praise unto the godly to be dispraised of the wicked These two reasons being neere of kinne in speaking of them I will cast both into the similitude of a Y which is joyned together at one end brancht in the middle And first to joyne them both together The condemnation and approbation of wicked men is equally profitable and acceptable to good men for every word they speake of the conscionable is a slander whether it be good or evill whether in praise or dispraise his very name is defiled by comming into their mouthes or if this do not hold in all cases yet as a Reverend Divine saith it is a praise to the godly to be dispraised of the wicked and a dispraise to be praised of them their dispraise is a mans honour their praise his dishonour so that when deboysed persons speake ill of a man especially their Minister the worse the better for to be well spoken of by the vicious and evill by the vertuous to have the praise of the good and the dispraise of the bad is all one in effect as Salomon sheweth They that forsake the Law saith he praise the wicked but they that keepe the Law set themselves against them Proverbs 28.4 Thus much of both Reasons joyntly now of each severally and First That it is a disparagement to a godly man to be well spoken of by the wicked When it was told Antisthenes that such an one who was a vitious person spake good words of him he answered What evill have I done that this man speakes well of me To be praised of evill men saith Bion the Philosopher is as evill as to be praised for evill doing Out of which consideration our Saviour Christ rejected the evill spirits testimony which though it were truth yet he would not suffer the Devill to say Thou art the Christ the Sonne of God or that Holy One but rebuked him sharpely and injoyned him to hold his peace Luke 4.35 No he would not suffer the Devils at another time to say That they knew him Vers. 41. And good reason for he knew that the Devils commendations would prove the greatest slander of all Neither would S. Paul suffer that maide which had a spirit of Divination to say he was the Servant of the most high God which shewed them the way of salvation Acts 16.17 18. well knowing that Sathan did it to this end that by his testimony and approbation hee might cause them which formerly beleeved his doctrine to suspect him for an Impostor and Deceiver and that he did his miracles by the helpe of some Familiar spirit And indeed if the good report of wicked men who are set on worke by Sathan did not derogate from the godly or from the glory of God Sathan should bee divided against himselfe and if Sathan be divided against himselfe saith ouâ— Saviour how shall his Kingdome stand Now wee know hee seeketh to advance his Kiâ—â—â—dome by all possible meanes and consequeâ—â—â—ly in this Wherefore if we enjoy any wicked mans love and have his good word we may justly suspect our selves are faulty in one kinde or other for 't is sure he could not doe so except he saw something in us like himselfe If every thing were unlike him how is it possible he should love us Difference breeds disunion and sweet congruity is the Mother of love This made Aristotle when a Rakeshame told him he would rather be hanged by the neck than be so hated of all men as he was reply And I would bee hanged by the neck ere I would be beloved of all as thou art And Phocion to ask when the people praised him what evill have I done It was a just doubt in him and not an unjust in any that are vertuous like him which occasioned one to say their hatred I feare not neither doe I regard their good will Secondly a wicked mans tongue is so far from being a slander that it makes for our credit to be evill spoken of by them To be evill spokâ—n of by wicked men saith Terence is a glorious and laubable thing and another It is no small credit with the vile to have a vile estimation As a wicked mans glory is his shame so the godly mans shame for doing good is his glory and to be evill spoken of for well-doing is peculiar to good men as Alexander used to speake of Kings Yea saith Epictetus It is the highest degree of reputation for a man to heare evill when he doth well And Iob is of his judgment which makes him say If mine adversary should write a booke against me would I not take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a Crowne unto me Yes I would c. Iob 31 35 36 37. And who having the use of Reason especially sanctified will not conclude that Religion and holinesse must needs be an excellent thing because it hath such enemies as wicked men and wicked spirits What saith that Ethnick in Seneca in this behalfe Men speake evill of mee but evill men It would grieve me if Marcus Cato if wise Laeâ—ius if the other Cato or either of the Scipioes should speake so of me but this as much comforts me for to be disliked of evill men is to be praised for goodnesse O happy art thou saith Picus Mirandula who livest well amongst the bad for thou shalt either win them or silence them or exasperate them If thou win them thou shalt save their soules and adde to thy owne glory If thou silence them thou shalt diminish of their torment and prevent the contagion of their sin If thou exasperate them thereby to hate and traduce thee for thy goodnesse then most happy for thou shalt not onely bee rewarded according to the good which thou do'st but much more according to the evill which thou sufferest And S. Peter If any man suffer as a Christian that is for righteousnesse sake let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in this behalfe 1 Pet. 4.15 16. The reason is given by Saint Austin with whom this speech was frequent They that backbite me c. do against their wills increase my honour both with God and good men Alas the durty feet of such Adversaries the more they tread and rub the more lustre they give the figure graven in gold their causeles aspersions do but rub our glory the brighter And what else did Iudas touching Mary when he depraved her in our Saviours presence for pouring that pretious oyntment on his feet Iohn 12. which was the only cause that in remembrance of her it shold be spoken to her praise whersoever the Gospell shold be preached throughout the whole world Mar. 14.9 O what a glorious renowne did the Traytors reproach occasion her Now to make some use of this point If the language of wicked men must be read like Hebrew backward and that all good men doe so for the most part it being a sure rule that whosoever presently gives credit to accusations is either
