promise of God that riches and treasures shall be in the house of the iust Psal. 112. 3. The answer is two-fold First riches in Scripture sometimes doe signifie only things sufficient and competent and of them is that place to be vnderstood To this purpose Dauid saies that a small thing that is a competent and meane portion though but very little is to the iust man better then great riches to the wicked and mightie Psal. 37. 16. And whereas Dauid in another place affirmeth that nothing shall be wanting to them that feare God Psal. 34. 9. and againe They which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good the places are to be vnderstood with exception of the crosse correction in this sort that they shall haue competencie vnlesse the Lord intend to chastice and correct them by want Secondly if by riches Dauid there meaneth abundance the words must be vnderstood with this condition if they be for their good For so all promises of temporal things must be limited with exception partly of Gods glory kingdome and will and partly of our good and saluation Obiect III. We must doe good to the poore to the Church to the common wealth and we must also leaue somewhat to posteritie I answer we may not doe euill that good may come thereof Againe euery man is accepted of God according to that he hath and not according to that he hath not if there be a ready mind 2. Cor. 8. 12. And the end of a mans calling is not to gather riches for himselfe for his familie for the poore but to serue God in seruing of man and in seeking the good of all men and to this end men must apply their liues and labours Obiect IV. We are called to imitate the Ante Prov. 6. 13. which gathers in one season for her reliefe in another Ans. The Ante gathers in sommer only things necessarie she doth not by the instinct of nature seeke superfluitie and more then is necessarie This doctrine serues to direct and informe almost all the world to beate downe the wicked practise of the vsurer to teach euery one of vs to moderate our care in things pertaining to this life The Second part of the Answer is this If God giue abundance when we neither desire it nor seeke it we may take it hold and vse it as Gods stewards Abraham Ioseph of Arimathaea are commended for their riches and yet they obtained them not by their owne seeking and moiling after the manner of the world but walking in their callings God in his providence blessed and multiplytheir wealth For further proofe of this answer consider but one only place Act. 5. 4. Where Peter saies to Ananias When it remained appertained it not vnto thee and when it was sold was it not in thy power These words import thus much that if we haue possessions and abundance we may with good conscience inioy them as blessings and gifts of God Against this doctrine it is alleadged first that our Sauiour saies It is a hard thing for him that hath riches to enter into the kingdome of God Matt. 19. 23. Ans. The place is to be vnderstood of them that trust in their riches as it is expounded Mark 10. 24. Secondly it is obiected we must forsake all and become Christs disciples by the commandement of Christ Luk. 14. 26. Ans. A man must forsake al not simply but in regard of the daily disposition and preparation of his mind and so a man ought to forsake the things that are dearest vnto him because he must haue his minde resolued to forsake them Againe man must be content to part with all not onely in affection but actually when it commeth to this point that either he must loose them or renounce Christ. Thirdly it is alleadged that Riches are called vnrighteous Luk. 16. 9. Make ye friends of vnrighteous Mammon therefore it seemes we may not haue them Ans. Mammon is called Mammon of iniquitie not because it is so in it selfe but because it is so in the common vse or rather abuse of wicked men and that in sundrie respects First because it is commonly though not alwaies vniustly gotten for it is a hard thing to become rich without iniustice Secondly it is made ordinarily among sinnefull men an instrument of many euills Thirdly euill gotten goods are vniustly possessed and no man can be truly tearmed rich that vniustly possesseth riches II. Question How a man may with good conscience possesse and vse Riches The Answer to this Question I propound in foure Rules I. Rule They which haue riches are to consider that God is not only their soueraigne Lord but the Lord of their riches and that they themselues are but the stewards of God to employ and dispense them according to his will Yea further that they are to giue an account vnto him both for the hauing and vsing of those riches which they haue and vse This Rule is a confessed truth In the petition when we haue bread in our houses hands yea which is more in our mouthes when we are in the vse of the creature euen then are we taught to say Giue vs this day our daily bread to signifie that God is our soueraigne and absolute Lord and that when we haue the creatures we haue no vse of them vnlesse he giue it vnto vs. Againe the commandement Luk. 16. 