaines and stakes wherewith they were cōsumed to ashes nay euen Kings haue much esteemed those skarres and those persons that haue suffered for the name of Christ as the Emperour Constantine who did kisse the holes of the eies and the skarres of those Bishops who had receiued those markes of the Arians for the maintenance of Christs deity And Chrysostome desired to see the dust of that body namely of the Apostle Paul that had borne the markes of the Lord Iesus By these markes and skarres are the faithfull Christian Martyrs knowne for these skarres as a consequent shall they triumph For as Arthur the Kings body being takē vp somewhat more than 600 yeeres after his death was knowne to be his by nothing so much as by the print of ten seuerall wounds which appeared in his skull and as Christ after his resurrection had his skarres and wounds whereby he was known so shall the faithfull bee knowne not hauing wounds or skarres for their body shall be glorious but notwithstanding knowne of God of Angels of Saints yea of their persecutors for they shall see them whō they haue pierced yea those persecutors that haue borne the marke of the Beast of Antichrist against Christ against his Gospell and others that
haue carried skars of their villanies of gluttony whoredome and riot and borne their owne crosse which as bad Carpenters wicked men they haue he wen vnto themselues for it is not the marke nor the death but the cause that maketh the Martyr they as bearing the marke of the world the deuill and the flesh shall be cast into vtter darknesse but the faithfull bearing the markes and skarres of Christ shall triumph for euer For as the people of Rome would haue hindered Paulus Aemilius after his victory to triumph there was one that stood vp and made an oratiō in his behalfe in the midst whereof he cast open his gowne shewed before them the infinite skarres and cuts hee had receiued vpon his breast the sight whereof preuailed with the people that they all agreed in one granted Aemilius his triumph which he did in the sight of all the Romans and went to the Capitoll So God the Angels also beholding the reproaches banishments wounds yea death which wee haue endured for his sake being marked vpon our foreheads by the Angel and hauing the seale of the liuing God maugre the Deuill the flesh the world we shall triumph in the view of all the world in the high Capitoll of Heauen there liue eternally But lest I draw my lines beyond the limits of due measure and exceed an Epistle especially to such a small booke or shape Hercules shooe for a childes foot or make the gates walls too big for the Citty I here breake off These three soundly written by that reuerend Authour of blessed memory that worthy learned religious and noble Gentleman Mr. du Plessis I haue translated them and as Orphans and posthumes after their Fathers decease I haue cloathed them in a strange habit making them that spake French before to speake English which I presume to present to your Honor and publish thē in your name to the world that by your countenance vnder the wings of your Honourable protection it may safely walke abroad to the view and benefit of others and that it may be profitable to Gods Church it being no new fashion for those that publish any bookes whether of greater or lesser worth whether their owne or others vnlesse especially such workes wherein they haue beene translators to present them to great and worthy personages It were infinite to instance this point Now there are some reasons that haue moued me to dedicate this Posthume vnto your Honour First because great men are content and desire to reade great mens workes So the Eunuch of Candace did reade the Prophet Esaias of the Royall bloud and Kings and Princes doe reade the bookes of Kings and Princes Secondly because as this Noble man had his Motto Arte Marte So your Honour as Alexander may bee represented with a Horse and a Booke the one to signifie your desire to martiall indeuours the other your diligence and desire in letters Alexander had no sooner off his Helmet but he took in hand Homers Iliads So you delight not onely in Martiall actiuitie but fauour the study of good letters Thirdly because they are Orphans and haue need of a good and powerfull Patron in a forreine land and deserue to be beloued and protected for their Fathers sake as Mephibosheth for Ionathans Besides to whom doth a Treatise of godlinesse more fitly agree than to him that professeth godlinesse and hath the power of it dwelling in his heart or to whom should I commend the patronage of truth better than to him that is a fauourer and a louer of the truth and of such as loue the truth your true zeale and desire of the knowledge of Iesus Christ crucified your care to maintaine the honour of God your constant profession practise and defence of the same Truth and Religion which you haue beene borne and bred in to this may be added mine own desire to giue some testimony of my dutie to your Lordship which could not suffer me elsewhere to seeke the shelter of this Orphane volume not doubting but your Honour will accept it in good part Apelles drawing the counterfeit of Honour pourtrayed her holding in the one hand a starre in the other a stone teaching that although Noble mindes should reach as high as the skie yet they should not disdaine to looke as low as the earth The widdow in the Gospell offered a little mony the woman a little oyle to her Sauiour Artaxerxes accepted of a few drops from the hands of a poore Cynetas Mercurie vouchsafed to drinke of Philemons earthen pot Sigismond tooke a Pomegranate and Philip of Macedon accepted a bunch of grapes presented by a simple countreyman and his sonne Alexander did parua libenter accipere all of them did rather consider the mind of the giuer than the gift I know your Honour will kindly accept my small Mite if you ballance it with the willingnesse of my minde If you iudge them worthy vouchsafe your Patronage if not your pardon at least your gracious and fauourable acceptance Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse I cease to trouble your Honour not to pray for you the Lord establish your Honour in euery good word and make you rich in name and fame by your good works to his glory to the good of his Church to your euerlasting Honour in this life and eternall happinesse in the life to come Your Honours in all duty to be commanded in the Lord Iesus IOHN BVLTEEL A MEDITATION vpon the first of the Corinthians 1 COR. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you saue Iesus Christ and him crucified THe Apostle S. Paul who had so much knowledge both acquired and infused brought vp at the feet of Gamaliel and most exquisitly instructed in the Law of God and since enriched as much as any other with spirituall gifts as of prophecie and of tongues 2 Cor. 12.4 yea a caught vp into Paradise where he heard vnspeakeable words which it is not lawfull for a man to vtter doth not propose to himselfe notwithstanding to know any thing or to propound any thing to the faithfull Corinthians saue Iesus Christ and him crucified Is it that he despised those great gifts of God powerfull instruments of his calling those vnspeakable mysteries that were reuealed vnto him vnto him onely of all the Apostles vnto him alone in all ages rauished vp so farre lifted vp so high and returned from thence to vs No God forbid On the contrary he knowes both the price and the poise thereof he can giue to God both thankes and glory and that elsewhere very often But hee knowes also how to counterpoise the mystery and the ministerie of the holy Gospell the word of the Crosse which hee so tearmes so eminent aboue all other that euen they doe seeme nothing to it 1 Cor. 1.18 All of them without this word vnprofitable and vaine profitable onely and solide as long and as much as they attend on it and serue it that
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