a great evill be committed in a small matter Hereupon he that but gathered sticks on the Sabaoth with a high hand viz. in contempt of Moses and of God in him was to be stoned to death without mercy The sin is also greater as the temptation or occasion is lesse and therefore the rich man that having many sheep of his own took his poore neighbours lamb to enterteyn his stranger withall was adjudged worthy of death whether we take the words as they seemed to David or as Nathan meant them Likewise the forecasting of evill exceedingly aggrevates it as with him who devised mischeif upon his bed and after set himself in a way to practise it Others are overtaken by sin but such overtake sin So doth it not a litle if men sin that they may sin as it seems many swear that they may swear and as Austin confesseth of himself that being a boy he stole apples and cast them away when he had done He stole that he might steal Lastly sin becomes more sinfull if it have scandall and offence of men or other damage joyned with it Yet even for the least sin if any sin by any being against Gods infinite majestie may be accounted litle if God should presse the same upon the conscience and suffer Sathan to urge it to the full it would be a burthen intollerable and such as neyther the heavens could bear for the angels that sinned were cast from thence nor paradise for Adam for transgression was driven from thence nor the earth for that swallowed up Dathan and Abiram for their sin neyther could any men or angels undergo it without being born down into the bottom of hell by it and there onely it rests as in its proper center Happy are they who in the sense and feeling of the intollerable burthen therof come to Christ by fayth that he may ease them The sin against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven in this world or the world to come is not onely committed by them who have sometimes professed the gospell but by others also though never coming so far but being convinced of the truth thereof do maliciously hate blaspheme and persecute it and therein sin against the work of the Holy Ghost in their own hearts And this Christ insinuates against the Scribes Pharisees who yet never came to professe Christianitie The reason of the 〈◊〉 of this sin is not any deâ—ect eyther in the mercy of God or merâ—â—s of Christ as though the evill in it were greater then the good in them but for that God hath sâ—t those boâ—nds of his grace and mercy that he will never voâ—câ—â—afe fayth and repenâ—â—â—ce to that person who once so despyteth his spirit in that its holy work And considering how oft the Scriptures speak of this sin not onely for warning of persons in themselvs but also for direction â—oâ—ching others so â—inning it is to be feared that the same is more ordinarie where the gospell is preached then the most make account of and that many malitiously haâ—eing and persequuting specially after some singular profession made and forsaken true and conscionable gospellers would do the same by the gospell it self if they were not restreyned by fear of men and shame of the times The Lord oftens punisheth men in the same kinde wherein they have sinned and causeth to be â—eaâ—â—d unto them with the measure wherewith they meat to others Thus he drâ—â—â—ed Phâ—raoâ— in the sea who had formerly drowned the Israelitish infants and served king Aâ—oâ—â—bezek as he had served other kings before And this God doth to make his justice the more conspicuous and that mens punishments may be as glasses wherein their sins may be seen more clearly if not for their repentance yet for the warning of others When I seriously weigh and consider the fearfull greivous punishments which God so good and gratious hath partly exequuted in this life as upon the old world Sodom and Gomorrah Corah and his company and the like and partly threatned as in the end of this life in the soul so in the end of the world both in soul and body and the same for measure intollerable and endles in continuance Lord think I what sin can procure such punishment But when on the contrarie I consider the horrible contempt of God his word even in them to whom it is dayly and diligently offered Lord think I what punishment can be sufficient for such sin What is it then Man is fearfully wicked in sinning and God fearfully just in punishing where by fayth and repentance mercy is not obteyned My flesh trembleth for dread of thee and I fear for thy judgments CHAP. LIII Of Rewards and punishments by men MEN that are able and ready accordingly to reward the vertues of good men and well-deserving do therein not onely give them and God in them their due but doe give others incouragement also to apply themselvs to vertuous courses which finde so good acceptance and reward at mens hands specially at theirs who are of place and abilitie in the world Whereas on the contrarie for such to favour wicked and leaud persons is really to invite and perswade men to evill and litle better then plainly to hyre both them and others to doe naughtily The former in that their approbation and remuneration of goodnes and vertue bear the Image of God who plenteously rewards the well-doers the latter plainly resemble the divell who offered Christ the glorie of the kingdoms of the earth if he would fall down and worship him It is a known and approved saying that by rewards and punishments societies are preserved And of these two though occasion of rewards be more to be desired yet the exequution of punishments is more diligently to be looked unto for the preserving of humayn societies The reason is because whereas vertue as the phylosopher sayd rewards it self or more truely if it be true expects it reward from God vice and vileny on the contrary