may say to every childe of God which suffereth for Religion sake as Iahaziel by the Spirit of God said unto all Iudah the inhabitants of Ierusalem and King Iehosaphat The battell is not yours but Gods wherefore you shall not need to fight in this battell stand still move not and behold the salvation of the Lord towards you 2 Chron. 20.15 17. Yea it stands upon Christs honour to maintaine those that are in his worke I but saith the weake Christian I am so wronged reviled and slandered that it would make a man speake like Aeagles that famous wrestler that never spake before in his life Answer There is no such necessity For first Who ever was that was not slandered Secondly let him speake evill of thee yet others shall not beleeve him or if the evill and ignorant do yet report from wise and good men shall speake thee vertuous Yea Thirdly though of some the slanderer be beleeved for a while yet at last thy actions will out-weigh his words and the disgrace shall rest with the intender of the ill The constancy of a mans good behaviour vindicates him from ill report how ever revenge not thy selfe in any case for by revenging thine owne quarrell thou makest thy selfe both the Iudge the Witnesse the Accuser and the Executioner If thou wilt see what God hath done and what he can and will do if there be like need heare what Ruffinus and Socrates write of Theodosius in his warres against Eugenius When this good Christian Emperour saw the huge multitude that was comming against him and that in the sight of man there was apparent overthrow at hand he gets him up into a place eminent and in the sight of all the Army fals downe prostrate upon the Earth beseeching GOD if ever hee would looke upon a â—infull creature to helpe him at this time of greatest need whereupon there arose suddenly such a mighty winde that it blew the Darts of the enemies back upon themselves in such a wonderderfull manner that Eugenius with all his Host was cleane discomfited and seeing the power of Christ so fight for his people was forced in effect to cry out as the Aegyptians did God is in the cloud and he fighteth for them Thus God either preventeth our enemies as here he did or delivereth his servants out of persecution as he did Peter or else if hee crowneth them with Martyrdome as he did Stephen hee will in his Kingdome of Glory give them instead of this bitter a better inheritance pro veritate morientes cum veritate viventes Wherefore in this and all other caâ—es cast thy burden upon the LORD and say with the Kingly Prophet I will lay me downe in peace for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety CHAP. 29. Because they have respect unto Gods Commandement 2 BEcause they have respect unto Gods Commandement who saith By your patience possesse your soules Luke 21.19 Be patient towards all men 1 Thess. 5.14 And Let your patient minde bee knowne unto all men Phil. 4.5 See saith Paul that none recompence evill for evill unto any man 1 Thes. 5.15 And againe Be not overcome with evill but overcome evill with goodnesse Rom. 12.21 Yea saith our Saviour Love your enemies do well to them that hate you blesse them that curse you and pray for them which hurt you Luke 6 27 28. And in case thine enemy hunger instead of adding to his affliction give him bread to eat if the thirst give him water to drinke or else thou breakest Gods commandement touching patience Pro. 25.21 Rom. 12.20 and consequently art in the sight of God a transgressor of the whole Law and standest guilty of the breach of every Commandement Iames 2.10 11. We know the frantick man though he be sober eleaven moneths of the yeare yet if he rage one he cannot avoide the imputation of madnesse If so let our revenge be like that of Elisha's to the Amorites instead of smiting them set bread and water before them Or like that of Pericles who as Plutarch reports when one had spent the day in railing upon him at his owne dore lest he should go home in the dark caused his man to light him with a Torch And to do otherwise is Ammonite-like to intreat those Embassadours ill which are sent in kindnesse and love for these afflictions are Gods Embassadours and to handle them ruffely yea to repine or grudge against them is to intreat them evill And certainly as David tooke it not well when the Ammonites ill intreated his Embassadours so God will not take the like well from thee 1 Chron. 