Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

Saints I shut up in prison (little thinking that they were Saints) I gave my voice against them. I punished them oft in every Synagogne.. And being exceedingly mad againft them, I perfecuted them. Acts 26. 9,10, 11,12. He would not tell Agrippa that he was mad, but he might fpeak more freely of himself. firs, pitty poor men that have the temptations of worldly greatness and profperity, and muft go through a Camels eye if they will come to heaven: who ftand fo high that fun and wind have the greateft force upon them; Who fee fo much vanity, and little ferious exemplary piety: who hear fo much flattery and falfhood, and fo little neceffary truth, faith Seneca, [Divites cum omnia habeant, unum illis deeft; fcilicet, qui verum dicat: fi enim in clientelam falicis bominis potentumque per

M

veneris.

veneris, aut veritas, aut amicitia perdenda eft.] If you were in their places, you know not how far you might be prevailed against your felves. If little temptations can make you mifcarry in your places fo oft and foully as you do, what would you do if you had the frongeft baits of the world, and allurements of the flesh, and the molt dangerous temptations that Satan could affault you with? Have you not seen of late before your eyes, how low fome have fallen from high profeffions, and how fhamefully the most promifing perfons have mifcarried, that were fifted up, and put to the tryal of fuch temptations of profperity, as they had never been ufed to before? O pitty thofe that have fuch dangerous tryals to pass through, and be thankful that you ftand on safer ground; and do not cruelly envy them their

perils,

perils, nor reproach them for their falls, but pray, and daily pray for their recovery.

6. Confider, this speaking evil of those by whom you fuffer, hath too much of felfishness and corrupted nature in it, to be good. If another fuffered as you do, and you were advanced as another is,would you not speak more mildly then? Or if not fo, yet the proneness of nature to break out into reviling words, though it were for Religion and for God, doth intimate to you that it hatha fufpicious root. Do you find it as eafie to be meek and patient, and forgive a wrong, and love an enemy? Take heed left you ferve Satan in vindicating the cause of God. Its an unfit way of ferving God, to do it by breaking his Commands. Read feriously the defcription of a contentious, hurtful, foul-tongued zeal, in fam. 3. and then tell me

[blocks in formation]

what thanks Chrift will give you for it. The two great Difciples fames and John thought it would have notably honoured Chrift, and curbed the raging Spirit of the ungodly, if he would have let them call for fire from heaven, to confume a Town that refused to receive him. But doth Chrift encourage their deftroying zeal? No but he tells them, re know not what Spirit ye are of.] They little knew how unlike to the tender merciful healing Spirit of Chrift, that fiery hurting fpirit was, that provoked them to that defire! nor how unpleafing their temper was to Chrift. This is the very cafe of many thousand Chriftians, that are yet young, and green, and harsh, and have not attained to that mellownefs, and sweetness, and measure of charity, that is in grown experienced Chriftians. They think their paf.

[ocr errors]

fions, and defires of fome plagues on the contemners of the Gospel, are acceptable to God, (and blame the charitable as too cold: ) when they little know what fpirit it is that raiseth that ftorm in them, and how unlike, and unacceptable it is to Chrift. Were you as zealous to ferve all others in love, and to stoop to their feet for their falvation, and to become all things (lawful) to all men, that you may win fome, this faving zeal would be pleafing to your Lord, who comes to do the work of a Phyfician, and not of the Souldier, to fave and not to destroy, and therefore most approves of those that serve him most diligently in his faving work.

7. Lastly, confider your paffions and evil fpeakings will but increase your fuffering, and make it feem juft, if other wife it were unjuft. If you are not meek, you M 3, have

« AnteriorContinua »