'Serra. CLVII againf! Injuries fromMen. 31 H. If we confider the nature of Man, even where it is very much depraved and corrupted. There is fome thing that is apt to reftrain bad Men from injuring thofe that are remarkably good ; a reverence for goodnefs, and the inward convi- &ionsof their own mind, that thofe whom they are going about to injure, are better and more Righteous than themfelves ; the fear of God, and of bringing down his vengeance upon their heads, by their ill treatment of his Friends and Followers ; and many times the fear of Men, who rho' they be not good them- (elves, yet have an elleem for thofe that are fo, and cannot endure to fee them wronged and oppreffed, efpeciallÿ if they have been obliged by them, and have found the real effefts of their goodnefs in good Offices done by them to them- felves, Betides that bad Men are feldombad for nought, without any caufegivtn,with- out any manner of temptation and provocation to be fo. Who will hurt a harm- lefs Man, and injure the innocent? For what caufe, or for what end fhould he do it? He muff love mifchief for it felf, that will do it to thofe who never offer'd him any occafion and provocation. III. If we confider the providence of God, which is particularly concern'd for the protefdion of innocency and goodnefs. For the righteous Lord booth righteouf: nefr, and bis countenancewill behold the upright. This the Apofile takes notice of, in the verfe before theText, as the great fecurity ofgood Men againft violence and injury, The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. So that if bad Men were never fo ill difpofed toward the good, and bent to do them all the injury and iifchief they could devife, the Providence of God hath a thoufand ways to prevent it ; and if he pleafes to interpofe between them and danger, who can harm them if they would? He can fnare the wicked in the works of their own hands, and make the mifchief which they devifed againft good Men, to return upon their own beads; he can weaken their hands and infatuate their Counfels, fo that they fhall not be able to bring their wicked enterprifes to pafs ; hecan change their hearts, and turn the fiercenefs and rage of Men againft us, into a fit of love and kindnefs, as he did the heart of Efau towards his Bro- ther Jacob; and their bittéreft enmity againft truth and goodnefs, into a mighty zeal for it, as he did in St. Paul, who when he came to Damafcus; fell a preaching up that way, which he came thither on purpofe to perfecute. And this God bath promife,d to do for gòod Menwho are careful to pleafe him. When a man's ways pleafe the Lord,, be will make his enemies to be atpeace withhim. So that confidering the nature of Goodnefs, and the natureof Man; and the providence of God, Who is like to harm us, if we be followers of that which is good? None can reafonably do it, and he muff be a very bad Man that can find in his heart to do it, when there is no caufe, no temptation or provocation to it ï and the Providence of God, who bath the hearts of men in his bands, and canfway and encline them as he pleafeth, is particularly concerned to preferve good Men from harm and mifchief. And yet we are not to underftand this faying of the Apoftle, as declaring to us the confiant and certain event of things, without any exception to the contrary: For good men to appearance, nay thofe that are really fo, and the very bell. of Men, are fometiines expofed to great injuries and fufferings; of which 1 (hall give you an account in thefe following particulars, I. Some that feem to be good, are not fincerely fo; and when they, by the juft judgment of God, are punith'd for theirHypocrifie, in the opinion ofmany, good- nefs feems to fuffer. Some, under a great profeffton and colour of Religion, have done very bad things, and when they juftly fuffer for great crimes,they call punifh., ment Perfecution, and the Party and Church which they are of, call them Saints and Martyrs. IL Some that arereally good, are very imperfectly fo, have many flaws and de, fells, which do very muda blemifh and obfcure their goodnefs ; they are follow- ers of that which is good, but they have an equal zeal for things which have no goodnefs in them, or fo little that it is not worth all that ítir and buffle which they
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=