can be restreyned in the most and worst onely by the fear of punishment Neyther serv humayn laws to make men good but to keep them from such outrages and extreamities of evill as into which otherwise they were in danger to break The speciall use of the law of God it self where by his spirit he puts it not in mens minde and writes it not in their hearts is to restreyn lawlesse persons as murtherers whoremongers and the like how much more of mens There is then a mercifull crueltie when men save by severitie the persons themselvs that are punished and others also the punishment reaching to one or a few and the fear and warning to many There is on the other side a cruell mercy when men by spareing spoyl both the persons offending and others who by their impunity take boldnes to offend This foolish pitty spoyls the cittie if the magistrate use it so doth the
to the knowledg of God This knowledg we must seek with all earnest diligence and store it up carefully in the treasurie of our hearts that knowing God we may love him and trust to him and fear him and honour him that as the Daughters of Ierusalem though before marvailing what ailed the Spouse of Christ to be so affectioned towards her beloved and so earnestly to seek after him as she did when they once came to take knowledg of his perfit beautie would then seek him with her So we knowing God specially in the face of Christ Iesus may so be ravished with love of his Majestie as to have our whole heart set to seek and find him in whose presence is satietie of joyes evermore CAP. II. Of Gods love GOd loveth himself first and most as the cheifest good and all other good things as he communicates with them lesse or more the effects of his own goodnesse And from this infinit love of his own infinit goodnesse is it that he so severely punisheth some Creatures though the Work of his own Hands which he alwaies loveth For first The Creature by sin violating Gods Holinesse and despising his authoritie in his righteous Commandments and so going on in impenitencie and unbelief and withall it being impossible that Gods love of his own Holinesse and Iustice and the honour of the same and the love of the Creatures happinesse so obstinatly dishonouring him should stand togither it cannot be but that the latter must give way to the former and greater and the Creature so sinning become miserable rather then God forgetfull of his own honour and glorie God reveales his glorious Majestie in the highest Heavens his fearfull Iustice in the Hell of the Damned His wise and powerfull Prouidence is manifest through-out the whole World but his gracious love and mercie in and unto his Church here upon Earth which he therefore hath chosen and taken near unto himself that in it might be seen the riches of his glorious grace And albeit all things in God are infinit and one yet are the effects of his love more wonderfull and excellent then of any other his Attributes as appeares in that his greatest and strangest work of giving his only begotten Son to the cursed death of the Crosse for his Enemies out of his love and mercie This the Scriptures and worthily call a great mysterie and which for the rarenesse of it was not onely hidden from the Sons of Men but also from the verie Angels in their perfection of created knowledg Which manifold grace and wisdom of God they therefore desire to look into and learn by the Church Love in the Creature ever presupposeth some good true or apparent in the thing loved by which that affection of union is drawn as the Iron by the Load-stone But the love of God on the contrarie causeth all good wrought or to be wrought in the Creature He first liveth vs in the free purpose of his will and thence worketh good for and in us and then loves us actually for his own good work for and in us and so still more and more for his own further work And hence ariseth the unchangablenesse of Gods love towards us because it is founded in himself and in the stablenesse of the good pleasure of his own will And although the arguments of comfort be great which we draw from the certain knowledg of our love to him yet are those infinitely greater which are taken from the consideration of his love to us as being not onely the ground of the other but in him also infinite and vnchangable And hereupon it was that the Sisters of Lazarus seeking help for their sick Brother sent Christ word not that he who loved him though that were not nothing but that he whom he loved was sick As by the hand of a friend reached unto us we are made partakers of the strength of his whole body to hold or help us up so by the hand of the love of God reached down from Heaven in the Gospel we become interessed in the most comfortable apprehension and happy use of all other his attributes whatsoeuer The more wise powerfull holy glorious eternall and infinite God is the more happy are we by means of his love and mercy in Christ which moveth him to use and improve them all for our good and to communicate them with us as his friends in their effects so far as serves for our happinesse He whom God loves though he know it not is an happy man He that knows it knows himself to be happy Which caused the Apostle to make in his own name and in the names of all the beloved of God that glorious insultation over all the enemies of his their happines that they could not seperate him or them not from the power or wisdom or holinesse but not from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus From this love of God as from a Spring head issueth all good both for grace and glory Yea by it which is more all evill by all Creatures intended or done against us is turned to good to us By it our afflictions work together with our election redemption