2. Giue an account of thy stewardship pertaines to all men that haue riches though it be but meate and bread II. Rule We must vse speciall moderation of minde in the possessing and vsing of riches be content with our estate so as we set not the affection of our heart vpon our riches Psal. 62. 10. If riches increase set not your heart vpon them that is place not your loue and confidence in them be not puffed vp with pride and ambition because you are rich Luk. 6. 24. Woe be to you that are rich that is that put confidence in your riches Matth. 5. 3. Blessed are the poore in Spirit Now pouertie of Spirit is to beare pouertie with meekenes patience and obedience as a crosse imposed by God And in this sense the rich man may be said to be poore in spirit if he bestoweth not his loue and confidence vpon his wealth but in affection of heart is so disposed as if he were not rich but poore And this pouertie is necessarie euen in the middest of wealth because it will restraine the furie of the vntamed and vnruly affection Againe Christ saith Matth. 10. 39. He that looseth his life for my sake shall find it Loosing there mentioned is not an actuall loosing but as before a disposition or preparation of the heart to loose for Christs sake if neede be the dearest thing we haue that is our life And againe Luk. 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not father and mother yea and his owne life also he cannot be my Disciple That place is not
namely in heart to be deepely displeased with our selues the latter is not simply necessary though it be commendable in whomsoeuer it is if it be in truth for Lydia had the first but not the second II. It falleth out oftētimes that the greatnes of the grief taketh away the sensible paine and causeth a mummednesse of the heart so that the partie grieueth not III. Sometimes the complexion will not affoard teares and in such there may be true humiliation though with dric cheekes Sect. 3. The Secōd thing to be done for the attaining of Gods fauour and confequently of saluatiō is to Beleeue in Christ. In the practise of a Christian life the duties of humiliation faith cannot be seuered yet for doctrines sake I distinguish them In Faith ther are two things required and to be performed on our behalfe First to know the points of religion and namely the summe of the Gospel especially the promise of righteousnes and life eternall by Christ. Secondly to apprehend and applie the promise and withall the thing promised which is Christ vnto our selues and this is done when a man vpon the commandemēt of God sets down this with himselfe that Christ and his merits belong vnto him in particular and that Christ is his wisdome iustification sanctification and redemption This doctrine is plaine out of the sixt of Iohn for Christ is there propounded vnto vs as the bread and the water of life Therefore faith must not be idle in the braine but it must take Christ and applie him vnto the soule and conscience euen as meate is eaten The Questions of Conscience touching Faith are these First how we may truly applie Christ with all his benefits vnto our selues For wicked men applie Christ vnto themselues falsely in presumption but fewe doe it truly as they ought to doe I answer That this may be done we must remember to doe two things First lay downe a foundation of this action and then practise vpon it Our foundation must be laid in the word or else we shall faile in our application and it consists of two principles The one is As God giues a promise of life eternall by Christ so he giues commandement that euery one in particular should applie the promise to himselfe The next is that the Ministerie of the word is an ordinarie meanes wherein God doth offer and applie Christ with all his benefits to the hearers as if he called them by their names Peter Iohn Cornelius Beleeue in Christ and thou shalt be saued When we haue rightly considered of our foundation the Second thing is to practise vpon it and that is to giue our selues to the exercises of faith and repentance which stand in meditation of the Word and prayer for mercie and pardon and when this is done then God giues the sense and increase of his grace When Lydia was hearing the Sermon of Paul then God opened her heart Act. 16. v. 12. Secondly it is demaunded When faith beginnes to breede in the heart and when a man beginnes to beleeue in Christ Answ. When he beginnes to be touched in conscience for his owne sinnes and withall hungers and thirsts after Christ and his righteousnes then beginneth faith The reason is plaine As faith is renewed so it is begunne but it is renewed when a man is touched in conscience for his sinnes and beginnes a new to hunger after Christ therefore when these things first shew themselues then faith first