Ob. Pfa\.1-'l· Book 11. uate fpi1it., m.1y conJ.iU \~'ich ~;uth of gra.::~ > Avoid ~atan, for it is written, thi!) 1uCl muil be HlOfllti-:J , my L•~n-h.to natme m.ui tecome L1mb-like, or I cannot be– fJved. But 'il!t11; put; into thee an?thn plea, and teiis thee, that if tbou art angry, t/,ou art thcrw prm·o,fli; tb. tt could./ lzvc q"zctly·citnttz.h "' thy f•mtly, and among(l thy ncigh– lh'JtrJ , if tbuHrtJlr'l unt Jlr vo pd, it is their fuu!t tb.Jt proz:Jkss tbee) and nOt thine, tb.lt tbou art thuJ ,;'1f!.ry Jvirb tbem .. Anrwer. How' am l1ngry' and may be ~ngry, b~caufd am provoked? what a r"a. •fon is _this' 1-woulJ rathe• fay, that God now ca lls on roe for metknefs, and not for ~ng<r; auy Oilee>n bemeek, when they are are not provoked (as wday, the devil is good when he 1s well pieJ[ed) bLlt it I 1m provoked, then is theleafon, if ever, tQexercifc me, kncfs: The Word f1ith, tlut a!(Odly mall ii lik$ a tree plaJtted by the riverJtif water tb tt brin~ct/J furtb biJ frui : in hiJ feajan : It is the exc~llcncy of Grace to work in du~ !eafon, tor then IS every thing beautiful; and wh~n is the due leafon oi meeknefs b~t 0:1ly when I _am provok.d' or if this be a plea, why might it not be [IJ,[e; Prai.I o6. 33· picl ~s well as. ~me ' The W~r~ fau h, They angrecl him at tbe warm oj'{lrife, they provo"-Jcl hH jptrzt , fo th•t b: fP"-! tm•dvt[edly wub lm t.pJ. Meek ·M[eJ is now V,:p. Pro.~•''l· I'ro~u .2o. angry, and he was provoked mito it, but that will not excnfC him before God; for the Word f1ith, It wem iU with Mofes for their fa'<!J: God· would never be entreated to– let him go into the L1ml of Canaan for this vuy fin; 1od therefore avoid Satan for it is writtel~, if I am pr~vokcd, then is the fea{on for meel<nef<, or if 1am pro~ voked to-angn, 1t will go di with me, as It went Jllwlth Mo[eJ, and no provocation will' be my excafe. But Sat1n bath thoufands of pleas,.and ten thoufands ofways, either to put thee into. pafiion, or to juftitie thee in it : It is impof!ible for me to inllance in all, but 1g,ainfl them all 1 would h1Ve thee lay up, and to ma~e ufe of fev~ral Scriptures, turn tlmn down ia thy bool;, or learn them by heart (as we lay) th1t thou m1yfl !till have tl1em in readinefi, they are ll!Ci1 as thefe: Pride , andarrogancy, and thecvil way, and the Jroward mo~tt!. do I hate. - 1'bc) tb.J.t ate of a froward. beart, are abomination to tbe L11rd) but{iecb ,z ; are upright in tbeir way, are biJ deligiJt.-Ceofe from anger, and forfak_e n·ratb, fret 11ot tby Jf/fi;t $– Pf•l.37.11. "Y wife to do evil.--- Ye bave beard, it rNJ f.•idbytbcm of old time, tbo" jiJJ/1 mt kj/1, Mlt. 5. 21,2 2• • ad whofoc- tr {hall I!Jfl,JI,allbe in d>nger ofthe Judgcmclll; but I _r.,yuntoyo.•, tb•t wbofoe· 01 er iJ a~:,gry with !JiJbrother witbout acaufe, fha/1 be i1>1 dJ11ger oft be judgment,- and wlnfue– ver Jhall ];)'>thou fool, fhaU be in d"rgtr of bellfire. -- Lc1.1U bitmncfr, and •vratb, and Eph.4. 31 '32• $ 11 gcr; andclamot<r, andrvilJPtak}ng, be ptt-t away fromY'"' n•itl; ull malice_; ai/d beye kjnd one toanother, temler-bearted,f;,givinz one Anotbcr, ewz aJ God forCbrifii ]ak,_e bathforgi•m ) ' 011 • Arc not thefe ~cripturcs as {o many [words' why, then wield them, and iu the ufe of them cut afunder 11\ temptation' of Satan. . 9· Set b,fore thee the ex1mple of Chri!l , tilf thou find'[\ it to work upon, and tQ change thy fpirit : Chrifis example (if rig:htly eyed and improved) cloth not only work morally, but tflicaciou!ly, by way of efficiency. It is report~d of a Noble Earl Eljlarizu, tb 1 t he had [uch • quiet fpiri t, that a,!I wondrcd, his wife and others asked him, how he e1me ro that meek, humble,and and quiet frame? fo whom he1nlw"'cd thus, When an1 one wrongnne (!lid he) Lprefontly tttmmy thought I totl>£ injuriu tbat Jcfi« Cbrijtfuffered, and 1mver leave off ruminatiuga;zd remembring the injttrits of Cbrijt, until I find m! heart Mat. II.29· wholly quiet- Lear11 of me(f1id Cbrifl) for I a"! meek, (hril!ians~ lCcording to the exam– ple of Jefus Chri!i, ought to be meek ones;. !l1deed, meeknef• IS that Evanqehcal grace that Ctm!lians ought eo Imitate Jefus Chnfl m; and therefore team of me~ la1th C.hnH, fet me before you; learn, and never ceafe learmng, ull of tlut fuluefs that 1s mme, )'Oil receive grace for gr1cc, even meekncfs for meeknefs. 10 , Pray con!iantly in this, as in other like cafes, pray down the fin of an!',er, pray for a fpirit of meeknc!s, entreat the Lord to quiet ~nd fweeten thy froward nature; pray al– fo tor heavenly-m:ndedn, f<, and thou wilt not b.: dJfquretcd wtth worldly troubles : As the upper Region of ihe ayr is.not m<'llefied with wind, r~in, hail, &c. i'o neither is an heavenly.minded Chri0i1n, who IS !Jfted up far above thefe lub\,mary thmg<, affi,d:cd with them, or perin1 tor them: Pray aH'o to~ faith, that thou maytl '?\.1 thy felf upon him and his promifes, who hath fa1d, \hat all tbtngJ fhall work. to_~etlm for tbezr good ·~·IN Rom.s .oB, love god, aud are calledaccardi!lg tohi1 pwpofe: Why the•~ 010uJ,! ti thou be angry,feemg God will turn the iujuricsof men .into blethng• and mercaes' Let/mu aloue, amilctlm" cHr'i, it m•!Y be thel..ord wilt[,}~ on Thine afjli{iiort, am/. tbat the L>td wiU requite good for 2 5.~;m, 16. I I, Jl · bt.S • 2·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=