vocation c. for our good By reason of it the stones of the Feild are at league with us the beasts of the Feild at peace with us yea even the very Sword that killeth us the Fire that burneth us and the Water that drowneth us is a kinde of Spirituall and invisible league with us to do us good Vpon the knowledg of this love of God shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Ghost is laid the foundation and ground-work of whatsoever good thing we return again unto God with acceptation at his hands Vpon this we do build our Faith and confidence in him By this our cold and frozen hearts are not onely thawed but inflamed also with love again to him and to men for him As the Earth being heated by the beams of the Sun beating upon it reflecteth heat again towards the Heavens upon all the bodies between it and them Lastly from hence arise all the pleasing services wherewith we present his Majesty For howsoever we ow our selvs and whatsoever we are or can do vnto him as our gracious and powerfull Creatour absolute Lord yet can we do nothing heartily as we ought but from the Faith feeling of his love in Christ by the motion of the Spirit of a sound minde given unto us But being once drawn sweetly by the coards of Gods goodnes love we readily pleasingly follow after him as being debters and constrained not by necessity but w ch binds more strongly by love The tokens of this love of God in Christ are not onely by us highly to be prized but carefully to be discerned lest we bring our selves into a fools paradise and grow presumptuously secure which is the fore-runner of suddain and
will and making small or none account that either the rules of the Word appertain unto them for direction or the precepts for obedience or the threatnings for restraint yet do lay their sacrilegious hands boldly upon the promises as their true and undoubted right And the reason is because the promises contain in them things good and pleasing to mans nature which because we would gladly have true we readily beleeve and apply But such seperate what God hath joined together and in effect take away from the Words of the Book of God and God will take away their part out of the Book of Life Others again trans-form commandments into promises with great and dangerous errour For example where it is said The Priests lips should preserv knowledg the Romish Priests chaleng an immunity from erring whence they should take warning that they er not So from Christs teaching that a city set upon an hill cannot be hid they will wring a promise of perpetuall visibility of Church and Ministery from him where he intends onely an exhortation to his Disciples after to become Apostls unto answerablenesse both in life and doctrine to the eminencie of their places Some again make conditionall promises absolute as that Whose sins ye binde upon earth they are bound in Heaven forgetting that it must be the Church gathered together in Christs name that is both furnished with lawfull authoritie useing it lawfully Likewise that Christ will preserv the Ministery and Ministers and be with them to the end of the World leaving out the condition going before which is that they do their duty in their places in makeing Discipls and baptizeing them and teaching them to observ whatsoever he had commanded them Lastly How many because God promiseth forgivenesse to sinners whensoever they repent promise unto themselvs repentance upon an howers warning before their death though they go on in sin all their life long But the saying of the Ancient is memorable in this case He that promiseth forgivenesse to him that repents doth not promise repentance to him that sins But on the contrarie as he that makes a bridg of his own shadow cannot but fall in the Water so neither can he escape the Pit of Hell who layes his own presumption this way in the place of Gods promise CAP. IIII. Of the works of God and his power wisdom will goodnesse c. shining in them IT is a receaved truth in Divinity that whatsoever is in God is God So the will of God considered as the foundation of that which he wills and as inherent in him is nothing els but God willing his justice nothing els but God just his mercy but God mercifull and so for the rest of the Divine Attributes And as everie work of God is founded in some of those Attributes and that by name in his understanding as judging the thing to be good in his holy will agreeing thereunto and in his power effecting all things So this foundation and first cause of them all being immanent and inherent in God is God essentially of what nature soever alwaies good the work be without him which his will and power effecteth Neither is this will of God to work by his power wrought in him by any thing without himself for then he should receav addition of perfection from the creature moveing him thereunto though yet it be most certain that there are many things which God neither in his wisdom judgeth fit to be done by him nor wills the doing of them nor would work or do them by his power but upon the creatures work going before For example God wills and works the condemnation of some sinners because he judgeth fit willeth and will work therein the manifestation of the glorie of his justice but this condemnation which otherwise he would not lay upon any he both wills and works by and for the Creatures sin according to his eternall and unchangeable purpose of will in himself When the Scriptures speak and we according unto them of any thing done by God in respect of the Creature before the World was made it must be understood as meant onely of his foreknowledg and decree of will and purpose of doing For things could be done no otherwise then they could be nor could be otherwise then in God who alone