beginnes For these were the things that were in Dauid when he renewed his repentance Sect. 4. The third dutie necessarie to saluation is Repentance In which two things are to be considered the beginning namely a godly Sorrow which is the beginning of Repentance 2. Corinth 7. and vpon this sorrow a Change which is indeede Repentance it selfe In Sorrow we consider first the nature of it secondly the properties of it Touching the nature of sorrow it is either inward or outward The inward sorrow is when a man is displeased with himselfe for his sinnes The outward when the heart declares the griefe thereof by teares or such like signes And sorrow in this case called a godly sorrow is more to be esteemed by the first of these then by the second The propertie of this sorrow is to make vs to be displeased with our selues for our sinnes directly because they are sinnes and doe displease God If there were no iudge no hel nor death yet we must be grieued because we haue offended so mercifull a God and louing father And as godly sorrow will make vs thus to doe so is it the next cause of repentance and by this is repentance discerned The next thing in Repentāce is the Change of the minde and whole man in affection life and conuersation And this standeth in a constant purpose of the minde and resolution of the heart not to sinne but in euery thing to doe the will of God Hereupon Paul exhorteth them to whome he wrote to continue in the loue of God and in the obedience of his word Barnabas when he came to Antioch and had seene the grace of God was glad and exhorted all that with purpose of heart they should cleaue vnto God or continue with the Lord. So the Prophet Ezckiel saith if the wicked will turne from all his sinnes and keepe all my statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue and shall not die In this purpose stands the very nature of repentance and it must be ioyned with humiliation and faith as a third thing auaileable to saluation and not to be seuered from them For a man in shewe may haue many good things as for example he may be humbled and seeme to haue some strength of faith yet if there be in the saide man a want of this purpose and resolution not to sinne the other are but dead things and vnprofitable and for all them he may come to eternall destruction Furthermore we must distinguish this kinde of purpose from the minde and purpose of carnall men theeues drunkards harlots vsurers for they will confesse their sinnes and be sorie for them yea and shed some teares wishing they had neuer sinned as they haue In these men indeed there is a wishing will for the time but no setled purpose And it is a propertie of nature to auoid euill but to haue a constant resolution of not sinning is a gift of grace and for this it is that we must labour otherwise our repentance is no true and sound repentance Sect. 5. The fourth and last dutie is to performe New obedience vnto God in our life and conuersation In this new obedience three things are required First it must be a fruit of the spirit of Christ in vs for when we doe any good thing it is Christ that doth it in vs. To this purpose Dauid praies vnto God Psal. 143. 10. Let thy good Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousnes And
Paul exhorts the Galatians to walke in the Spirit and then marke what followes and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Gal. 5. 16. Secondly this new obedience must be the keeping of euery commandement of God for as S. Iames saith He that breakes one commandement is guiltie of all that is he that doth willingly and wittingly breake any commandement and makes not conscience of some one maketh not conscience of any and before God he is as guiltie of all as if he had broken all Thirdly in new obedience the whole man must endeauour to keepe the whole law in his minde will affections and all the faculties of soule and bodie As it is said of Iosiah that he turned to God according to all the lawes of Moses with all his heart This last point added to the rest is the very forme and life of new obedience from hence it followes First that therepentant person must not liue in the practise of any outward sinne Secondly that there must be in him an inward resisting and restraining of the corruption of nature and of the heart that he may truly obey God by the grace of the spirit of God The heart of Ioseph was readie prest to resist the euill request of Potiphars wife And Dauid staid his affectioÌ„ from reuenging himselfe vpon Shemei when he cursed him Thirdly that he ought to stirre vp and exercise the inward man by all spiritual motions of Faith Ioy Loue Hope and the praise of God Now touching this point there are 2. principal Questions propouÌ„ded First How may a man frame his life to liue in New-bedience Ans. Though all the bookes of the old and new Testament are direction sufficient for a good life yet a more speciall answer may be made out of the same plainly and briefly That there are three maine grounds or rules of New Obedience The first is laid downe by our Sauiour Christ Luk. 9. 