Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
Directing to Three ſpecial Duties to be put in Practice, viz. To Live by Faith; and, To ſet the Spirit of Prayer a working; and, To get a meek and quiet Spirit.
HAving laid down ſeveral Motives, and removed ſome Impediments; for a Cloſe of this Uſe, here are ſeveral Duties, as Helps to ſtay our Selves, and rely upon God, neceſſary to be Practiſed.
The Firſt Duty is, To Live by Faith. 1. Duty, To Live by Faith.There's no Life like to this: All other Lives; (in Compariſon of this) are no better than ſharking, ſhifting Lives.
Epaminonda…, that great Theban-Commander, after a great Overthrow, ask't, Whether his Buckler was ſafe? A great Man of our Nation, in the Time of his Sufferings, ask't, Whether his Honour was ſafe? Now, the Buckler, and Honour of a Chriſtian; is the Life of Faith. Faith is a Shield and a Buckler, a Stay and a Staff in the greateſt Afflictions. When Senſe▪ and Reaſon fails, and Men are even at their Wits ends, then is the Time for Faith to act on Promiſes; then is the Time to live the Life of Faith; and to ſtrive, that Faith and Patience may hold out.
It is ſtoryed of Cynagirus, That whenJustin. he was thrown over Ship-board, then he held by his Hands; and when one Hand was cut off, he held by the other; and when that was likewiſe cut off, he held by his Teeth; and (as the Hiſtorian ſaith) Inſtar rabidae ferae, morſu navem detinuit. Thus a true Believer will not let go his Hold; he will not be beaten from his Strong-hold. The Promiſes are as ſo many Fort-Royals to a Believer; wherefore, he is reſolved to stand▪ his Ground, and lay faſt hold on the Promiſes. Though he be beaten off ſeveral Holds, and deprived of ſeveral Helps, and diſappointed of his Expectations; yet heHeb. 10. 35. is reſolved, not to let go his Confidence in God.
Here then conſiſts the Life of Faith in an Eminent way; when the Oyl fails in the Cruſe, and the Meal in the Barrel, then to depend upon God's All-ſufficiency, and truſt God upon his Word, though Senſe and Reaſon fail. And ſuch a Man, who acts Faith on Promiſes, applyeth himſelf to all good Means; heFides Maxima, & Heroi…a operatur. Lut. in Gen. 29. will not tempt God, by Negligence and Sloathfulneſs; preſuming of Supplies, without the Uſe of lawful Means. But as the Antients held the Plow, and Prayed; ſo a Believer will be diligent in his Calling, ſeek God by Prayer, exerciſe Faith and Patience.
This is the moſt excellent Life in all the World: The Apoſtles experimented it; Gal. 2. 20. The Life which I live in the Fleſh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God. The Life of a Believer, is a Noneſuch, without a Parallel; there is none like to it. Some live by their Lands, ſome by their Trades, ſome by their Wits and Shifts; not one of theſe Lives will hold out, when a Storm comes.
Wherefore, let us labour to live that Life, which will hold out amidſt the greateſt Sufferings, and ſupport us againſt the ſoreſt Burthens, either Imminent or Incumbent upon us. This Grace of Faith is not an Herb that groweth in our Gardens: It is a Plant of our Heavenly Father's Plantation; it's the Gift of God.
There are Three ſorts of Faith; viz. Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. foreign. Fidem ipſam nobis exigit Deus, & non invenit quod exigit, niſi dederit quod inveniat. Auguſt.A General Aſſenting-Faith; A Special Reſting-Faith; and, A Particular Applying-Faith: We muſt joyn all theſe together; for we have need of all. i. e. We muſt truſt God upon his Word, becauſe he hath ſaid it: We muſt Aſſent unto the Truth of his Word. Thus did David truſt God upon his †Pſal. 119. 42. Numb. 23. 19.Word. Whether God threatens Judgments, or promiſeth Mercy, we muſt believe his Word to be True. Balaam himſelf, though a Mercenary-Prophet, gives a true Atteſtation; viz. God is not a Man, that he ſhould Lie; neither the Son of Man, that he ſhould Repent: Hath he ſaid it, and ſhall he not do it? Or, Hath he ſpoken, and ſhall he not make it good?
2. There is a Special Reſting-Faith, which is called a Faith of Adherence, or Recumbence; when we rely, and ſtay our ſelves upon God, and will not part with any one of his Promiſes. The People, when Rabſhakeh Railed, Rested themſelves 2 Chron. 32. 8.on the Words of Hezekiah. All Rabſhakeh's Railing Speeches, could not batter down Jeruſalems Walls, nor drive back Hezekiah, and his People, from Truſting and Relying on God. Thus Job did act ſingularly, and reſolvedly: Job 13. 15. Though he Slay me, yet will I Truſt in Him.