was nor could be in God otherwise then in his foreknowledg and will according to which he works them actually in time by his power These three Attributes as before I intimated his power will and wisdom do concur to the produceing of all and everie one of his works His power worketh and effecteth all things his will sets his power a working his wisdom directs both the one other his will in willing and his power in working Touching his power The right hand of the Lord which in men is the instrument of strength is exalted and by it he can do what he will and much more then he will And whereas God cannot ly or denie himself or the like it is immediately because he will not and that not of impotencie in him but of potencie and perfection of excellencie as on the contrarie it is the power of mans weaknesse that he can do amisse So for things importing contradiction as that the same thing should be and not be at once or not be that which it is or the like it is Religiously said by some rather that such things cannot be done by God then that God cannot do them seeing the reason of this impossibilitie of their so being is not in Gods Nature but in theirs The will of God is one as God is one But as there is one Spirit but diversitie of manifestations so this one internall will of God doth exercise and extend it self diversly to and upon divers objects This extention and exercise of this one will of God is of us to be considered in divers degrees The weakest and most remisse degree is to will the suffering of evill For though God to speake properly wills not sin yet he willingly suffers it not as ignorant of it nor as neglecting it nor as unable to prevent it but as willingly wittingly and of purpose suffering that evill to be done which he could easily hinder if he would oppose his omnipotent power The next degree of Gods willing stands in commanding good and approveing of it where it is found And thus God wills and commands that all men should repent thus he wills that all should come to the knowledg of the truth and be saved and thus lastly he would haue the wicked turn from his wickednesse and live and not dy And these things and the like he seriously wills to wit by way of commanding requireing them and of approveing them wheresoever they are found The highest and most intent degree of willing in God is when he so wills a thing as withall he imploys his omnipotent power for the effecting of it and
Tongues in an Expositour judgment in things That Translation is most exact which agreeth best with the Originall word for word so far as the idiom or proprietie of the Language will bear so as for words or phrases in the Originall proper or common simple or figurative perspicuous or doubtfull words and phrases of the same sort proper or common and so of the rest be put and retained in the version lest the Interpreter bring his own Commentarie for the Scriptures Text. On the contrarie the Commentarie is best which shews most clearly the sense scope and meaning of the Text in what words soever As the Law-maker best knows the meaning of the Law and how it is to be expounded so for the exposition of the Holy Scriptures the Spirit of God as the Authour thereof is first and most to be consulted with by faithfull and earnest prayer from a good conscience that God may fulfill his promise made of giving his holy Spirit to them that ask it and of revealing his secrets to them that fear him And so some speciall Instruments of renuing the Gospels light in the former Age have professed that they learned more this way by prayer then by much studie otherwise There is in a Scripture but one proper and immediate sense others are rather collections from it relations unto it or illustrations of it then immediate senses The literall sense is to be followed as being most naturall what may be and not to be refused if it may stand without danger without blasphemie and according to other Scriptures And here it must be noted that Christ and his Apostles in expounding Moses and the Prophets did not onely infallibly expresse their conceptions and meanings but the meaning of the Spirit speaking in them and that by reason of their more plentifull measure of the same Spirit and experience withall in some particulars as I conceav further then the Prophets themselvs understood albeit they alwaies knew the immediate drift of the Spirit and meaning of the things which they spake and were not as the Pythonists or other the like Instruments of the Divell uttering Oracles which they themselvs understood not The Lawyers have a rule and the same competent to the matter whereof they treat that Laws of fauour are to be extended as largely as may be but odious Laws as they speak as much straitned and confined within the narrowest bounds of interpretation But all Gods Laws and Instructions must in honour of the Lawgiver be expounded in the largest sense that they can beare that so they may reach as far and binde as fast as may be This the infinitenesse of his wisdom challengeth in directing us of his authority in commanding us of his mercy in promiseing and justice in threatning Which by so interpreting and applying his word we acknowledg and honour as is meet And as they are blame-worthy who out of a scrupulous fear lest they should ad to the Scriptures allow them no further meaning then the words expresse so is their sin greater and full of presumption who shorten and straiten the Scriptures instruction to that which is expressed in so many words that they may make room thereby for their own devises A Scripture commandeth promiseth or threatneth whatsoever is contained in it though not expressed And that is contained in it which can truly and iustly be gathered from it though by never