23. If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow me The meaning is this Euery one that will become a scholer in the schoole of Christ and learn obedience vnto God must deny himselfe that is he must in the first place exalt and magnifie the grace of God and become nothing in himselfe renouncing his owne reason will affections and subiecting them to the wisdome will of God in all things yea esteeming al things in the earth euen those that are dearest vnto him as drosse and dung in regard of the kingdome of Christ. Againe he must take vp his Crosse that is he ought alwaies to make a forehand reckoning euen of priuate crosses and particular afflictions and when they come to beare them with chearefulnesse This done he must follow Christ by practising the vertues of meekenes patience loue and obedience and by beeing conformable to his death in crucifying the bodie of sinne in himselfe The second rule is propounded by Paul Act. 24. 14. To beleeue all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and that is to hold and embrace the same faith which was embraced by the Saints and seruants of God in auncient times and which was written by Moses and the Prophets Againe in all reuerence to subiect himselfe to the true manner of worshipping and seruing God reuealed in his word and not to depart from the same doctrine and worship either to the right hand or to the left The third and last rule is to haue and to keepe faith and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. 19. Now faith is preserued by knowledge of the doctrine of the Law and the Gospel by yeelding assent vnto the same doctrine beleeuing it to be true and by a particular application of it vnto a mans selfe specially of the promise of righteousnesse and life euerlasting in and by Christ. Againe that a man may keepe a good conscience he must doe three things First in the course of his life he must practise the duties of the generall Calling in the particular so as though they be two distinct in nature yet they may be both one in vse and practise Secondly in all euents that come to passe euermore in patience and silence he must submit himselfe to the good will and pleasure of God Thus it is saide of Aaron that when God had destroied his sonnes for offering vp strange fire before him he held his peace Levit. 10. 3. And Dauid shewes that it was his practise when beeing afflicted he saith I was as dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it Psal. 39. 9. Thirdly if at any time he falleth either through infirmitie the malice of Satan or the violence of some temptation he must humble himselfe before God labour to breake off his sinne and recouer himselfe by repentance And these three be the principall and maine grounds of New-obedience The Second Question Considering that all good works are the fruits of a regenerate person and are contained vnder New-obedience How may a man doe a good worke that may be accepted of God and please him For resolution whereof it is to be carefully remembred that to the doing of a good worke sundrie things are required Whereof some in nature doe goe before the worke to be done some doe accompanie the doing thereof and some againe doe follow the worke beeing required to be done when the worke is done Before the worke there must goe Reconciliation whereby the person is reconciled vnto God in Christ and made acceptable to him For it is a cleare case that no worke of man caÌ„ be accepted of God vnles the person of the worker be approoued of him And the workes of men of what dignitie soeuer are not to be esteemed by the shewe and outward appearance of them but by the minde and condition of the doer Againe before we doe any good worke we must by praier lift vp our hearts vnto God and desire him to inable vs by his spirit to doe it and to guide vs by the same in the action which we are about to doe This did the Prophet Dauid oftentimes as we may read in the Psalmes but especially in Psal. 143. 10. when he saith Teach me to doe thy will O God for thou art my God let thy good spirit lâ—â—d me vnto the land of righteousnes And oftentimes in the 119. Psalme Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes vers 33. Giue me vnderstanding 34. Direct me in the path of thy commandements 35. Againe Teach me iudgement and knowledge 66. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes 80. Stablish me according to thy promise 116. Direct my steppes in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me 133. In the doing of the worke we are to consider two things the matter and the manner or forme of doing it For the matter it must be a worke commanded in the word of God either expressely or generally For it is Gods reuealed will that giues the
