644 Chap. 3 Ir. An Expilition upon the Booke of J o a. Nine& ; but his wife was the temptrt ffe, and bid him make the bargaine. Sdomons wives ( as wife as he was ) drew away his heart to Idolatry. And a fervant (ometimes proves as ftrong and as prevailing a tempter as a wife. The leaned Sir Francis Bacon in his Effay about Mai-riage,eoncludes, 'Tit inebff-rent for ?ridges and .111ag!'firatet whetkr they marry cr no; for ( faith he) ifthey be fRcile and corrupt, you j7.rall have afervant five times worlè then 4 wift.Let fervants remember they cannot in any thing moredif- ferve, nor difoblidge their Matters, then by ferving their ill hu- mours and paffions , when commanded by them ; Howwicked then are thofe fervants who nourifil their ill humours, and adde fewel to that fire which they (hould labour to quench?Wee can- not doe any man a worke office, nor (hew him more mill (tit; affeelion, thenby abetting him in evil!, and ogling his wheelcs by coonfel or encouragement, when we fee him in anY finful mo- tion. Such counfe I bath often proved fatal, and fuch encourage- ments doe but haften, yea precipitate men into ruine. The Apo- les rule is ( Heb. 10. 24. ) Let au provoke one another to love and to good roorkes. The heft need a fpurre todoe wel ; He is the cruett friend and the molt faithful) fervant, who is fulleft of there holy provocations ; He loves his friend to purpofe, who provokes him to love; and that fervant workes for his Matter to purpofeg who provokes him to goodworkes. But to provoke to wrath, to revenge, or to any evill worke, is toofficiate for thedevil), or to doe the devils worke, whole proper worke it is ro provoke us to evill, and to olof1ru61 us in all good workes. And 'tis hard to determine who ferves the devills turne, and promoteshis intereft moft,he that hinders and cooks the fpirit ofanother that is about to doe good, or he that thrults him forward and furni(heth him with affiftance todoe evill. Fourthly, Note. Not todoe, or toforbeare the doing of that evill to whichwe are provoked, and greatly provoked , is an argemoent ofmuch firengthofgrace, or ofagreat meafure ofgeodnet. ift had beenwell if 70b had not taken revenge upon his enemies, when friends ( perceaving his Spirit bent that way ) had advifed him againfi it. 'Tis a good figne of grace to be willingly ftopt from doing any intended evill. David ( a Sam: 25.) was much rcfolved.
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