so many consequences or inferences though the fewer the lesse dangerous by reason of our weaknesse of discourse Particular words and phrases more obscure are to be interpreted according to the scope mind of the speaker the Holy Ghost in the place which is both in time and excellencie before the thing spoken and that for which the Spirit speaketh as it doth in the place neither is the Scripture profitable except the scope be first found And to hang upon a word phrase or sentence in a Text without looking to the main drift is if any other the character of an hereticall disposition With this that other most necessarie rule hath affinitie namely that the words are to be understood according to the subject matter the words of Law and Gospel according to the different nature of Law and Gospel the words of an Historie Historically of a Sacrament Sacramentally and mystically and accordingly notes of universalitie according to the extent of the matter or person spoken of As we oft finde out learn mens meaning by some of their companie of such as are about them which we could not learn of themselvs so may we gather the meaning of a Scripture otherwise hard to be understood by marking the things which accompanie it and which are above and below as the Iews use to speak and Christians with them Like as the Lamps in the Golden Candlestick did one help anothers light so doth one place of Holy Scripture anothers And though a thing found in one place if in one indeed be as true binde as strongly as if it were a thousand times written yet so to insist upon any one place in a difference as to neglect others is the high-way to error and to loose the right sense by breaking the Scriptures golden chain whose links are all fastened together And as one place must be expounded by another so must the more brief and obscure by the more plain and larg and not the contrarie crosse way for that were not to lighten the darknesse of a Text but to darken its light according to that of the Father The fewer must be understood according to the more and one saying must rather be taken according to all then against all Touching precepts affirmative and negative First They are usually either kept or broken together He who doth not what he should do commonly doth what he should not do If a man be drawn away from God he is easily ensnared by his own lust On the contrarie he that doth his dutie faithfully hath as it were a Supersedeas from the Lord against the temptations of sin and Satan The way not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit Secondly The receaved rule that affirmative precepts binde alwayes but not to alwayes as negatives do is true being rightly understood We are to take no time for doing evill and but some time for the doing of the best good to wit as we have opportunitie and abilitie Thirdly In the prohibition of an evill we must ever understand the command of the opposite vertue and so on the contrarie He that saith expresly Thou shalt not kill means also as well Thou shalt preserv thy neighbours life Lastly There is both more vertue more vice practised in affirmatives then in negatives It is more good to do good then not to do evill and more evill to do evill then not to do good though both the tree that brings forth evill fruit and that brings forth no
pardon of them then the removing of the bodily punishment as who having understanding in him would not raither haue the bodily soar healed then the playster though byting taken from it And withall when we acknowledge that our afflictions are infinitely lesse then our sins Which they that do not neyther know Gods justice nor their own demerits as they ought Neyther yet is it sufficient that in such cases wee confesse our sins and how we have walked contrarie unto God but we must withall confesse our miserie and that God hath walked contrary unto us and brought our present afflictions upon us In Confessing our sins we shame our selvs and declare our naughtines but in ackowledging our selvs justly punished for them we honour God as a wise powerfull and just Iudg. Notwithstanding there be alwayes the desert of sin procuring punishment yet God doth not alwayes principally aym at that but sometimes that his power may be seen as in the man born blinde sometimes for the honour of his holy name having been blasphemed of his enemies by the sins of his servants as it was by Davids adulterie and other mischeifs following thereupon sometymes for mans salvation as we see in the sufferings of Christ sometimes for the confirmation of others by testimonie given to the truth as in the case of Steven whose sufferings sayth one exhort to the confession thereof sometimes for the tryall of our faith seeing without afflictions neyther others knew us nor we our selvs and for the shameing of the divell therein as in the case of Iob sometimes to draw men nearer to himself by humiliation and repentance which is a generall end sometimes to wean us from the love of the world unto which we are too much addicted notwithstanding all the sorrows which we do finde in it and like foolish travaylers love our way though troublesome in stead of our country sometimes to prevent some sin ready to break out in us as physitians let blood to prevent sicknes Lastly to make the glorie which shall be shewed and whereof our afflictions are not worthy the more glorious as the sun is when the clouds are driven away wherewith for a time it hath been darkned Now as it were to be wished that we could alwaies certainly know the Lords particular ends in afflicting us as we may gather much ordinarily by the knowledge of his word observation of his dealing towards our selvs and others and due examination of our estate and wayes in his sight so