19. But secondly as the Law of God binds us to this so doth the Law of Nature Whatsoever you would that men should doe unto you even so doe you unto them Mat. 7.12 Our Saviour doth not say doe unto others as others do unto you but as you would have others doe unto you Now if we have wronged any man we desire that hee should forgive us and therefore we must forgive him Lex Tuâ—â—nois was never a good Christian Law If I forgive not I shall not bee forgiven Marke 11.26 So to say of our Enemies as Sampson once of the Philistines Even as they did unto mee so have I done unto them is but an ill plea. For the Law of God and the Law of Nature forbids it and doth not the Law of Nations also Yes throughout the whole world either they have no Law or else a Law to prohibit men from revenging themselves Oppression or injury may not be righted by violence but by Law the redresse of evill by a person unwarranted is evill Ob. But thou wilt say the Law doth not provide a just remedy in all cases of injury especially in case of reproach and slander which is now the Christians chiefe suffering or if in part it doth yet he that is just cannot be quit in one Terme or two Nay if he have right in a yeare it is counted quick dispatch â—nd he is glad that he met with such a speedy Lawyer Answ. If thou knowest the remedy to be worse than the disease I hope thou wilt leave it and commit thy cause to God who if thou wilt give him the like time will cleare thy innocency and cost thâ—e nothing When wee have suffered some evill the flesh our owne wisdome like the King of Israel 2 Kings 6.21 will bid us returne evill to the doer but the Spirit or wisdome of God like Elisha opposeth and bids us returne him good notwithstanding him evill But the flesh will reply he is not worthy to be forgiven I but saith the Spirit Christ is worthy to be obeyed who hath commanded thee to forgive him Now whethers counsell wilt thou follow It is not alwayes good to take our own counsell our owne wit often hunts us into the snares that above all we would shâ—n We oft use meanes of preservation and they prove destroying ones Againe we take courses to ruine us
of his substance rob him of his Children punish him in his body Yet marke but the Sequell well and you shall find that he was crost with a blessing As the Physitian in making of Triacle or Mithridate for his Patient useth Serpents Adders and such like poyson that he may drive out one poyson with another Even so our spirituall Physitian is pleased to use the malice of Sathan and wicked men when he tempereth to us the Cup of affliction that hereby he may expell one evilâ— with another Yea two evills with one namely the evill of sin and the evill of punishment and that both temporall and eternall He suffers us to be afflicted because he will not suffer us to be damned such is the goodnesse of our heavenly Father to us that even his anger proceeds from mercy he scourgeth the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.5 Yea Ioseph was therefore abased in the dungeon that his advancement might be the greater It s true in our thoughts we often speake for the flesh as Abraham did for Ismael O that Ismael might live in thy sight no God takes away Ismael and gives Isaac he withdrawes the pleasure of the flesh gives delight to the soule The man sick of a burning feaver cries to his Physitian for drinke he pities him but does not satisfie him he gives him proper physick but not drink A man is sick of a Plurisie the Physitian lets him bloud he is content with it the arme shall smart to ease the heart The covetous man hath a plurisie of riches Gâ—d le ts him bloud by poverty let him be patient it is a course to save his soule So if God scourge us any way so we bleed not or till we bleed so we faint not or till we even faint so we perish not let us be comforted for if the Lord prune his Vine he meanes not to root it up if he minister physick to our soules it is because he would not have us dye in our sins all is for salvation What if Noah were pent up in the Arke so long as he was safe in it what if it were his prison so long as it was his Fort also against the waters I might illustrate the point and make it plaine by sundry and divers comparisons We know one naile drives out another one heat another one cold another yea out of admirable experience I can witnesse it that for most constitutions there is not such a remedy under Heaven for a cold in the head or an accustomed tendernesse as a frequent bathing of it in cold water I can justly say I am twenty yeeres the younger for it Yea one sorrow drives out another one passion another one rumour is expelled by another and though for the most part contraries are cured by contraries yet not seldome will Physitians stop a Lask with a Purge they will bleed a Patient in the Arme to stop a worse bleeding at Nose Againe in some Patients they will procure a gentle Ague that they may cure him of a more dangerous disease Even so deales God with us he often punisheth the worser part of man saith S. Ierome That is the body state or name that the better part to wit the soule may be saved in the day of judgement Neither are chastisements any whit lesse necessary for the soule than medicines are for the body many a man had beene undone by prosperity if they had not beene undone by adversity they had perished in their soules if they had not perished in their bodies estates or good-names It s probable Naamans soule had never beene cleansed if his body had not beene leaprous and though affliction be hard of digestion to the naturall man yet the experienced Christian knowes that it is good for the soule that the body is sometime sick and therefore to have his inward man cured he is content his outward man should be diseased and cares not so the sins of his soule may be lesâ—ened though the soares of his flesh be increased And why is it not so with thee I hope thou desirest thy soules safety above all and thou knowest the stomack that is purged must be content to part with some good nourishment that it may deliver it selfe of more evill humours Of what kinde â—oever thy sufferings be it is doubtlesse the fittest for thy soules recovery or else God the onely