The Saints Sacrifice, Section 69
§. 69. Of ſudden paſsion whereunto Saints are ſubject.
PSAL. CXVI. XI.
I ſaid in my ſudden feare, All men are lyars.
IIII. *§. 6….SAints are ſubject to ſudden paſſions. So much in another place acknowledgeth the Pſalmiſt of himſelfe, thus, aPſal. 31. ….I ſaid in my haste I am cut off, &c. bforeignThe very ſame word is here and there uſed. It was cNum. 10. 10.a ſudden and diſtempered paſſion that Moſes and Aaron manifeſted at the water of Meribah: and d1 Sam. 25. 22David at Nabals churliſh anſwer: and eIon. 4. 1.Ionah at Gods mercy ſhewed to Nineveh: and fLuk 9. 54.Iames and Iohn at the Samaritans refuſing to receive Chriſt: and gActs 15-39. Sancti cum mente ſint ſpirituales, adhuc tamen iſto corruptibili corpore quod aggravat animam rect… intelliguntur eſſe carnales. Aug cont Iul. Pelag l 6. c. 11. Reprehenſion of unjuſt reprehenders.Paul and Barnabas about receiving Iohn Marke.
The fleſh remaineth in ſuch as have the ſpirit in them. By virtue of the Spirits abode in them they are Saints, true Saints: but by reaſon of the mixture of the fleſh, they are ſubject to ſymptomes, effects and infirmities of the fleſh, among which, ſudden paſſions may well be reckoned. For, paſſions are like to luſty pampered horſes, which if they be not held in with the bridle of reaſon, and curbe of diſcretion, will run with a careere to their owne and riders hazard.
May it not now be thought a moſt unjuſt conſure, to judge all thoſe to be carnall, and unregenerate who ſpeake in haſte, who bewray ſudden paſſions of anger, of griefe, of feare, of joy or of any the like? Saints having beene proved to be ſubject to ſudden paſſion, to cenſure them for men unregenerate, who on a ſudden are in paſſion, what is it but to Iſa. 5. 20.call good evill, and to make light darkneſſe, and ſweet bitter? Surely theſe kinds of cenſures ariſe from ſudden paſſions. If theſe then be infallible ſignes of an unregenerate eſtate, ſuch cenſures are a demonſtration that the authors of them are not regenerate. Yea demonſtrations enough may be made againſt every one that beareth the name of a Saint, that he onelyonly beareth the name of a Saint, but is no Saint. Thus ſhall all be brought into the labyrinth of deſpaire, out of which they cannot know how to winde themſelves. But learne to diſtinguiſh betwixt infirmity and obſtinacy, and notwithſtanding the infirmities that in this world thou art ſubject unto, thou maiſt cheerefully go on in that courſe which will Heb. 12. 23.bring thee to that condition wherein the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect, are.
Admonition to keepe paſſion downe.Yet take heed of nouriſhing and cheriſhing, of boulſtering up, and juſtifying paſſion: but rather do what in thee lyeth to ſuppreſſe and keepe them downe. For though, ſo long as we abide in the tabernacle of this body, and are compaſſed about with fraile fleſh, we cannot cleane cut off Nos affectus & perturbationes, quam diu in tabernaculo corporis huius habi…amu…, & fragili carne circumdamur, moderari & regere poſſumus, amputare non poſſumus. Hier. ad Demetr. de Virg. ſerv.all affections and paſſions, yet we may moderate and rule them: which if we do not, paſſions will ſoone waxe violent, and grow unto exceſſe, if with prudence and diligence they be not kept under. They are like weeds, which grow apace, if they be ſuffered. They are like beaſts and birds, that being naturally wild, if they be not narrowly watched, kept in darke, kept awake, kept from light and ſleepe, and taught to obey, will ever be wild, never tame. Experience of all ages hath verified this adage (whereof *§. 4.before) Paſſions are bad maſters but good ſervants. If they rule over reaſon, they wilbe as Lords of miſrule, outragious, diſturbers of all order. It wilbe in mans little polity, conſiſting of body and ſoule, as it was in Iſrael, when there was no King in Iſrael, Every man did Iudg. 21. 25.that which was right in his owne eyes: whence it came to paſſe that ſome Tribes in Iſrael were little better then Sodom. There is more need of meaues to weaken then to ſtrengthen paſſions, to famiſh then to cheriſh them, to curb them in, then to ſpurre them out, and to hold them backe, then to give them head. Though they be in ſuch as are juſtified and ſanctified, yet may they not by any meanes be juſtified, or countenanced as things lawfull. To juſtifie a ſudden diſtempered paſſion, is, to call evill good, to put darkeneſſe Iſa. 5. 20▪for light, and bitter for ſweet, againſt which a woe is denounced. To countenance them, is to make them violent and irreſiſtible in their rebellion, as Abſ…lom and Adoniah … Sam. 15. 10. 1 King. 1. 5.were. Thus an infirmity is turned into obſtinacy. As therefore men are watchfull over powder in their houſes to keep fire from it, both becauſe it ſoone takes fire, and alſo being once ſet on fire, it is ſuddenly all on flame, and by that means very violent and pernicious: ſo on thoſe very grounds we Paſſiones habent utilitatem ſuam, ſ… per eas conſiderantis pervigil currat intentio. Chryſ. Hom. 2 in Heb 1.have need to be as watchfull over paſſions, and to keep them from all occaſions that may ſtirre them up: for they are ſoone ſtirred, and being ſtirred, waxe vehement and violent. Yet I will not deny but that paſſions may have their uſe and commodity, if there be a very watchfull heed had over them. But for inſtance of their violence, if not well watched, note the next collection.