48+ OfCjyods fearer Whymeprofrt Twothings hinder ripenesofknowlenge, theone is thatmen are proudelyIgnorant, " sotbyour erfwadin themfalI toknow that the knownortheotheris hardnes ofheart,whereb ¢noa[edge. they are toreprofit of knowledge: for either we thinke we haue force deepe knowledge, or elfewebecome flonieand lenfeleffe ; that if Gods judgements befpokenwe fearenor,if hispromifes be offered wereioycenot, whatfoeuer is fpoken we mouenot: loco luci, anheart, bowinucls knowledge (oeuer is powred in, though itfeeme to runne ouer,yetthequantitie (fitwill amount to nothing. Becaufe we will notfeeGods wrath, asit is,we fee it in inNee : for by Gods wrath is iu.. faire fignifiedvino vs. And furely howfoeuer other qualities in God doe not affeét vs fometitne,yet wrathhiresvs vp. Affe&ions are commonly flirred vp by theirobiedts, as Simile. feare bywrath : Nowif.we feare theanger of a man,and fpeciallyofa Prinee,becaufe the wrath ofa Princefeemech fo great a thing to vs; what lhall we thinke ofthe wrathofGod, whichone way orocher we(hall finelytneetev, i thall,eithet for to beare it,orelfe to be re.. conciled to him for the auoydingof it ? Wherefore to reueale to vs this wrath, it isMofet hisofficeto teach vsto feeour Gnne,andfo tobringvs within the compaffeofthe law,and ofthat forfeiture which the law Both award vs, that fo wee mayelteeme themore ofthat mercie which is offered in Chrift. Nowthe caufe why wee elleeme not mercie, is becaufe we.accompefo flenderly ofour finnes,andthereforeweedoe lightly value our fin,becaulé we thinkeno morereucrently ofGods wrath againft thine : forfilch is the fenfe ofour fin, a as isthefeare ofhis wrath. Andfo weefteeme peaceasweaccomptofmitre, and make a prize of ourplentie,as weedoe ofour fcarfitie. Ifwee confderrightly ofthe want and fa- muteofSamaria, or ofIdumea,and fee the heads ofAlfes fold fortomuch;then wefnallbe fit to fudgerightly ofplentie : weeare therefore in our afjlietions to leuell at the wrathof God,whichis the caulè,andnor to flay in ourafiiflion,buthill looke to our finne,with- out the fightwhereof,we fhall either hand carpingat Gods iudgements withArms, orwee (hall fall tocurfe the day ofourbirthwith lob :fo farre(hallwee be makingour true profit byit. Frororoemuff Therefore weknownot howto profit under thecroffe, becaufe weknownot the caufes ohooeew ofit,butwe dwellinthe effeets,andcomplaineof thething done,notlookingto thecaufe leisesun andoriginallofit which wefeein that aman being crollèdby awicked man,hee(tonnes again$ the man,but lookesnotto God : wherein heloth as ifa manahould quart-ell with Siva'. thehair&wherewith he is beaten,and neuerlooker° thefiniter:for a man is butas therod ofthe Lord,oras the ftaffeachediuell; we deale(1 fay) With theftripe,not with thediuell, by. whole inftigation that is done. And as weedeale with the diuell in hismotines, fowee deale with the Lord in his viliications : weecould mare the rod, butnot behumbled under him that vfeth that rod. Andwhat doe weprofit bythis behahiour? Admit wecouldwreft the rodoutofGods hand,tvhatgaine is that for vs,againit whom hee will take up a fword. and a mallet,or a greatrocke,wherewithhewill not hand to beatsvs, but out ofhand to breakevs in fitters?And thcrforegoodwifedome it is not to wrehiewiththe effea,but to mectewith the caufe.Now the there aretwothingswhich blindfold vs,thatwe cannotfee Gods wrath inour afflictions : theone,becaufeweare not hraight confumed with the an-" Ywoeau(erof ger ofGod:lo long asmenwaleaway bylittle and little, and are not beatendownat one ourbt ndne in blow,they putoffall fufpition thatGod is difpleafedwith them, and neuer acknowledge afútionr. his wrath,vntill it come like an ambaffadour ofdeath.Some arc confutned by apoplexies, and fuddenlyfall dead:fome by heflicks,andperceby peece fall away.This is fomuch the moredangerous, becaufe it is the letle fenfible, and ratherkilled) vs thanforewarnethvs. It is as dangerous tomoulder away, andas eafre todye of an hebßick, as it is tofall dead and tobetakenwith anapoplexie: Andtherfore it is not goodto tarrie forthe deadblow. z Anochercaufe is this : that as Gods judgements areto many, mercies, and proceedefrom hislone towards vs: fothough wefee it not,manyofhismercies are fent to vs to his iudge- 'a Note., ment,andproceede from him in wrath. Soleremiefaith,that the Lordgatelofrarinwrath to raigneotter his people: and yet lofoas was a good King. Thevfe ofall this is thus much, to (hewvs that theLords anger works inhim, as doe all otheraffections when theyhave nottheir worke in vs. Hereof it is, that becaufe we are not difpleafed with ourfelues for our
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