EpifIle ofS.Paul to Titres. CHAP.2, Conic torunneender the hand that fmiteth: and is (as the Hebrewphrafe 359 is) frlent veto God. Examples of both thefe we haue in Amid, who con- ft :CtingwithGods owne hand in his foule andbodie, held his tongue,and PfaLloo. faidnothing: and the reafon is rendred, becaxfe thou didi it : and in that great affliction brought vpon him byShe.mei,he would not reuengehim- :.sana6.so. felfevponShemei , becaufe the Lord had bidden Shcmei cHrfe Damid. He- zekfahreceiuing a heauy (entente fromGod, faid , theword of the Lord m.ugood. Secondly, the found fruits of patience are many, I will reckon flue, a.FrnicsHue, which are the cheife. I. To entertainecroffes alike, and one kind ofaf- a fti 5tion as equally as another, not thinking it firange tofall into dixerfe Iowa,. temptations, not taking it to be in our owne power to chute our owne roddes: for the Lord cureth not all maladies wi:h one plaifler , neither trieth the fameman alwaies with the fame trial!. The fundrie kinds of triallsof the Apoflles,and how equally andpatiently they carried them- felues through them, fee L.Cor.6.4. 5. our Sauiours counfell aymcd hereat,aduifing his followers to take vp his croffe daily : that is, to make Lulc9A3. account of, cxpert, and forecaff onecrofl'e or other;and when theycome, though theycone every day,nay fundry inettery day,thcy muR be taken vp, and cherefully and Chriflianlyborne. The fecond fruit of found patience, is cheerefulneffe : Hebr. 2 to. 39. the Saints fuffered with ioy the fpoyling of their goods: Iames exhorreth the Saints to count it exceedinguy, when they fell into fundry Iam.7a. temptations : and howPaulCooke plealure in infirmities, reproacbes, ne- ceffrier, perfecxtions, and anrsoiß for Chrifì, fee a.Cor.t 2.1 o. If it be here asked, whether this be not tooStoical! a precept for Chriflians,who are commanded to weepe with them that weepe, and take to heart publique, gom,t:.rs. pritiate, andperfonall calamities? Ianfwer, no Chritlian may be fenfles inaffliáion, neither can anyaffli&&ion for the prefent be ioyous but grie- uous: and yet thefe two are not contrarie, tomourne, and yet to re- ioyce inaffliction; becaufe they are not both attributed to the fault part, not to the fame caule: weepe we may according to the flefh, which is humbled;and reioyce at the fame time in the fpirit, by Gods fpirit fup- ported inafflicion : Againe, weep we may for the miferie conlidercd in it (elfe, and onour (clues; and yet at the fame time reioyce in the fwect fruit and euent ofit, both in regard of God, which is his glorie , and our feints, namely, the quiet fruit of righteoufneffe. So the Apot les , Hebr. Ia. II. and Iames I. Off brethren, count it exceeding iáy---knowing¡ that the trying ofyourfaith ,&c. that is, it ye cannot reioyce in the fenfe of aliótion, yet you may in thevfe of it, becaufe it maketh to the trial! ofyour faith, and encreafe of your graces. As the husband man all his Z 3 plowing
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