rht Rar~ jewel Dl .chrifliAn Contentinenr._- '171 than God vvould have them go. This was that that guieted D~tt~id when Shir1ui curfi him , faith he , God bath a hand in it, though Shimei be a·wiclced vile man, yet I l9ok beyond him to God. So, Is there any of ybur · frien9s that de at injuriouAy with you , and crofs with you ? look up to God and and fee thu man but as an iaf1rument in Gods hand5• . Secondly, If this be younroub!e that men qo fo mong you, you are rather to turn your hearts to pity them) than to murmur or be difcontented ; for the truth is, if you be wronged by other men , you have the better of it, For it is better to b~ar wr;ng t ban to d. a wrong.- greAt deal; If they wrong you, if your hem can fubmit,you are m abetter condition than they, becaufe it'~ better to fuffer,than _do wrong. I remember it i3 faid of Socr~ttes that being very patient when wrong was done to him ,_they askeG! him how he came to be fo? Saitb he,. If I meec ~yith a man in the flreet that is a difeafed man ,thallI be vexed and fretted wicb him becaufe he is difeafed f Thofe that wrong me ·I look upon them as dife:tfed men, and therefore pity them. - Thirdly, Though you meet vvirb hard dealings from men, · yet you meet with nothing but kind , good, and .righteous dealings from God : When you meet with unrigbteous ~ealing$ from rbem, fetone againfi another. And that's for the Anfwer to'the Fourth Plea. The Fifth P LE A. Ob ! . bHt that ~Jftiairm tbat cofms 11p_on me i.r ttn ~ffiitlion that I never look! for,! never thoHght to have met with.[uch an ~~JftiClion, and that's th~t I ~now not how to be11r, tbat•J that which mll~es my heArt fo di/quiet, becAPJ{e' it wAs altogether lt.rJ!ookt for-, And unexptEftJ. · For anfwer to th_is, Firfi, It is thy ·vveaknefs and foliy that ti:lou didfi notloo.kfor itand eipeCl: it : In Aas 20, 22,23. fee what Saint P11ul fa.ith concerning himfelf, And now behold, I g!J bonnd in the S.Eirw to 'feru{ale'" , mt ~nowint the things thAt foal/ befal me there,favt that the HDly Ghoft )llitnef[eth in every City, {aying, That konds and aJJliltions abide rm. IC:s true faith be , I know not the particular affii&ion that may befal me, but this I knowJthat the Spirit of God witneffetb, Th11t bonds and •f- . · A a 2. fliaiOTJs
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