wise Physitian would not appoint it Now who would not be willing to bleed when by that meanes an inveterate sicknesse may be prevented Yea it is a happy bloud-letting which saves the life which makes S. Austine say unto God Let my body be crucified or burnt or doe with it what thou wilt so thou save my soule And another let me swim a River of boyling brimstone to live eternally happy rather than dwell in a Paradise of pleasure to be damned after death CHAP. 11. That it makes them humble 8 EIghthly that we may have an humble conceipt of our selves and wholly depend upon God We received the sentence of death in our selves saith the Apostle because we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth us up from the dead 2 Cor. 1.9 When Babes are afraid they cast themselves into the armes and bosome of their mother I thought in my prosperity saith David I shall never be moved But thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Then turned I unto thee c. Psal. 30.6 7 8. When a stubborne Delinquent being committed was no whit mollified with his durance but grew more perverse than he was before one of the Senators said to the rest Let us forget him a while and then he will remember himselfe the Heart is so hot of it selfe that if it had not the Lungs as Fannes to blow wind upon it and kindly moisture to coole it it would soone perish with the owne heat and yet when that moisture growes too redundant it againe drownes the Heart Who so nourisheth his servant daintily from his childhood shall after finde him stubborne We see then there is danger in being without dangers and what saith S. Paul Lest I should be exalted out of measure there was given unto me the Messenger of Satan to buffet me 2 Cor. 12.7 Our adversaries as well as our sins are Messengers sent from Satan to buffet us and the best minds troubled yeeld inconsiderate motions As water violently stirred sends up bubbles so the vanities of our hearts and our most secret and hidden corruptions as dregs in a glasse shew themselves when shaken by an injury though they lay hid before And so the pride of man is beaten downe as Iob speaks Iob 33.17 The sharpe water of affliction quickens our spirituall sight So proud are we by nature that before we come to the triall we think that we can repell the strongest assault and overcome all enemies by our owne power but when we feele our selves vanquished and foiled by every small temptation
and they prove meanes of safety How many flying from danger have met with death And on the otherside found protection even in the very jawes of mischiefe that God alone may have the glory It fell out to bee part of Mithridates misery that he had made himselfe unpoysonable All humane wisdome is defective nor doth the Fooles Bolt ever misse whatsoever man thinketh to doe in contrariety is by God turned to bee an helpe of hastning the end hee hath appointed him We are governed by a power that we cannot but obey our mindes are wrought against our mindes to alter us In briefe man is oft his owne Traitor and maddeth to undoe himselfe Whereforeâ— take the Spirits and the words direction Render good for evill and not like for like though it be with an unwilling willingnesse as the Merchant casteth his goods over-board and the Patient suffers his arme or leg to be cut off and say with thy Saviour Neverthelesse not my will but thy will be done But yet more to induce thee hereunto consider in the last place That to avenge thy selfe is both to lose Gods protection and to incur his condemnation We may be said to be out of his protection when we are out of our way which he hath set us he hath promised to give his Angels charge over us to keepe us in all our wayes Psal. 91.11 that is in the wayes of obedience or the wayes of his Commandements But this is one of the devils wayes a way of sin and disobedience and therefore hath no promise or assurance of protection yea if we want his word in vaine we looke for his aide weftes and strayes we know are properly due to the Lord of the Soyle And then if in case there shall happen any thing amisâ—e through thy taking revenge what mayest thou not expect to suffer and in thy suffering what comfort canst thou have Whereas if God bring us into crosses he will be with us in those crosses at length bring us out of them more refined You may observe there is no such Coward none so valiant as the beleever without Gods warrant he dares do nothing with it any thing Why first a calling is a good warrant and it cannot want danger to goe unsent sinne is the sting of all troubles pull out the sting and deride the malice of the Serpent Yea let death happen it shall not happen amisse for the assurance of Gods call and protection when a mans actions are warranted by the Word will even take away the very feare of death for death as a Father well notes hath nothing terrible but what our life hath made so He that hath lived well is seldome unwilling to dye life or death is alike welcome unto him for he knowes whiles he is here God will protect him and when he goes hence God will receive him Whereas he that hath lived wickedly had rather lose any thing even his soule than his life whereby he tels us though his tongue expresse it not that he expects a worse estate hereafter How oft doth guiltinesse make one avoide what another would wish in this case Yea death was much facilitated by the vertues of a well-led life even in the Heathen Aristippus as I take it though I may be mistaken told the Sailers that wondred why he was not as well as they afraid in a storme that the ods was much for they feared the torments due to a wicked life and he expected the reward of a good one It s a sollid and sweet reason