There's a Third ſort of Faith, which is a Particular Applying-Faith. Thus did Thomas acknowledge Chriſt, in particular, in thoſe words; My Lord, and my John 20. 28.God: And St. Paul profeſſeth; Chriſt hath loved me, and given himſelf for me. Gal. 2. 20.A Believer will apply the Promiſes to himſelf by Faith: And though, under ſome Deſertion, he is afraid to apply Chriſt to himſelf; yet he applyeth himſelf to Chriſt, begging his Counſel, and his Wiſdom to direct, and his Conſolations to revive him.
Christ is All in All, to the true Believer: Chriſt is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Whereupon St. Bernard gives a choice Expoſition: We (ſaith he) will Nos ſequemur …e, perte, ad te: quia tues via, veritas, & vita: via in exemplo, veritas in promiſſo, vita in praemio. Bern. Serm. 2. de Aſcen. Domini.follow Thee, by Thee, unto Thee; becauſe Thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life: Thou art the Way in Example, the Truth in Promiſes, the Life in Reward.
A Second Duty is, To ſet the Spirit of Prayer Duty 2. To ſet▪ the Spirit of Prayer a working.a working. To pray by the Spirit, is the Property only of a Gracious Spirit: For the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, are joyn'd together, Zech. 12. 10. That we may know, wherein the Spirit of Prayer conſiſts, we have it ſet forth; Rom. 8. 26. With Groanings, which cannot be uttered. By the Spirit of Adoption, crying Abba, Father, Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15.1 Sam. 1. 15. by Pouring out the Soul, as Hannah did; by Wreſtling, as Jacob did, Gen. 32. 24. And what this Wreſtling was, the Prophet Hoſea *Hoſ. 12. 4.expounds: Yea, he had Power over the Angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made Supplication unto him.
Although God is Omnipotent, and is every way able to help his People; yet he will (as it were) ſuffer himſelf to be commanded by the Prayers of his People; for ſo we read, Iſa. 45. 11. Thus ſaith the Lord, the Holy One of Iſrael, and his Maker; Ask of Me Things to come, concerning my Sons; and concerning the Work of my Hands, command ye me. God promiſeth great Things to his People, even the Sprinkling clean Water upon them, the Giving them a New Heart, the Putting of his Spirit within them, and Cauſing them to walk in his Fear. What high invaluable Promiſes are theſe? Yet though God intend the full Accompliſhment of all theſe Promiſes, he will grant them in his own way; he will be ſought unto by the Prayers and Supplications of his People: Ezek. 36. 37. Thus ſaith the Lord God, I will yet be enquired of by the Houſe of Iſrael, to do it for them. We have many Promiſes of the Churches Deliverance; but the Church muſt Pray. Turn back our Captivity, O Lord, as the Stream in Pſal. 126. 4. Pſal. 14. 7. Pſal. 44. 17. Pſal. 25. 22.the South.—And, O that the Salvation of Iſrael were come out of Zion!—Thou art my King, O God! Command Deliverances for Jacob.—Redeem Iſrael, O Lord, out of all his Troubles.
You read of Manaſſeh's Prayer, whenDulcio…es lacrymae orantium quam gaudia Theatrorum. Aug. in Pſal. 28. he was in the Thornes, of Jonah's Prayer in the Whales- Belly, of the Apoſtles in Priſon: And it's the Churches Practice; Iſa. 26. 16. Lord, in trouble have they viſited thee; they poured out a Prayer, when thy Chaſtening was upon them.
Whatever Loſſes or Calamities befal us, Prayer is that foreign, an Univerſal Medicine, mentioned by Solomon, 2 King. chap. 7. We have a Precept, and an Encouragement; Pſal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the Day of Trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt Glorifie Me.
What could Achitophel do againſt David's Prayers? By them, that great Politician was Counterplotted, and his Counſels were turned into Fooliſhneſs. What could Herod, and the People of the Jews do againſt the Churches Prayers? Though the Keeper ſhut the Priſon Doors, yet the Church opened Heaven Doors; and Peter, the Priſoner, was inlarged by the Angel of the Lord, and given in as a Return of the Prayers of the Church. Mary, Queen of Scots, was afraid of the Prayers of John Knox: She profeſſed, That ſhe feared his Prayers, more than an Army of Forty Thouſand Men.
But ſome diſtreſſed Perſons complain, Object. That they Receive no Anſwer of their Prayers.
The Anſwer to them I ſhall return, is: Anſw.
1. To examine, whether they Pray not for Superfluities, & unlawful Things? whether they pray not for Revenge againſt their Enemies? whether they allow ſome ſecret Iniquity in their Hearts, or ſome Boſome-Sin unrepented of? We read James 1. 3. Ye Ask, and Receive not, becauſe ye Ask amiſs, that you may Conſume it upon your Luſts.
