CHAP. XX. Atemper. The ninth dividing Diftemper, A fpirit of jealoufie. The tenth, A The ninth di Spirit of contention. The eleventh, Covetousneffe. The twelfth, Falfeneffe. care,quam ma ex fcholafticis aulicus futurus præcepto mi es Nvy, ftrife, railings, evill surmisings, 1 Tim. 6. 4. Strife and evill furmifings are neer of kin. If contentious men can get nothing against their brethren, they will furmise there is fomething; if they can find nothing in their actions to judge, they will judg their hearts; if there be nothing above-board, they wil think there may be fomething under-board; & from Juftius eft octhinking there may be fomething, they will think it is very culta de manilikely there is fomething; and from likely there is, they will feftis præjudiconclude there is, Surely there is fome plot working. But this is nifefta de occul-~ against the law of Love, for it thinketh no evill; all the good tis pradamnathat they fee in their Brethren, is blafted by their fufpition of re. Tert.Apol. evil. Love would teach us rather by what appears to judg the 3. beft of what appears not, then by what appeares not to judg Quandoquidem the worst of what appears. Sufpition is like fome jelly fluffe that is got between the joynts; if che bone be out of joynt,and any jelly be got in, though it be but a little soft stuffe, it will hinder the fetting of the bone. I confefs in thefe times, because we have been fo extreamly deceived in those who have been u- vitamfutili, fed in publike place, in whom we fo much confided, there is a Hubnerus audigreat deal of reafon that we should be very wary of men, and regeftit, Fidem believe (till we have very good grounds of confidence) with Diabolorum sitrembling. I remember Melchior Adam in the life of Bucholce- (inquit) hoc rus, tels of a witty counsel of his to his friend Hubnerus, who tibi monitun being to goe to the Court to teach the Prince Ele&ors chil- femper in dren, at their parting, I will give you, fays he, one profitable promptu fitum rule for your whole life,be liffening what it fhould be: I com- bus aulicis creefto promiffionimend (faith he) to you the faith of the Devills: At which Hubne- dere quidem rus wondring, Take heed (fayes he) how you trust any at the Court, fed timide. beleeve their promifes but warily, but with feare ; you may feare they Melch. Adam. will never come to any thing. But in the mean time while we are thus fearful of one another, while we cannot trust one another, we cannot joyn one with another. I have read of Cam by fesz bi inftruendus es ad omnem bi commendo in, vita Bucholceri. tur partum, P. Fagius in by fes, he did but dream his brother should be King of Perfia, and he put him to death. Many amongst us do but dream of Si morbo aliquo men, with whom our hearts are not, that they have fome laboraret, libe. raretur, mafcu plots working, and how do our fpirits work against them? lum parrerer,ft Groundleffe jealousies arife from much bafeness in our owne difficulter ante hearts. Those who have no principle of faithfulneffe in thempariebat, faci felves, are fulpitious of every one ; but as for those who suffer lem affequere- caufelelly, in this thing let them be of good comfort, God will reward them good for what evill they fuffer. Wee read Numb. 5. 28. that if a man were jealous of his wife, fo that he brought her to the tryall by drinking the water of jealousie; if the were clear, the fhould not onely be freed from hurt by that water, but fhe fhould conceive feed,if she went barren be fore, the Lord would recompence her forrow and trouble fhee fuffered by her husbands fufpition of her. And Paulus Fagius upon the place, fays, the Jewes had a tradition, not only that the fhould conceive, but it should be a man-child; if shee had any disease, she should be freed; and if the brought forth before with difficulty, fhe fhould bring forth now with case. Let not men therefore who are of publike ufe, having their confciences clear, yet because they are under fufpition, throw off all in an anger:Such a temptation many lye under, but let them know, this temptation cannot prevail but upon the diftemper of their hearts, the exceeding finfull frowardneffe of their spirits; they should truft God with their names, their cfteem, their honour, and go on in their work. The only way to deliver themfelves from fufpition, is their conftant induftry and faithfulneffe in all opportunities of fervice God puts into their hands, and with the more quietneffe of fpirit, with the leffe noyse they go on, the fooner will the fufpitions they were under, wash off and vanifh to nothing, God will make their names break forth as the light; thofe weeds having no ground to take root, will wither and dye away. The tenth diftemper. A The tenth dividing Diftemper, A fpirit of contention. Sin fome there is a ftrong inclination, a vehement impetws to whoredom, which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome, fo there is in others a vehement ftrong difpofition of heart heart to contention; thefe have a fpirit of contention; these are like Salamanders, who love, and live in the fire. They thirft after the waters of Malfab and Meribah, their temper is fuch, as if they drank no other drink then whe was brewed of those waters; Contentions and ftrifes, that are as tedious to other men as death, are their delight, they are moft in their element when they are over head and ears in them. A contentious fpirit will always find matter for contention. Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals, and wood to fire, fo is a contentious man to kindle ftrife: they are ready to put their hands to any ftife they meet with yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with ftrife belonging not to him, is like one that holdeth a dog by the eares. Mny men have no mettal in any thing but contentions; like many jades who are dull in travell, they have mettal only to kick and to play jadifh tricks. If thou hast any fpirit, any zeal and courage, it is pitty it fhould be laid out in quarrels; referve it for the caufe of God, to ftrengthen thee in contending for the truth & the publike. TH The eleventh Distemper, Covetousneffe. The II. distemper. quam pecunia cupiditatem. His is the root of all evill, then of this;there is no greater plague to friendship, then defire of money, fayes Lælius Peftem majoapud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to forcfee wayes of gaine, rem effe nullam and he is ftiffe in holding faft what may be for his advantage. in amicitius, Yet know what a ftir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephefus when their profit was endangered, they had rather fet all in a tumult then let their gain go. 1 Tim. 4.5. Envy, sirife,railings, c. perverfe difputings of men of corrupt minds, deftitute of the truth, fuppofing that gaine is godlineffe.. How will fome ob je&t against men, & withdraw from them, deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them, of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them, & all meerly to fave their purfes, & that in a poor pedling way? What a ftir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world? The fweetneffe of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares, they will fight, rend and tear out one anothers throat for it. They that will be eich, fall into temptations and a fnare, and Cur hominios and into many and burt full lufts, 1 Tim.6.9,10.. They pierce themnon obftruisis felves and others too with many forrowes. Hem Germana auro argentove? VVhen divifions arofe in Germany, upon Luthers Do&rine, illa beftia pecu- men of bafe covetous fpirits, judging Luther by themselves, niam non curat. thought that Luther made all this flir to get gaine; Why thereMelch Adam. fore, fayes one, do you not ftop the mans mouth with gold or filuer? vita Lutheri. Another anfwers, Ob, this German Beat cares not for money. The 12. diftemper. Nulla res vehementius rem publicam conti Сісего. The twelfth dividing distemper, Falfeneffe. Nothing more firmly unites and holds together the Com mon-wealth then fidelity, fayes Cicero. Truth is a girdle. Stand therefore, having your loynes girt with truth, Ephef. net, quam fides. 6. 14. Truth binds, and Falfenefs looten. The Apoftle, Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying, and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour, upon this ground, because we are members one of another. The Romans etteemed fo much of truth for uniting men into focieties, that they built a Temple to it, as to a Goddeffe; in which Temple all Leagues, Covenants, Truces, and important bargains were made, which were fo religioufly obferved, that whofoever broke them, was held for a curfed, damned creature, unfit for humane fociety. Rom., 1. 29. Full of envy, murther, debate, deceit, malignity. A man were better be true to falfe principles, then be false to true ones. Those who are falfe, are alfo mischievous: they care not what mischief they do to any, fo they may but uphold themfelves, and repair that credite which formerly they had, but now through their base falseneffe is crackt; and, if they have wronged any by their falfneffe, they feek to keep fuch downe, if not to ruine them, fearing left their falfeneffe should hereafter be revenged:and if they cannot get them down by force, they will feek to do it by adding yet more falfeneffe, by flattering them whom their hearts hate, and would gladly ruine.. That Scripture, Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this, A lying tongue bateth thofe that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruine. Pfal. 72.14. He shall deliver their foule from deceit and violence. If men who are falfe cannot compaffe their ends ends by deceit, they will feeke to doe it by violence: God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both. Come Lord Jefus, come quickly. CHA P. XXI. Dividing Practices. The firft, The Practice of the Tongue. The fecond, Needleffe Disputes. The 1. Divi ding practice, the practice of the tongue, nenum. re venenum. Provoking bitter language, is a great divider: Quifquis amat dillis absentum rodere vitam, |