of Gods loue vnto vs is our loue of God For those whom God loueth in Christ to them he giues his grace to loue him againe And this louing of him againe is an euident token of that loue wherewith he loueth them So saith the Apostle We loue him beâ—ause he loued vs first 4. 19. If it be demaunded howe a man may be assured that he loueth God the answer is hee may knowe it by two things First by his conformitie to him in holines The child that loues his father will be willing to tread in the steps of his father and so in like manner he that loueth God will indeauour euen as hee is so to be in this world 4. 17. But howe is that not in equalitie and perfection but in similitude and conformitie striuing to be holy as he is holy and indeauouring to doe his will in all things Secondly by the weaning of his affection from the things of this world yea from all pleasures and delights of this present life so farre forth as they are seuered from the feare and loue of God Loue not this world nor the things that are in the world if any man loue this world the loue of the father is not in him 2. 15. Sect. 4. The Fourth place is in the second of Timothie 2. 19. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie In these wordes Paul goeth about to cut off an offence which the Church might take by reason of the fall of Hymenaeus and Philetus who seemed to be pillars and principall men in the Church And to confirme them against this offence he saith The foundation of God that is the decree of Gods election stands firme and sure so as those which are elected of God shall neuer fall away as these two haue done And this he declares by a double similitude First of all he saith the election of God is like the foundation of an house which standeth fast though all the building be shaken Secondly he saith that election hath the seale of God and therefore may not be changed because things which are sealed are thereby made sure and authenticall Nowe this seale hath two parts the first concerns God in that euery mans saluation is written in the booke of life and God knoweth who are his And because it might be said God indeede knowes who shall be saued but what is that to vs we know not so much of our selues Therefore Saint Paul to answer this sets downe a second part of this seale which concerns man and is imprinted in his heart and conscience which also hath two branches the gift of invocation and a watchfull care to make conscience of al and euery sin in these words And let euery one that calleth vpon the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie Wherby he signifieth that those that can cal vpon God giue him thanks for his benefits and withall in their liues make conscience of sinne haue the seale of Gods election imprinted in their hearts and may assure themseles they are the Lords Sect. 5. A Fift place of scripture touching this question is 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue all diligence to make your election sure for if you doe these things you shall neuer fall Which words containe two parts First an exhortation to make our election sure not with God for with him both it and all other things are vnchangeable but to ourselues in our owne hearts consciences Secondly the Meanes whereby to come to this assurance that is by doeing the things before named in the 5. 6 and 7. verses and that is nothing else but to practise the vertues of the morall Lawe there set downe which I will briefly shewe what they are as they lie in the text To faith adde vertue by faith he meaneth true religion and that gift of God whereby we put our trust and confidence in Christ. By vertue he meaneth no speciall vertue but as I take it an honest and vpright life before men shining in the vertues and workes of the morall Law By knowledge he meanes a gift of God wherby a man may iudge how to carrie himselfe warily and vprightly before men By temperance is vnderstood a gift of God whereby we keepe a moderation of our naturall appetite especially about meat drinke attire By Patience is ment a vertue whereby we moderate our sorrowe in induring affliction Godlines is an other vertue whereby we worship God in the duties of the first table Brotherly kindnesse is also that vertue whereby we imbrace the Church of God the members thereof with the bowels of loue And in the last place Loue is that vertue whereby we are well affected to all men euen to our enemies Now hauing made a rehersal of these vertues in the tenth verse he saith If ye doe these things ye shall neuer fall that is to say If ye exercise your selues in these things you may hereby be well assured and perswaded of your election and saluation CHAP. VII Of the third maine Question touching distresse of minde and generally of all distresses and their remedies III. Question How a man beeing in distresse of minde may be comforted and releeued Ans. Omitting all circumstances considering that much might be spoken touching this Question