being rightly applyed Vice drawes death with a horrid looke with a whip and flames and terrors but so doth not vertue And thus much to prove that the godly indure reproaches and persecutions patiently because God hath commanded them so to doe CHAP. 30. That they are patient in suffering of wrongs for Gods glory THe childe of God is patient in suffering of wrongs for Gods glory lest Philosophy should seem more operative in her Disciples than Divinity in hers lest nature and infidelity should boast it selfe against Christianity It is a saying of Seneca He that is not able to set light by a sottish injury is no Disciple of Philosophy And the examples before rehearsed shew that Socrates Plato Aristippus Aristotle Diogenes Epictetus Philip of Macedon Dion of Alexandria Agathocles Antigonus Caesar were indued with rare and admirable patience whereunto I will adde foure other examples Philip of Macedon asking the Embassadours of Athens how he might most pleasure them received this answer It were the greatest pleasure to Athens that could be if you would hang your selfe yet was not moved a jot for all his might was answerable to his patience why he cared not so much to revenge the evill as to requite the good Polaemon was not so much as appalled at the by ting of a Dog that tooke away the brawne or calfe of his leg nor Harpalus to see two of his sons laid ready drest in a silver Charger wheÌ„ Astiages had bid him to supper And lastly when it was told Anaxagoras as I take it that he was condemned to die that his children were already executed hee was able to make this answer As touching said he my condemnation nature hath given like sentence both of my condemners me and as touching my children I knew before that I had begot mortall creatures But what of all this Let every naturall man know that a continued patience may be different from what is goodnesse yea let the vertues of all these Philosophers be extracted into one essence and that spirit powred into one man this Philosopher must be acknowledged to fall short of a compleate Christian guided by the Spirit of God Or if you wil gather out of Histories the magnanimity of Hector of Alexander of Caesar of Scipio and of Scaevola put them to the rest yet for patience and constancy they come not neere that one president laid downe in the example of that holy man Iob other servants of God in succeeding ages and that in five maine particulars 1 One notable difference betwene the patience of a Philosopher and a Christian is They lacked a pure heart which is the Fountaine of all well doing 2 Whatsoever they did was either out of pride to purchase fame to themselves thinking their patient suffering a kinde of merit or for some other by respect whereas the childe of God doth it in obedience to the Commandement and thinkes when he hath done that he fals far short of performing his duty 3 The aime and end of a Christians patience is Gods glory of a Philosophers nothing lesse for how can they aime at his glory whom they doe not so much as know And vertues are to be judged not by their actions but by their ends 4 The one doth it in faith which only crownes good actions the other without The want of which made all their vertues but Splendidâ— peccata shining and glistering sins sins as it were in a
our scoffers may doe in the like case It is your Masters commandement that you should beare all kinde of injuries with patience But what did they answer It is true he commands us to beare all kindes of injuries patiently but not in all cases besides said they we may beare them patiently yet crave the Magistrates ayde for the repairing of our wrongs past our present rescue or for the preventing of what is like to ensue But to make a full answer to the Question propounded There are Rules to be observed 1 touching our Thoughts 2 touching our Words 3 touching our Actions 1 First touching our Thoughts He that deceiveth me oft though I must forgive him yet Charity bindes me not not to censure him for untrusty and though Love doth not allow suspition yet it doth not thrust out discretion it judgeth not rashly but it judgeth justly it is not so sharpe sighted as to see a moate where none is nor so purblinde but it can discerne a beame where it is the same spirit that saith Charity beleeveth all things 1 Cor. 13. saith also that a foole beleeveth all things and charity is no foole as it is not easily suspitious so neither lightly credulous 2 For our tallying of words as it argues little discretion in him that doth it so it is of as little use except the standers by want information of thy innocency and his guiltinesse which gives the occasion Wherefore in hearing thy owne private and personall reproaches the best answer is silence but the wrongs and indignities offered to God or contumelies that are cast upon us in the causes of Religion may safely be repaired If we be meale mouthed in Christ and the Gospels cause we are not patient but zealelesse Yea to hold a mans peace when Gods honour is in question is to mistake the end of our Redemption 1 Cor. 6.20 Neither is there a better argument of an upright heart than to be more sensible of the indignities offered to God then of our owne dangers And certainly no ingenious disposition can be so tender of his owne disgrace as the true Christian is at the reproach of his God as we see in Moses who when Aaron and Miriam offered him a private injurie it is said his meeknesse was such that he gave them not a word Num. 12. But when the people had fallen to idolatry and he heard them murmure against their Maker he spares neither Aaron nor the people but in a godly fit of zeale takes on at them yea breakes the Tables in peeces Exo. 32. A