IV 2 R. %. Epbeiians, Cbap. 4. thine tohim that offendeth they , what canft thou look for but the fame meafure at another mans hands! If children play together, and onecafuaily or at unawares fall in the dirt,doe the reft thereupon rate, chide,:and.fall out with him! No but pity him and help him : for it might have been (they think) their owne cafe, and how foone it may . bec they know not : fa fhould wee on the likeground'fhew the like meekneffe andgentleneffe one to another. fNow lei us confider whether we Phew this vertue to God,andman: toGod in his corrections, he that taketh in his word or inftruttion rchichhe giveth, he is a happy' man, that maynot fay with the Pro- phet, he.lzath been under Gods hand as the Horfe or fatale , without underflanding: For as we caft out the heelewhenprofperity, like Pro- vender pricks us, fowe are froward and moody when adverfity doth befall us. For his word, which fhould be received with 411 meekneffe; we, when it doth conch us, are full of Paflion , inwardly fret and are diaempered, like proud fí'efh, if it be fingered never fo gingerly ., .it bleedeth..- . Towardmen, how boyfterous in our dealing! howperverfe to bee wrought upon byothers! ifwe he provoked a little, how wafpifhe all inachafe or male-contented flence,never having donewith a thing. Nay we have filch galls ofbitternefi'e inus, that often .a man is fo fret- full, that in the moode he eateth hisowne:liver, and in a manner be- commeth his owne hang-man. Weemuff therefore pray to God to turne us , and to meeken our hearts, we mull be furred up, Miniftersof the word to deale meekly, as Pattiexhorteth Timothy: infíraét with meekneffe thofe that are contra- ryminded; for the wordofmeekneffe pierceth the bone. We rnuff yeeld our (elves quietly to God correcting;we mull like good - Hezekiah in meekneffe receive his word, andfay, It isgood, be it neverfo bitter,,we mutt labour not to give place to paflion,nor fuller our felves to be ex- afperate, but bridle our hafty and immoderate difpleafure. Bleffidare the meek they /hall inherit the earth. And as we muff doe it alwaie;, fo principally when fomethingdoth folliçit us to wrath, for the devil' is goodifhe be pleafed: We mull not faywe love quiet, but cannot en- dure to be croffed. Theworld Both count thiseffeminate foftneffe and fheepi(hneffe, but it is better to bee like Chrift that lambe of God, though reckoned as (beep, then in a ruffian -like takingonto refemble Satan. This is fuch agraceas Both beautify the foule in the eyes of God above all othertrimmings, the ornament ofameek and quiet /pirit is a thing in thefightof Godofgreat price; and therefore the Apoflle. Peter exhortthwomen that are careful} and curious about outward ornaments, todeck and adornethemfelves with this grace ofa meek and quietfpirir. By this meekneffe offpirir the foule finds refl in the greateft troubles and afflíótions:for whenafflictions'befall a man, they doe not fo much trouble and difgniet him as doththe pride and impa- tienceofhisown heart,his own unruly &diforderly lufts which fight againftthe foule, thefe make theaifliélion heavy, and make him grie- vous. 447 Yfer. PfaL3 t. Iam.r.xi7 z Tim.a.zç: Prov.xs.is. Match.;. Per. ;.q.
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