I will onely set downe that which I take to be most materiall to the doubt in hand Sect. 1. DIstresse of minde which Salomon calls a broken or troubled spirit is when a man is disquieted and distempered in conscience and consequently in his affections touching his estate before God This distresse hath two degrees the lesse and the greater The lesse is a single Feare or griefe when a man standeth in suspence and doubt of his owne saluation and in feare that he shall be condemned The greater distresse is Despaire when a man is without all hope of saluation in his owne sense and apprehension I call Despaire a greater distresse because it is not a distinct kind of trouble of minde as some doe thinke but the highest degree in euery kind of distresse For euery distresse in the minde is a feare of condemnation and comes at length to desperation if it be not cured All distresse of minde ariseth from temptation either begunne or continued For these two doe so necessarily follow and so inseparably accompanie each the other that no distresse of what kinde soeuer can be seuered from temptation And therefore according to the diuers sorts of temptations that doe befall men must the distresses of the minde be distinguished Now Temptations be of two sorts either of triall or seducement Temptations of triall are such as doe befall men for the triall and proofe of the grace of God which is in them The Temptations of triall are twofold the first is a combate of the conscience directly and immediately with the wrath of God which beeing the
into the sea did not befall him by lotte but by his owne voluntarie resignation of himselfe into the hands of God willingly vndergoing it as a iust punishment of the neglect of his calling which himselfe confessed in these words For I acknowledge that for my sake the great tempest is vpon you Ion. 1. 12. Sixtly Moses and the Egyptian fought a combate and Moses slew him Ans. Moses took vpoÌ„ him publike revenge in this action as a Magistrate and not priuate as a priuate man For though as yet his calling was not fully manifested to his brethreÌ„ yet the truth is God had called him to be their deliuerer out of the hands of the Egyptians and this very action was a signe of their deliuerance which was to come to passe afterward It was I say a signe thus As he defended his brother and avenged his quarrell vpon the Egyptian so in time to come the Lord would by his hand giue them full freedome and deliuerance from the tyranny of Pharaoh and all his and their enemies Act. 7. 25. Beeing then a publicke person his example can prooue nothing for this purpose II. Question When Anger is a vertue and so good and lawfull and wheÌ„ it is a vice consequeÌ„tly euill and vnlawfull This Question hath two distinct parts of which I will speake in their order Sect. 1. The first part is when Anger is a vertue lawfull For Answer hereof we must vnderstand that in iust and lawfull Anger there be three things a right Beginning or motiue a right Obiect and a right Manner of beeing angry To the right Beginning of anger three things are required First that the occasion of anger be iust and weightie as namely a manifest offence of God Take an exaÌ„ple or two Moses in sundry places is said to be angrie the occasions of his anger were great as appeares in the particulars First because some of the Israelits against Gods commandement had reserued Manna till the next day Exod. 16. 20. Again he was angrie because the Israelites had tempted God in worshipping the golden calfe Exod. 32. 19. In Numb 16. 15. Moses againe is wroth because Coreh Dathan and Abiram rebelled against him and in him against God Phinees Numb 25. 8. 11. is said to haue beene zealous that is angry for God the occasion was because the Israelites committed fornication with Heathenish women Dauid in like manner 2. Sam. 13. 20 21. was angrie vpon this occasion because Ammon his sonne had deffoured his sister Thamar Elias is angry 1. King 19. v. 14. and why because the Israelites forsooke the conenant of God cast downe his altars and had slaine his prophets with the sword Nehemias Chap. 6. ver 5. is very angrie because the Israelites oppressed one another with vsurie and other kinds of exactions Ieremic also Chap. 6. 11. was angrie for this because the Israelites were of vncircumcised hearts eares and the word of the Lord was vnto them as a reproch they tooke no delight therein Secondly it is required that anger be conceiued vpon counsell and deliberation Pro. 20. 18. Establish thy thoughts by counsell If thoughts must be established by counsell then the affections so our anger also And the Apostle saith Iam. 1. 