meek Lambe in his owne â—ause a fierce Lion in Gods And in David who was a man deafe dumbe and wholly senselesse at Shemeis private reproaches when he cursed him cast stones at him called him murtherer wicked man 2 Sam. 16. But not so at Goliahs publike revilings of God and his Church no not at Michols despising his holy zeale in the publike service of God 2 Sam. 6. In these cases how full of life and spirit and holy impatiency did he shew himselfe to be 3 Touching our actions whether it be in thine owne cause or in the cause of God and Religion thou mayest not be a revenger All that private persons can do is either to lift up their hands to Heaven for redresse of sin or to lift up their tongues against the sinne not their hands against the person Who made thee a Iudge is a lawfull question if it meet with a person unwarranted Object Every base nature will bee ready to offer injuries where they think they will not be repaid he will many-times beate a coward that would not dare to strike him if he thought him valiant as a Cur that goes through a Village if he clap his taile betweene the legs and runne away every Cur will insult over him but if he bristell up himselfe and stand to it give but a countersnarle there 's not a Dog dares meddle with him Answ. Neverthelesse avenge not thy selfe but give place unto wrath and that for conscience sake Romans 12.19 If thou receivest wrong in thy person goods or good name it is the Magistrates office to see thee righted and For this cause ye pay also tribute He is the Minister of God for thy wealth to take vengeance on him that doth evill and for the praise of them that doe well neither doth he beare the sword for nought Rom. 13.4 5 6. 1 Peter 2.14 Now in this case he that hath endammaged me much cannot plead breach of charity in my seeking his Restitution I will so remit wrongs as I may not encourage others to offer them and so retaine them that I may not induce God to retaine mine to him Have you not seene a Crow stand upon a Sheepes backe pulling off wooll from her side even creatures reasonlesse know well whom they may bee bold with that Crow durst not do this to a Wolfe or a Mastiffe the knowne simplicity of this innocent beast gives advantage to this presumption meeknesse of spirit commonly drawes on injuries and the cruelty of ill natures usually seekes out those not who deserve worst but who will beare most Wherefore patience and mildnesse of spirit is ill bestowed where it exposes a man to wrong and insultation Sheepish dispositions are best to others worst to themselves I could be willing to take injuries but I will not be guilty of provoking them by lenity for harmlessenesse let mee goe for a Sheepe but whosoever will be tearing my fleece let him looke to himselfe Diogenes the Stoick teaching his auditors how they should refraine anger and being earnest in pressing them to patience a waggish boy spit in his face to see whether he would practise that which he taught others but Diogenes was not a whit moved at it yet said withall I feare I shall commit a greater fault in letting this boy go unpunished then in being angry In some cases for reason to take the rod out of the hands of wrath and chastise may be both lawfull and expedient The same which Aristotle affiâ—med in Philosophy viz. That choller doth sometime serve as a whetstone to vertue is made good Divinity by S. Paul Be angry but sin not Ephes. 4.21 For Cautions and Rules to be observed when we appeale to the Magistrate 1. First let it be in a matter of weight and not for trifles 2. Secondly in case of necessity after we have assaied all good meanes of peace and agreement 3. Thirdly let not our aime and end be the hurt of our enemy but first the glory of God secondly the reformation of the party himselfe that so he which is overcome may also overcome and if it may be others by his example whereby more than one Devill shall be subdued And thirdly to procure a further peace and quiet afterwards as Princes make war to avoid war yea in case we see a storme inevitably falling 't is good to meet it and break the force 4. Let us not be transported
instruments And thus you see that the will of God may be done thanklessely when in fulfilling the substance we faile in the intention and erre in circumstances CHAP. 35. Other grounds of comfort to support a Christian in his sufferings And first that God is specially present with his servants in their afflictions takes notice of their sufferings and allayes their griefe Quest. WHat other grounds of comfort doth the Word of God afford in this case for the better upholding and strengthning of a weake Christian in his sufferings Answ. We shall beare the crosse with the more patience and comfort if wee consider first that God is specially present with his servants in their afflictions takes notice of their sufferings and allayes their griefe The troubles of a Christian are very great for number variety and bitternesse yet there is one ingredient that sweetens them all the promise of God I will be with thee in trouble and deliver thee Psal. 91.15 And thou shalt not be tempted above thy strength 1 Cor. 10.13 Againe Feare not for when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they doe not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Esay 43.1 2. Now as Caesar said to the trembling Mariner Bee not afraid for thou carriest Caesar so O Christian be not afraid for he that is in thee for thee with thee that guides thee that will save thee is the invincible King Iehovah And upon this ground David was so comforted and refreshed in his soule Psalme 94.19 that hee was able to say Though I should walke through the valley of the shaddow of death I will feare no evill Why For thou art with mee thy Rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee Psalme 23.4 But heare some promises which more particularly concerne the matter in hand If ye be railed upon for the name of Christ saith Saint Peter blessed are yee for the Spirit of God resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 In fine that whosoever seeketh God truly in affliction is sure to finde him and that he is our hope and strength and helpe and refuge in troubles ready to bee found the Scriptures are expresse 2 Chron. 