is it most necessarie for all his people ever to hold this generall conclusion that in all their afflictions the justice and mercy of God meet together and that he begins in justice and wil end in mercy with them God hath in a peculiar manner entayled afflictions to the sincere profession of the gospel above that of the law before Christ. The law was given by Moyses whose ministerie began with killing the Egiptian that oppressed the Israelite and was prosequuted with leading the people out of Egipt through the sea and wildernes with great might and a strong hand and lastly was finished with bloody victorie over Sihon and Og the kings of Canaan But Christs dispensation was all of an other kynde his birth mean his life sorrowfull and his death shamefull And albeit the love of God towards his people be alwaies the same in it self yet is the manifestation thereof very divers Before Christs coming in the flesh in whom the grace of God appeared God shewed his love more fully in earthly blessings and peace and more sparingly in spirituall and heavenly But now on the other side he dealeth forth temporall blessings more sparingly and spirituall with a fuller hand It is not unprobably gathered that after the destruction of the dragon and beast and recalling of the Iewes after their long divorse from the Lord the blessings of both kindes shall meet together and the Church enjoy for a time a verie gracefull state upon earth both in regard of spirituall and bodily good things In the mean while many would fayn have their worldly advantage and the obedience of the gospell to agree together further then they will And when they cannot frame the world and their worldly conveniencie to the gospell they will fashion the gospel to the world and to their carnall courses in it Pitty it is that such men were not of the Lords councell when he first contrived and preached his gospel that they might have helped him in some such discreet and middle course as might have served the turn both for Heaven and earth But let the world in its foolish wisdom say and do what it will or can the way is narrow which leads unto life and considering mans naughtines it is neyther fit nor hardly possible that it should be broader All the afflictions which Christians suffer are not afflictions of Christ nor all the crosses which they take up the crosses of Christ. The afflictions of Christ may be set in three ranks The first and those most properly so called are when men for Christs cause hate revile and persequute us The second when we suffer evils which we might be free from and escape if we durst deny in word or deed any part of Christs truth The third and last sort are such as befall us in the course of godlines though humayn and as they do all other men as bodily sicknes death of freinds crosses and losses by sea and land and the like If we be members of Christ our such afflictions are the afflictions of Christ els the mercy shewed and good done to such were not done to Christ. But now if he that in his person is a true Christian suffer for evil doing he takes not up the crosse of Christ but of the divel therein and if he put himself upon needlesse danger and difficulties he takes not up Christs crosse but his own herein and so hath his amends in his own hands Yet may even afflictions so coming by our true repentance be sanctified unto us and we please God in their use though not in their cause Both good conscience and wisdom must be used in applying such scriptures as speak of the afflictions of Christians for well doing neyther is all that can be sayd out of everie text thereabout to be applyed to all times For howsoever hardly at any time or in any place things go so well especially in our dayes which even they who are none of the best themselvs will confesse yea complayn to be extreamly evill but that truth goes with a scratcht face lesse or more yet the differences of times and state of things must be observed and put this way Yea further though the times in the generall should be very evill yet for a person who himself is wel furnished with earthly good things wel fed and glad and in outward peace to dwel much upon the afflictions of Christians specially
with application to the present state of things is not to hold decorum but hath an appearance more oratour then preacher-like We are never simply to desire crosses because they are naturall evils nor to abhor from them because we know they work together with our election calling justification and sanctification for our good Not as causes thereof as the forenamed are for the effects of sin cannot be the causes of righteousnes or happines nor yet as means properly as are the word sacraments prayer and examples of good men but onely as occasions capable of sanctification to our use which sins properly are not as having no good in them as such whereas afflictions have a morall good in them as they are of God and by him inflicted Though to speak of crosses most properly God sanctifies us to them in giving us grace to make a right use of them And considering how it is both good for us to be afflicted and that God hath promised that no good thing shall be lacking to them that fear him we are thus to make account that God afflicts us as he doth not onely in justice for sin but in faythfulnes also that is both in mercy and in truth of promise and must accordingly confesse with the man of God I know O Lord that thy judgments are righteous and that thou in faithfulnes hast afflicted me and so must learn to take our severall crosses at Gods hands not onely patiently but thankfully We have cause to thank our selvs and our sins that wholesom things both for body and soul are for the most part bitter and greivous to our nature and