174 Chap; r4. Of Patience, and its contraries. Com. r, r zing. z. The other is fuch as we read Baals Prophets were : who, when (their God would not hear them, cut themfelves with Knives, and Lancers, and thereby might fecal patient ; and this is not Stupor contraries, but emiffus, a ftupidity infufed by Sathan , whether he pofíefs Men spiritually only in their Souls, or corporally too. Mark S.S. The Devil taught a Man to break his Chains, and cuthisflefh withflones; and fuch was that of the Circumcelliones , Manichees, and Donatifls, &c. it was but pati ma. lam, ut facerentmalum , as Saint Aieguftine fpeaks , they fuffered evil, that they might do the more evil. This ftuporcontraCtus comes two ways. a. Ex ignorantia caúfa, not confidering the caufe whence afflictionscome. Or, 2. Ex ignorantiafinis, not confidering the end whereto they tend. . jer.5. 3. r. When theafilicted confider net the caufe from whence their afietion corn. eth, Thou haft ftricken them O Lord, and they are not grieved ( faith the Pro. phet ) thou haft confumed them, but they have refuted to receivecorre&ion, they have made their Facesharder than a ROCK, 6.e And God himfelf by the fame Pro.. 2.30. phet, In vain have I fmitten your Children,they receivedno correction. And the Pro. phet Efty, why fhould ye be ftricken any more ? ye will revolt more and more,[ c. Efa. i.t. No doubt but there are fome fuchamong us , whom God catlèth before him , and arreftcth with thefe his Serjeánts, but are no whit amended. Such are ufually com- Lukez3,z6, pared to Simon the Cyrenian, who was violently laidhold on, and forced tocarry the Crofs , but are not crucified on it thernfcives , a Crofs they bear, but profit not. :And the reafon is , becaufe they afcribe it to other caufes , befides God inflicting, 1. and their fins deferving. Divines call this, exeunt tormentum, or momdeforms , a blind grief, a grief they have on the fudden, but are not able to fay, for this,or this caute, it is come upon me : they aicrite it humori nature not rorigratix, and like purblind Men they cannot look up to he ï-T-end that drikes them,; and fo confe- quently they get them terrenas confolataunculas earthly petty comforts; ( as Saint Bernard) pleafure and friends, ann to drive it away : and if it comes from without then many times they do infurgere in inflrumcntum e¢ omittere percufforem, rife a- gainftthe Weapon , and leave the ftriker, which comes by not obferving the two concurrents,viz God and his Inftrument , and that the affliction is jolt with God, though unjuft in the Inftrument , as the calamities of fob , were juft in God , cui nil nit juflum placet, who delights in nothing, but what's juft; and our Saviour faith, Mat. 5. I I. we {hall be bleffed byGod, when we are injured by Men; the t Sanr'z'' not diftinguifhing of thefe two , breeds defireof revenge. King David could di- n saiñió. ftinguifhbetter. In thecafe of Saul and Doeg, the Inftruments ; OLord myGod, if I have done any fuch thing, Nat. He arcrtbed it to God, and yet knew he was wronged by them : and in the cafe ofShituei, he conceived that he was but Gods Inftrument, to afflict and punifh hirn. 2. When welooknot high enough , that is the firft ; the fecond is, when wecon- ceive not arright ofthe end : for tribulation is of tribulus a Bramble; and Saint guftine faith , Ideo minister ant ut detineat, áut ne revoert, it is fent therefore, either to retrain, or to call back. And Intelligat homo Deum effe medicum, & tribolati onemmedicamentum efe ad falutem, non?mum addamnationem, Man fhould know, that God isa Phyfitian, and tribulation a Medicine for health , not a punifhment to condemn. And Saint Gregory. Advetfrtas_qua banes vines obiicitur, probatio 'irtutis eft, non indiciam reprobationis, Tribulation that comes upon good Men, is a tryal of their goodnefs, not a token ofreprobation. WhenMen then miftake Gods aim, in the end they fall into a numb'dnefs of Soul. z. The fecond extream of Patience, is the fainting under Gods correction. The caufe moft commonly comes, when Men cannot diftinguifh between Da,pïoaa and a Ccr.q. a. 'f° ' pu.a between beingfhaken,and tact down; but imagine,that God afflicts them in wrath, and ayms at .their deftruclion : whereas the Apoftle could fay , weare troubled on every fide , yet not diftreffed , we arc perplezed , but not indefpair. And when a Man cannot diftinguifh between thefe, then a heavinefs feizeth onbin] Pfal.42.6 that begetteth death. The Pfalmifl rnaketh a Dialogue betweenhisSoul and himfelf Why art thou fo tact down Omy Soul ? but then comes in the other part, put thy fruit in God for the help of his Countenance. When Men begin to be perplexed, then either they feel their courage dye, the fpirit is tact down, and a wounded fpirit
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