15.4 15. Psalme 46.1 and 9.9 10. Now if we could but remember and lay to heart these promises when wee feele the greatest assaults or pangs how could wee want courage But alas most of us are like the Prophets servant 2 Kings 6. who saw his foes but not his friends at least wee are apt to thinke that GOD is removed from us when wee any way suffer calamity as the Israelites doe but want water and presently they cry Is the Lord among us or no Exodus 17.7 as if God could not bee with them and they athirst either he must humour carnall mindes or bee distrusted this confession could Seneca make but like a Divine God is neere unto thee he is with thee he is within thee and surely if he had not beene with these Israelites they had not lived if he had beene in them they had not murmured We can thinke him absent in our want and cannot see him absent in our sinne yet wickednesse not affliction argues him gone yea he is then most present when he most chastiseth for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolations abound through CHRIST 2 Cor. 1.5 When did Iacob see a vision of Angels but when he fled for his life making the cold earth his bed and a stone his pillow or when was his heart so full of joy as now that his head lay hardest Stephen saw great happinesse by Christ in his peace but under that showre of stones he saw Heaven it selfe open Acts 7. Afflictions have this advantage that they occasion God to shew that mercy to us whereof the prosperous are uncapable as we further see in Hagar Gen. 21.17 18 19. And Manoahs Wife Iudges 13.3 To whom the Angell of the Covenant had not beene sent if they had not beene in distresse It would not become a mother to be so indulgent to an healthfull Childe as to a sick and indeed some have found their outward castigations so sweetned with the inward consolations of Gods Spirit that they have found and confessed their receipts of joy and comfort to bee an hundred-fold more than their paiments even in this present life according to that promise of our Saviour Marke 10.29 30. So that a Christian is still a gainer in all his losses yea he gaines by his losses Indeed God may be present with us and yet wee not be pleased as the Israelites repined for a King when the Lord was their King Or Christ may be with us and yet we want something that we desire Christ was in the Ship and yet say the Apostles wee have no bread Iesus was at the Mariage yet saith his Mother They have no Wine Ioh. 2.3 Wee may want Bread and Wine and yet have Christs company but if food faile it is because Manna is to come if Wine bee absent yet grace and salvation is present if God take away flesh and gives Manna deny Sun and Moone and give us himselfe he doth us no wrong Now why doth God by his promiâ—e tye himselfe to be present with us more especially in affliction but that he may resist our enemies sustaine us when wee faint and Crowne us when we overcome but that he may be exact in taking notice of our particular sufferings and as David saith Count our wanderings put our teares into his bottle and enter all into his Register Psal. 56.8 9. All our afflictions are more noted by that God that sends them than of the patient that suffers them every pang and stitch and guird is first felt of him that sends it could we be miserable unseene we had reason to be heartlesse but how can it be but lesse possible to indure any thing that he knowes not than that he inflicteth not As he said to Manoah by an Angell Thou art barren Iudg. 13.3 so he saith to one thou art sick to another thou art poore to a third thou art defamed thou art oppressed to another that all-seeing eye takes notice from Heaven of every mans condition no lesse than if he should send an Angell to tell us he knew it and his knowledge compared with his mercy is the just comfort of all our sufferings O God we are many times miserable and feele it not thou knowest even those sorrowes which we might have thou knowest what thou hast done do what thou pleasest CHAP. 36. That all afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chance or fortune but by the especiall providence of God 2 WEE shall beare the crosse with more patience and comfort If we consider that all afflictions from the least to the greatest doe come to passe not by accident chance or fortune but by the speciall providence of God