to thank God that makes afflictions bitter-sweets by turning deserved curses into fatherly corrections to us It is commonly receaved for truth that in all adversitie the greatest miserie is sometimes to have been happy But we must here use a distinction If we onely respect the time in which we are in miserie apart from the former time we are both more sensible of our present miserie by remembring our former happines and also more tender and delicate and so lesse able to bear it But if we consider our whole life together then the lesse time we are afflicted the lesse our afflictions are in that respect and so must be mynded of us It is not nothing that God hath given us to passe over some part of our dayes in peace and with comfort neyther must we be so unthankfull as to account it no benefit because it is past but we must contrarywise something quiet ourselvs in our present affliction with the remembrance of Gods goodnes in our former peace as did our example of patience who in the extreamitie of his present distresse sayd shall we receav good at the hand of God and shall we not receav evill Reason teacheth this except in a case when God lifts up a man on high that he may the more violently through him down how much more fayth which perswades the godly mans heart that the Lord loves him as well as much in his after afflicted estate as he did before in his prosperous as the gold-smith esteems his gold as much though melting in the furnace as glittering in the shop and that the same God will both give patience and strength of fayth according to the tryall and encrease of strength if he encrease the affliction as also full deliverance in due time He will redeem Israel from all his trouble As even good men perform their whole duetie to God with some corruption mingled among so God promiseth and performeth accordingly the good things of this life with exception of the crosse and tribulation If we could amend the one God would leav out the other The Lord who tryed Abraham in his son Isaak whom he loved and the rich young man in his riches which he loved knows well in what veyn to strike a man that the blood may follow The more we love any earthly thing we are the more in danger to be crossed in or about it Not that God envyes our delights as one man often envyes anothers but eyther because we do or lest we should surfet in affections towards it Most men are moved too much with their own miseryes in this world melting in them as wax in the sun so as they are unapt to hold any impression eyther of fayth or reason but are too litle moved with other mens calamities not affoarding them so much as a compassionate affection Yet may and doth the contrary extream of over pittying others also prevayl with some Against both which it is good to consider that eyther we and they reap spirituall benefit by our afflictions or no. If the former that may and ought to moderate the greif If not there is cause of greater greif for after greater afflictions to come upon us and them A man may much encrease or lessen a crosse by the course which he suffers his mynde to run in it seeing all crosses have some conveniencies joyned with them as all commodities have some discommodities If a man set his thoughts a work upon the inconveniencies and discommodityes alone which are in it he shall heap sorrow upon sorrow But if on the contrary he draw into consideration such conveniencyes as usually fall in with their contraryes he shall alwaies finde some matter of ease and sometimes that meat comes out of the eater and that which at first seemed a crosse is rayther a benefit It is a most dangerous thing for any to deem his afflictions extraordinarie least by so doing he prejudice himself against ordinary comforts which we should with readynes and thankfulnes embrace and not look for angels from heaven to comfort us or for manna from heaven to feed us CHAP. XXXIIII Of Injuries AN Injurie say the Lawyers is whatsoever is not done justly In one and the same act may be found both sin against God and injurie against man And therefore in cases of wrong done either by violence or deceit the offender under the law was bound both to make restitution to the wronged and also to bring his trespas offering to the priest to make an atonement for him before the Lord. Sometimes the sin is taken away and the iniurie remayns as when the person which hath wronged another truly repents but is not able to make satisfaction Sometimes on the other side the injurie is taken away and the sin remayns viz. when the offender makes satisfaction by compulsion or for shame but repents not before God Sometimes both are taken away and sometimes neyther as both or neyther satisfaction to men and repentance towards God is performed Between the injurying and offending of a man there is this difference that we may injurie him that is altogether ignorant of it but can offend onely him that takes knowledg of some evil in truth or appearance done by us whether with injury or not The more power any hath to
