EpifIle ofS. Panal to Titus. CHAP.2.2 the reuenge of their wrongs vpon their enemies. ;6i Vfe. All thefe notes let vs fee the crazinesof thisgrace in vs. It is no patience when men beare out croffesby floutnes and flomake : neither úße fxh!"gCe by a nature not Co fitbie&to impatience : for here is not Glence vnto bucarenoc, God, difpoling the croirevnto them. So when men can buckle well e- nough with,and fwimme out ofonekind ofcroffe,which pincheth them not fo much, but fluke in fome other, when they muff choofe their rods and trialls, or elfe they arehearties and dead inthe neafl;here is a cranny in their patiencewhich will linke their foules. Some againe beare out their crofres, becaufe they areyoked and coupled to them like two fpa- niels,which muff go toge:her,becaufe they cannot go afunder,but with- out all willingnes or cheerefulnes, but this is tarte from Chriftian pati- ence, and is as we fay,patience perforce. And laflly,whenwe cannot en- tertaine affli6lions thankfully, as finding fome goodnes and fweetnes in them; when deliverance is notexpeéted fromGod, as by filch who haue title in hisprotvife;whon we delire to be at our owne hands, andwill not flay his lcrafure, but haflily like infidels run voto indire&means, and fometitne to Sathan himfelfe , in forcerersand witches; when we are fo tugged with affli &ions as we hold not out,hut are readie to give vp all; here is all vntound, heremen may not onely fufpe&, but conclude from vnfoundpatience,vnfoundnes of loue, of faith, andconfequently the want of the truth in all their pro`effionof religion. Verf. 3. The elderwomen liketvile that they be infuch behauiottr ar becone- meth holineffe, noefalfe accufers, notgiuen to much wine , but teachers o f holy things. Our Apoftle boning taught howand what do&rive fhóuld be apply- eel to old men, heproceedeth now to makeolde women matchable vn- to them, and therefore he beginneth with the word lihewife, which afawres. flheweth that the fame vertues as formerly haue been mentioned, are to be vrged vpon old ageof both feces: and who candeny fobriety, wife- dome, grauity, foundneffc in fáith, loue, andpatience,to be as necefiary for auncient women as men;whether we confider tine fame inconvenien- ces of the fame old age lying vpon them, or the impotencie of their fexe in vndergoing them , which yet maketh the want of thefe verrues farre moremiferable then in the other. And then he addeth Tome fur - ther duties fitted to their efface: which he Both r. by prefcribmgfuch ver- tues as are feemely for theirycares: and a. byprohibiting filch vices as in all ages are wicked, but in theirs moil vnfeemclyand fcandalovs. The dutiesare two: t. an holy beheusiour in themfelues, in the firfl wordsof the verle: a. a drawing on of others to holineffe and honefiic, in the latter partof the verfe and forward. The vices prohibited are two: a. Z 4 of
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