who not onely decreeth and fore appointeth every particular crosse Eccl. 3.1 Rom. 8.28 29. but even effecteth them and brings them into execution as they are crosses corrections trials and chastisements Isaiah 45.7 Amos 3.6 and also ordereth and disposeth them that is limiteth and appointeth the beginning the end the measure the quality and the continuance thereof yea he ordereth them to their right ends namely his owne glory the good of his servants and the benefit of his Church Ier. 30.11 Gen. 50.19 20. 2 Sam. 16.10 Psal. 39. 9. God useth them but as Instruments wherewith to worke his good pleasure upon us our adversaries are but as tooles in the hand of the Workeman and we must not so much looke to the Instrument as to the Author Gen 45.5 and 50.20 Well may the Priests of the Philistims doubt whether their plague bee from God or by Fortune 1 Sam. 6.2 9. but let a Ioseph be sold into Aegypt he will say unto his enemies Ye sent not me hither but God when ye thought evill against me God disposed it to good that he might bring to passe as it is this day and save much people alive or let a David be railed upon by any cursed Shemei he will answer Let him alone for he curseth even because the Lord hath bid him curse David Who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so 2 Sam. 16.10 Or let a Micha be trodden upon and insulted over by his enemy his answer shall bee no other than this I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he pleade my cause and execute judgement for me Micha 7.9 The beleever that is conversant in Gods booke knowes that his adversaries are in the hands of God as a Hammer Axe or Rod in the hand of a smiter and therefore as the Hammer Axe or Rod of it selfe can doe nothing any further than the force of the hand using it gives strength unto it No more can they doe any thing at all unto him further than it is given them from above as our Saviour told Pilate Iohn 19.11 See this in some examples you have Laban following Iacob with one troope Esau meeting him with another both with hostile intentions both go on till the uttermost point of their execution both are prevented ere the execution for stay but a while and you shall see Laban leave him with a kisse Esau meet him with a kisse of the one he hath an oath teares of the other peace with both GOD makes fooles of the enemies of his Church he lets them proceed that they may be frustrate and when they are gone to the uttermost reach of their teather he puls them back to the stake with shame Againe you have Senacherib let loose upon Hezekiah and his people who insults over them intolerably 2 Kings 18. Oh the lamentable and in sight desperate condition of distressed Ierusalem wealth it had none strength it had but a little all the Countrey round about was subdued unto the Assyrian that proud victor hath begirt the wals of it with an innumerable army scorning that such a shovell-full of earth should stand out but one day yet poore Ierusalem stands alone blockt up with a world of enemies helplesse friendlesse comfortlesse looking for the worst of an hostile fury and on a sudden before an Arrow is shot into the City a hundred fourescore and five thousand of their enemies were slaine and the rest run away 2 Kings 19.35 36. If we are in league with God we need not feare the greatest of mâ—n for let the Kings of the Earth be assembled and the Rulers come together Let Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gather themselves in one league against him it is in vaine for they can do nothing but what the hand of God and his Councell hath before determined to be done as Peter and Iohn affirmed to the rest of the Disciples for their better confirmation and comfort Acts 4.26 to 29. Nothing can be accomplished in the Lower-House of this world but first it is decreed in the Vpper-Court of Heaven as for example what did the Iewes ever doe to our Saviour Christ that was not first both decreed by the Father of Spirits and registred in the Scriptures for our notice and comfort They could not so much as throw the Dice for his coat but it was prophesied Psalme 22.18 and Psal. 69.21 It is foretold that they should give him gall in his meat and in his thirst vineger to drinke the very quality and kinde of his drink is prophesied yea his face could not be spit upon without a prophesie those filthy excrements of his enemies fell not upon his face without Gods decree and the Prophets relation Esay 50.6 Now it must needs comfort and support us exceedingly if in all cases we doe but duly consider that inequality is the ground of order that superiour causes guide the subordinate that this sublunary Globe depends on the celestiall as the lesser wheeles in a Clock doe on the great one which I finde thus expressed As in a Clock one motion doth convey And carry divers wheeles a severall way Yet altogether by the great wheeles force Direct the hand unto his proper course Who is he that saith and it commeth to passe when the Lord commandeth it not Lam. 3.37 Suppose the Legions of Hell should combine with the Potentates of the Earth to doe their worst they cannot go beyond the reach of their teather whether they rise or sit still they shall by an insensible ordination performe that will of the Almighty which they least thinke of and most oppose yea saith Austine by resisting the will of God they do fulfill it and his will is done by and upon them even in that they doe against his will That even Satan himselfe is limited and can go no further than his chaine will reach we may see Revel 20.2 More particularly he could not touch so much as Iobs body or substance no not one of his servants nor one limbe of their bodies nor one haire of their heads nor one beast of their heards but he must first beg leave of God Iob 2.6 Nay Satan is so farre from having power over us living that he cannot touch our bodies being dead yea he cannot finde them when God will conceale them witnesse the body of Moses and I doubt not but as the Angels did wait at the Sepulchre of their and our Lord so for his sake they also watch over our graves he could not seduce a false Prophet nor enter into a Hog without license the whole Legion sue to Christ for a sufferance not daring other than to grant that without his permission they could not hurt a very Swine Now if it be fearefull to thinke how great things evill spirits can doe with permission it is comfortable to thinke how they can doe nothing without permission for if GOD must give him leave hee will never