petition as we forgive them that trespasse against us the petition being Forgive us our trespasses adding therein that if we forgive not them that trespasse against us neyther will our heavenly father forgive us And this exhortation sayth one if we be not more hard then iron and steel cannot but soften us and make us appeasable and ready to remit offences considering how many and great our offences are against the Lord for which he both so justly might and so easily could take revengment upon us And since vengeance is the Lords and that he will repay we must beware we take it not further into our hands then God gives it us lest medling with edged-tools in Gods shop we surely cut our selvs deep howsoever they scape against whom we use them And besides the conscience of offending God by revenge in wish word or deed we may take instances of inducement to forgivenes from circumstances of all the persons that injurie us If it be a meaner person then our selvs that wrongs us let us forgive him in pittie of his weaknes If our superiour let us pittie and forgive our selvs the former in charitie the latter in wisdom Is he a malicious and unmerited enemy why should we marvayl if he do his kynde Have we hurt him before he but gives us our due and why should we not take it at his hands Is he a good man let us be ready to forgive him whom God forgives Is he wicked Alas we may well forgive him considering how fearfull vengeance if he repent not God will take on him for that and other his sins Many who think it divelish as indeed it is to offer an injurie think it but manly to requite it But it is sayth one evill as well to requite as to offer since God forbids both And there is sayth another onely this difference between them that he who offers the injury is before in mischief and he that requites it comes after therein as fast as he can With which two joyn a third witnesse saying that to render evil for evill is to make two divels for one Not to be revenged for an injury done is not alwayes to forgive it For this may be through want of power or of courage or in a kinde of haughtines of mynde when a man esteems himself above the wrong done or scorns to fyle his fingers with his adversarie Neyther yet is it sufficient though it be a great thing that we wish him no hurt who hath wronged us but we ought further also so to keep our hearts that they rejoyce not at his fall or slumbling by any other means least the Lord see and it displease him and he turn his wrath from him upon us All the other wayes we may be accessory before this way after the fact Notwithstanding we may have cause to be glad if the injurious and oppressours be restreyned by some work of Gods over-ruling providence that the fox being chayned up may no more worry the lambs But this is not to rejoyce for his hurt but for his good Lastly as God forgives injuries against him which all sins are if for the same he hate not the person so sinning though he both be angry at him and correct him and therein provide for the repayring of the honour of his majestie impeached by him so may men forgive injuries done against them in spirituall sense and holy manner if therefore they hate not nor wish hurt to the person that hath wronged them though in cases they provide for his due correction and also for the repayring of the damage susteyned by him in theyr body goods or good name by lawfull means CHAP. XXXV Of Patience IT is our sinfull condition that makes us subject to crosses our humayn that makes us sensible of them without which sense of them we were no more patient in bearing them then the stone is patient upon which the weight of the wall lyeth But in the bearing of such evils as are brought upon us or befall us with equanimitie and moderation true patience is seen The grace it self must be in us even without crosses and we by it in heart martyrs without fire or sword but so can not the use of it be no more then there is use of a salve where there is no soar And thereupon the Apostle sayth that affliction worketh patience that is occasions the exercise and increase of it And hence it is that men are most deceaved in the measure of this grace and esteem their inches eâ—ns till by tryall of evils they finde the contrarie But patience tryed by afflictions and found firm and good gives above other graces experimentall assurance of Gods love Whereupon the Apostle in the place forenamed gives it alone the honour of working experience And no marvayl seeing by it God gives a poore and feeble creature such experience of his powerfull grace and goodnes for the bearing and bearing out of those crosses and miseries both inward and outward which without this staf of supportance were intollerable Neyther is the work of Gods goodnes lost in them to whom he imparts this grace seeing by it if by any other they shew forth the vertues of God and honour him in so many of his attributes in the exercising of it As first of his will both commanding and approving it as Christ tels the church and Angell at Ephesus I know thy works and labour and patience Secondly of his justice as acknowledging really that all the afflictions which they suffer are lesse without comparison then their sins deserv Thirdly of his power and that both over them with which they struggle not but making a vertue of necessitie quietly bear what he layes upon them and also in them in susteyning them that they faynt not under their burden Fourthly of his wisdom in effectuall acknowledgment that he hath his good holy ends of his so dealing with them though oft times not so particularly known to them Lastly of his goodnes in dealing with them in their chastisements as with sons for their profit and that they might be partakers of his holynes without which last all the rest how honourable soever to God are uncomfortable unto man Vpon this goodnes of God we do in our afflictions specially exercise the two mayn graces of Fayth and Hope Fayth perswading our hearts that God loves us as well in our greatest afflictions as out of them and will do us nothing but good by them is as the foundation for this bulwork of patience Hope assureth us of happy issue out of them all which if we wanted what would it avayl us though we had the strength of men and angels to bear miseries Some Christians have sayd that Patience is a miserable remedy But how much better said the Heathen Byas that he onely is miserable that wants patience for the bearing of his misfortunes As