420 Chap. 6. Of únjuft etilger, and thefruits thereof. Com.6 Prov. 2q. 23 they muft bedealt with, afowre countenancedrives them away, asthe north winddoh Lev-it. 19.14 rain. The rcafon may be taken from that in Leviticus, Thoufhaltnot curl' the deaf Now he that is abfent, is deafand hears us not, and therefore inch as curie the deaf; all the congregationfhall curie them. 4. When men atehindred, that they cannòt be avenged this way, by detraEtfon, then they will wreak themfelves by curling. This is afymytome ofanger which James 3. 8 appears in the tongue, which (as Stjames faith) is full ofdeadlypoifon; what that is, he thews in the next words, with this curfè we men, whoare made after thefimiti Col .3.8 el: rude of God. This is that poifon, the practiceof it is forbidden. They that are thus ph 4 î 1 curled need not care,for God acquits them from curies without caufè, they (hall not Prov, 26. z hurt them, but like arrows fhotagainft a wall of brafs, they (hall return upon them that Pent them. And as theft fruits of anger appear chiefly againft fuperiours, fo there areother fruits which are feen chiefly towardsequals. s. Wrath the firft begotten ( as the Heathenfaid ) is no barren Gentlewoman, Rom. 16i 17 the bath a daughter likeher felt, called dlxpraóa,, dilI'ention, which if it be in the heart, is called difcord, if it break out, is called contention, which is indecent acri- Rom. r. 29 monia, an unfeemly bitternefs, taking of parts. The Apoftlefpeaking ofthe Hea- 2 C y. 12. zu. then, mentions peat Ipt tam, fuch as werefull ofdebate, forbids Vfis debates, and Rom, 13.13 loynslt4' and d: xaçaeís, variance anddJentions ,and exhorts them tolive,pñ irigtdr James 3. 6. not toftrife. St. fames condemns it, as againft the royal law ofChrilt, and St.Paul r Cor. 11, r6 faith, that fuch contentious perlòns belongnot to the Church, for the Churches of Prov. 2o. 3 Godhavenfilch cuftome. It is the Churches honour to ceafe fromftrife,and it is Paid Heb. 12. 2 of cur Saviour, that he endured much contradition of inners. But now whenwe fpeak'againft difcórd, we meanonly in Louis, in things that aregood, not in malls, in evil things ; for as nothing is moreto be wifhed than peace in good things, fonothing is more to be wifhed than difcordia in malls for this is as neceffary as concordia:in bons, agreement in good. When St.Paul knew that one Ails 23.6 part of the company were Pharifees, and theother Sadduces, he cried out, that he wasjudged for the refurretiiion ofthe dead, and fo fet them together,and efcapedhim- felf, this was rot unlawful. And not only St. Paul, but Chrift himfelffaith,that he came tofit difiordanddiffention in the earth. a. Betides this we find another, Epbefans 4. 31. xgewtí crying or brawling. Ifaiab y. 9 This the Lord complains of by the Prophet, He came down and lookedforjudgment March. 12. 19 and juftice, Eut there was cryingand roaring. It was faidof Chrift,noncontendet,neu clantabit,Hir voiceJhall not be heard in theftrece :and fuch.difpofitionas was inChrift, mull be in all his members. The contrary we fee in wicked men, as in thofe Jews, Atts22.23 who (whenSt. Paul laid, God had fent him to the Gentiles) madeafhout, and rent their garments, and threw duff in the air, &c. 3. If theft muff not be, much lefs the thirdwhich is contumelia, railing, and yet this takethhold on moil men foonefl ; for as the Heathen man faid,Promptifima vin- ditta contumelia,railing is the moft readyand moft eafie revenge. To this may bere- ferred that ofour.Saviour, to fay Hacha to a brother, or to fay thou fool,or when a man{hall debafe the gift of another, or (peak ad contri tandem, to grieve him. We Rom, 1. 3e findáßperai,defpightful perfons, and aordapot,revilers,çondemned by the Apoftle. Such r C9r. 6. to do grieve the faints dGod, who thereuponhave heavily complained. TheProphet Ppah79. 0,13 Davidcounted it a great part of his calamities thatbe was railed uponand reviled je- Jerem.2o.10 rem complains that he was railed aton every fide. St. Paul faith,that at Philippi 1 Tl;ef.2.2 y P Yf they werefhamefullyintreated, yet theywent on and preached the Gofpel at Thefla- lonica notwithûanding. And in theft confifts chiefly the murtherof the tongue. Befides there arc two other fruitsofanger, efpecially feen in fuperiours, andpro- ceeding from contempt. Alts r I. 7 breatning. Saul armed with authority, breathed out threatnings againft the 1 Ring. 2. 14 Church ; and Reboboam'sfpeech when he came to the crownwas, Myfather chaftifed Próv. 29.11 you with rods ; but I,willfcourgeypuwith fcorpions,my littlefinger(hall beheavier than myfathers loins ; for as Solomon faith,. afool (viz. in government)profunditfpiri tumfirm, fhereetb all his power atonce, and therefore, as was laid before, govern Prov. S. ment mutt not be committed to a furious perfon, for fuchan one is like a fool that- puts a pellet into a croft-bow, and (hoots at random, and therefore he faith,ffones are
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