2. Let us labour to mend what is amiſs in our Prayers: It's a Mercy to be denyed, when we ask for Things not accordingDeus qu… dam negat propitius, quae co… cedit iratus. Aug. 1 Joh. 5. 14. to God's Will. We only have a Promiſe of Audience, when we ask according to God's Will. God knoweth what's beſt to give, in Anſwer to our Prayers.
That our Prayers may ſpeed the better, there are required Five SpecialAut Deus dabit quod petimus, aut quod▪ nobis noverit eſſe utilius. Bern▪ Qualifications: As,
Firſt, Humility. Abraham, when heQualif. 1. Humility. had to deal with God, acknowledged himſelf to be but Dust and Aſhes; and ſo did Job abhor himſelf, and Repent in Duſt Cum ſis Humi Limus, cur non es humilimus. Bern. Qui ſibi vilis est, Deo Cha rus est. Id. de inter. Domin.and Aſhes; and Ephraim ſmote upon his Thigh: He that is moſt vile in his own Eyes, is deareſt in God's Eyes. We cannot brook a proud Beggar: We are all Beggars at God's Door, poor Indigent Petitioners. All, whatever we receive, is of Favour, and nothing of Merit. Shall Beggars be puff't up with Pride? Shall proud Duſt ſwell againſt God?
Bernard propounds Christ's HumiliationApage ut intumeſcat vermiculus, quum ſeſe exinaniverit Dominus. Bern. for a curb of Pride. It's (ſaith he) abominable, that a Worm ſhould ſwell, when our Lord made himſelf ſo low.
Upon Deliberate Thoughts, when we reflect upon our own Unworthyneſs, we ſhall with Jacob confeſs; I am not Worthy Gen. 32. 10.of the leaſt of all the Mercies, and of all the Truths, which thou hast ſhewed unto thy Servant.
Let's lye low, and beware of all Inflamations of Pride; when we have to deal with God, we can never be Humble enough; we can never think too Meanly of our Selves, nor too Highly of God. The more Holy, the more Humble: The Humbleſt Chriſtians areforeign. Sedes prima vita ima. the beſt of Chriſtians. Nazianzen gives a Character of Athanaſius, that He was High in his VVorks, and Low in Mind. The Higher Men are, the more Humble towards God.
Now, when we make our Addreſſes to God in Prayer, let's entertain ſerious and high Thoughts of God's Infinite Goodneſs, and low Thoughts of our Selves; and this will prepare us to Pray aright.
A Second Qualification of Prayer isQualif. 2. is Faith. Faith: We muſt Pray believingly, otherwiſe there is no Hopes of ſpeeding. An Unbeliever, ſo remaining, is without Hope: He cannot Pray nor truſt God, neither can any thing that he doth, obtain Acceptance; becauſe Without Faith, Heb. 11. 6. Heb. 14. 23.it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, and Whatever is not of Faith, is Sin.
Mr. Tyndal, that precious Martyr, in a Letter to Mr. Fryth, layes down Four Expreſſions of Faith. 1. To give up your ſelf. 2. To caſt your ſelf. 3. To yield your ſelf. 4. to commit your ſelf wholly, and only to your Loving Father.
It's the Prayer of Faith, which proves Effectual, |Sanitatem aegroti adſcribet orationi fidei, hoc est ex fide ad Deum, profuſae a Presbyteris. Ne vero in Presbyteris vel in precum opere operato haerebit …ger, principalem addit cauſam, Dominus excitabit, &c. Pareus.James 5. 15. The Prayer of Faith ſhall Save the Sick. The Promiſe is made to what's Prayed for in Faith, Mat. 21. 22. And all things whatſoever ye ask in Prayer Believing, ye ſhall Receive.
Let's then believe God to be True and Faithful in all his Promiſes, and that he will not fail of performing what he hath Promiſed. Though our Senſe may be puzled, and our Reaſon non-pluſt; we muſt believe againſt all Reaſoning with Fleſh and Blood, and ſubmit our Reaſonings to the Will of God.
Tertullian ſaith, Faith fears no Hunger. Fides non timet famem. Tertul.And I have Read a Character of a Believer, That he neither fears, Poverty, nor Quem neque pa peries, que Mors, nec vincula ter…nt.Bonds, nor Death. Where's greateſt Difficulty, there's moſt work for Faith, to put forth it ſelf. A true Believer will venture his All upon God's Word. He will ſay, Credo quia incredibile, I belie… becauſe it is Incredible. I'le leave off Diſputing, and learn to Believe. Great and wonderous Effects have been brought to paſs, by the Faithful Prayers of the Children of God.
