6o Co•fid. 19. Confid. 20. Againft Malice and 11\_e)m~e. the lefs dleemed of God, and therefore dimini!h not your felicity: It is themfelves that they mor– tally wound, even to damnation, if they impcniccntly opprefs anoth(r: KeepJ9Ur{tlvts and you keep your f.dvatiun, what ever others do againll you. • 9· 25· Confid. 19• Remember that injuries are your tryall and temptation/: Gad tryeth you by thlm, and Satan temprrth you by them! God uy~th your Love and patience and obedience ; that you may be pcrfcCl as your Heavenly Father is perfect, and may be indeed his Childrm, whileyou Love your cncmiu, and blcfs them that curfoyou, and do good to them that bateyou, and prayfor them that dt{pightfully ufe yo1t and perfrcute you, Marth. 5· 44• 45· and being tryed you may receive the Crown of life, Jam. r. 3, 4· 12. And Satanon theotherJide is at work, tetry whether he c1n draw you by injuries to i~mpatiency, and to hatred, malice, revenge or cruehy, and fo damn your fouls by the hurting of your bodies. And when you foreknow his defign, will you let him overcome. Hear every provoking word that's given you, and every injury that's done unto you, as if a mcffenger from Sltan wc.re fent to bufftt you, or w fpcak that provoking language in his name; and as if he faid to you [I come frcm the Devil to_call thee all that's nought and to abufe thee, and to try whether 1 can thus pro– voke thee to pa1fton, malice, railing or revenge, to fin againfi God and damn thy fOul.] lf you knew one came tO you from the Devil on this errand, tell me how you would entertain him ! And do you not know that this is indeed the cafe? Rev. 2· IO· Fr:ar none of tho[c thing1 which thou jha/t fuffir ; behold the Devil (haU cafl fome of you intoPrifon that ye may be try<d, and ye jhaU have tri· bula.tiMz ttn d;yu: be thou faithfitl to the dtath 1md I will give tbte a Crown of lift• As trying impri– fonments lO all other trying injuries are from the Devil by Gods pcrmifiion, whoever be his infiru– ments; And will you be overcome by him when you foreknow the end of his atttmpts? ~· 26. Conftd. 2c. LaO!y, fct before you the example of our Lord JefU< Chrijl: See whether he was addi6l:c:d to wrath and ma!ice, hurtfulnefs or revenge! If you will not imitate him, you are none of his Difciplcs! nor will he be your faviour. A ferious view of the holy pattern of Love and meek.:. ndS and patience and forgiver.cfs, which is fct before us in the life of Chrill, is a mofi powerful re· medy againfima\iccand ·revenge; and will cure it if any thing will cure it. Phil.2. 5,6,7. Let thH mind be in you, which rrar atfo in Chrift Jt[IH, who bring in the form of God-- yet m4de him.. filf of no rtpHtation, and tool(. up1n him the form of a fervant. I Pet. 4· J. Fora{tmtch then M Chrijl bath fuffmd in the firjh, arm your ftlvu /i~wifewith the fame mind. 1 Pet. 2·19• to the 25· Fo.r tbU il thonk.;worthy if a mJm for Confcicnce tow.;rd God endure grief fuffcring JJwon1f"Uy ; For whAt glo~ ry if it ifwl"n ye be buffeted for your faults yt jhaU la~e it patiently : Bu1 if when yt do ,..,Q and fnfftr for it yttak.! it p.uiemly tbi1 Hacceptable with God. For even hereunto wert ye c:JIIed : becaufe Chrijl alfofujferedfor uJ, leaving uJ an tnfample thatyejhouldfeUow hif Jl•ps: ,.ho ,/id no fin, neither"'"' guilt found in hH moHth : A'ho rvben ht wtJJ reviled, reviled not again. : when he [ufftred bt thrtatncel not, but committed it to him that judf.etb rig,hteoujly. Think not to live and reign with- Chrill: if you will not follow him and fulfer with him. It is impudent prefumption and not faith, to look to be like the Saints in glory, while you arc like the Devil in malice and cruelty. CHAP.
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