19. Be slow to wrath Now the reason is plaine Counsell ought to be the foundation of all our actions and therfore much more of our affections which are the beginnings of our actions Thirdly iust and lawful anger must be kindled and stirred vp by good and holy affections as namely by desire to maintaine the honour and praise of God by the loue of iustice and vertue by hatred and detestation of vice and of all that is evill One saith well to this purpose that anger must attend vpon vertue and be stirred vp by it against sinne as the dogge attends vpon the sheepeheard and waites vpon his eie and hand when to follow him and when to pursue the wolfe The Second thing in good anger is a fitte Obiect or Matter to worke vpon touching which two thing must be remembred First we must put a difference betweene the person and the offence or sinne of the person The sinne of the person is the proper obiect of anger and not the person but only by reason of the sinne Thus Dauid saies of himselfe that he was consumed with anger not because the men with whome he was angrie were his enemies but because they kept not Gods law Psal. 119. 139. Thus Moses was angrie at the Idolatrie of the Israelites wherewith they had sinned against God fourtie daies togither yet he praies earnestly vnto God for their persons as we read Exod. 32. But it is alleadged to the contrarie that Dauid directs his anger against the persons of his enemies especially in Psal. 109. Answ. First Prophets as hath beene saide heretofore were endued with a speciall measure of zeale and their zeale was a pure zeale taken vp specially for the glorie and honour of God but our zeale against our enemies is commonly mixt with hatred enuy and selfe-loue therefore we must not nay we cannot follow their examples Secondly imprecations vsed by Dauid were predictions rather then praiers for he rather foretold in them what should come to passe then prayed that it might come to passe Thirdly Dauid in his imprecations accurseth not his owne priuate enemies but the enemies of God and not al them but such onely as were incurable for by the spirit of prophecie he knew the state of those against whome he did pray so doe not we Secondly we must put a difference betweene the cause and offence of God and the cause and offence of manâ— Now iust anger must be directed against persons for the offence of God properly and not for priuate offence but onely so farre forth as it tendeth to the offence of God Thus Miâ—iam and Aaron murmured against Moses because he had married a woman of Aethiopia But this was onely a priuate offence and therefore Moses behaued himselfe meekely towardes them Numb 12. 3. The Third thing in good anger is the Right Manner of conceiuing it Wherein these Cautions are to be obserued First that our anger be mixed and tempered with charitie and loue It is the propertie of God himselfe in wrath to remember mercie Hab. 3. 2. and herein we must be like vnto him This was Moses his practise who out of his loue praied for those with whome he was angrie Exod. 32. Secondly anger against any offence must be mixed with sorrow for the same offence Thus Christ was angrie with the Iewes but withall he sorrowed for the hardnes of their hearts Mark 3. 5. The reason hereof is this In any societie whatsoeuer it be if one member sinneth the sinne of that one member is the punishment of the rest that be in that societie euen as it is in the bodie if one part be affected and ill at ease the rest will be distempered Paul saies of himselfe that he was
imitate God in all things therefore besides them consider further the examples of some of the seruants of God Moses when the people murmured at him did not answer them againe by murmuring but cried vnto the Lord what shall I doe to this people for they be almost readie to stone me Exod. 17. 4. And Steuen when he was stoned praied for his enemies Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Act. 7. 60. IV. Meditation is concerning the goodnes of God towards vs an argument whereof is this that he doth euery day forgiue vs farre more offences then it is possible for vs to forgiue men V. Meditation All reuenge is Gods right and he hath not giuen it vnto man Rom. 12. 19. Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. And man by reuenging his own quarell makes himselfe both the iudge the witnesse the accuser and the executioner VI. Meditation is touching Christs death He suffered for vs the first death and the sorrowes of the second death much more then ought we at his commandement to put vp small wrongs and iniuries without reuenge His commandement is Resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also Matth. 5. 39. Againe Destroy not him with thy meate for whome Christ died Rom. 14. 15. The Meditations concerning our neighbour are two The first is the condition of him with whome we are angrie namely that he is a brother Let there be no strife betweene me and thee for we are brethren Gen. 13. 8. Againe he is created in the Image of God we must not therefore seeke to hurt or destroy that Image The second is concerning that Equitie which we looke for at the hands of all men If we wrong any man we desire that he would forgiue vs and therefore we must forgiue him the iniurie that he doth vnto vs without vniust anger This is the very Law of nature Whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you euen so doe you vnto them Matth. 7. 12. Meditations concerning our selues are sixe First he that conceiueth rush anger makes himselfe subiect to the wrath of God if he cherish the same without relenting Matth. 6. 15. If ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses And Matth. 7. 2. Iudge not that ye be not iudged Yea when we pray to God to forgiue vs and doe not resolue to forgiue our brethren we doe in effect say Lord condemne vs for we will be condemned Secondly we are commanded to loue one another euen as Christ hath loued vs Eph. 5. 2. It is the propertie of loue to suffer and to beare and not to be prouoked to anger 1. Cor. 13. And it is a marke whereby Gods children are discerned from the children of the Deuill that they loue their brethren 1. Ioh. 3. 10. Thirdly we are ignorant of mens mindes in speaking and doing we know not the manner and circumstances of their actions And experience teacheth that much anger comes vpon mistaking and misconstruing them Whereas contrariwise if they were throughly knowne we would not be so much incensed against men as commonly we are Fourthly in rash anger we can doe no part of Gods worshippe that is pleasing to him We cannot pray for he that praies must lift vp pure hands without wrath 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 8. We cannot be good hearers of the word for S. Iames wisheth vs to be swift to heare and slow to wrath because the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God Iam. 1. 20 21. Fiftly we must consider what are the fruits and consequents of vniust anger For first it greatly annoies the health It annoies the braine and pulses it causes the gall to flow into the stomacke and the bowells it killeth and poisoneth the spirits and it is the next way to procure distemper of the whole bodie and consequently losse of health Secondly it makes a man captiue to the Deuill Eph. 4. 27. which we see to be true in Sauls example who beeing a man full of wrath and giuing place to his owne rage and furie an euill spirit entred into him by the iust iudgement of God Sixtly we must consider the Causes of vniust anger It is commonly thought that Anger is nothing but the flowing of choler in the gall and in the stomacke But the truth is anger is more then choler For it riseth first of a debilitie of reason and iudgement in the minde secondly from euill affections as from enuie and self-selfe-loue thirdly from the constitution of the bodie that is hote and drie Againe we read in histories that men hauing no gall haue notwithstanding beene full of anger and choler indeede is a furtherance but no cause of anger Sect. 2. The Remedies of vniust anger that stand in Practise are especially fiue The first is in the time of anger to conceale the same both in word and deede The indignation of a foole saith Salomon Prou. 12. 16. will be knowne the same day but the wise man couereth his shame that is he restraines his anger which if it should presently break forth wold be a reproch vnto him Answerable to this notable speech of Salomon was the wise counsell of Ambrose to Theodosius that after senteÌ„ce giuen he should take 30 daies respite before execution And not vnlike hath been the practise of the very Heathen in their time Socrates said I had beaten thee but that I was angrie Aâ—â—enodoruâ— gaue Augustus this rule that when he was angrie he should first say ouer the whole Alphabet before he put in execution his anger Secondly we must depart from them with whoÌ„ we are angry For this affectioÌ„ is as a fire take the matter away from fire and it will cease to burne so let a man depart and employ himselfe for the time some other way and he shall soone cease to be angrie Thus did Ionathan depart out of his fathers presence 1. Sam. 20. 34. Abraham in his anger withdrew himselfe from Lot Gen. 13. Iacob in wrath departed from Esan Gen. 27. 43 44. Thirdly we must auoide the occasions thereof as contentions and contentious persons Doe nothing through contention Phil. 2. 3. Make no friendship with an angrie man neither goe with a furious man least thou learne his waies and receiue destruction to thy soule Prou. 22. 26. We must for this purpose be carefull to auoid all meanes that may serue to further the heate of the temperature of such a bodie as is apt and disposed to this vnruly passion Fourthly we are to consider that we sinne against God not once or twise but often yea euery day and therefore the course of our anger must be turned against our own selues for our sinnes For this is one propertie of true repeÌ„tance to work in vs a reuenge vpon our selues in regard of our sinnes committed against God and our brethren 2. Corinth 7. 11. Fiftly we must accustome our selues to the daily exercises