When the Army of the |Antoninus.Emperour was like to Periſh for want of Water; the Chriſtian Army that was calledEuſeb. Eccleſ. Hiſt. l. 5. c. 5. foreign Prayed, and a plentiful Rain was poured down: When a Young Man at Wittenburge, had Sealed an Indenture to the Devil; upon the Prayers of Luther, and others joyn'd with him, the Indenture was thrown in amongOratio eſt Deo Sacrificium, Diabolo flagellum & animae Solatium. Aug. them through the Window. What will not a Prayer made of Faith (as an Inſtrumental Means under God) effect? Such a Prayer is ſaid to be a Sacrifice to God, a Scourge to the Devil, and a Comfort to the Soul.
A Third Qualification of Prayer isQual. 3. Prayer muſt be Offered in Chriſt's Name. this, that it muſt be Offered in Chriſt's Name, and his alone. No other Object of Faith but Chriſt, nor any other Advocate; no other Mediator, nor Interceſſor,Joh. 16. 26. Joh. 15. 16. but Chriſt alone. Chriſt tells us, we muſt Ask in his Name, and we ſhall have whatſoever we Ask for, given unto us. Chriſt is that Altar, whereupon we muſt Offer all our Sacrifices. He is that great Maſter of Requeſts, who muſt prefer our Petitions to his Father: Beſides his Name there is no Salvation, Acts 4. 12. Beſides his Blood there's no Redemption, Eph. 1. 7. Wherefore Luther tells us, Whatſoever is Prayed, Quicquid oratur, doce…ur & vivitur, Extra Chriſtum eſt Idolatria coram Deo & peccatum. Luth. Tom. 3. Edit. Gen. p. 300. Non ſolum periculum ſed horribile eſt de Deo extra Chriſtum cogitare. Luth. in Pſal. 28.Taught, and Lived without Chriſt, is Idolatry before God and Sin. And he likewiſe ſaith, That it's not only Dangerous, but Horrible to think of God without Chriſt.
Neither Heathens, nor Jews know how to Pray, neither can any Prayer they make, obtain Favour at God's Hand, becauſe they Pray not in the Name of Chriſt. And without Chriſt, God is a Conſuming Fire, an Inexorable Judge; but in Chriſt, a Merciful and Reconciled Father. Chriſt is our Peace, Eph. 2. 14. He hath Trod the Wine-preſs alone, Iſa. 63. 3. Wherefore we muſt prefer all our Prayers in the Name of Chriſt.
As it's reported of the Perſians, that when they had Offended their King, they brought his Son in their Arms, hoping thereby to Reconcile themſelves to the King. So we muſt preſent Chriſt unto the Father, in the Arms of Faith; He is our Reconciler, the beloved Son, in whom the Father is well pleaſed. If Adam, and all his Poſterity had Suffered Pains and Torments, to all Eternity, they could not have merited God's Favour; But Chriſt hath merited by his active, and paſſive Obedience, And ſaves Heb. 7. 25.to the uttermost all thoſe that come unto God, through him, ſeeing he ever Lives to make Interceſſion for them.
Luther hath a notable Expreſſion, I (ſaith he) often, and willingly Inculcate Ego ſaepe & libenter hoc inculco, ut extra Chriſtum oculos, & aures claudatis, & dicatis nullum vis Scire Deum, niſi qui fuit in gremio Mariae & ſuxit ubera ejus. Luth. in Pſal. 30.this; That without Chriſt, you may ſhut your Eyes and Ears, and ſay, that you know no God but him, that was in the Lap of Mary, and Suckt her Breasts.
A Fourth Qualification of Prayer is,Qualif. 4. Prayer muſt be Offered up with Fervency. Quod aſſiduam ſona… inſtantiam▪ Eraſ. that it muſt be with Fervency. Hence the Apoſtle Exhorts, Rom. 12. 12. Continuing inſtant in Prayer: The Word is Emphatical foreign Fortiter perdurantes, there's Strength and Perſeverance expreſt by that original word: We muſt put our whole Strength to the Duty; ſo we are exhorted, Col. 4. 2. And we have Encouragement from the great Succeſs of a Fervent Prayer; James 5. 16. The effectual Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man, availeth much. In which words there are obſervable;
1. The Perſon qualifyed, A Righteous Man, i. e. Such a one who is made Righteous by the Imputation of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs: Such a one hath the Spirit of Adoption, and the Spirit of Prayer; for they both go together, Gal. 4. 6. And as for ſuch who have not Christ's Spirit, they have their dreadful Doom, Rom. 8. 9. They are none of his; and if none of Chriſt's, they are the Devils queſtionleſs.
2. Obſerve the Qualification of Prayer: It's rendered, (Effectual fervent Prayer) in the Original: It is foreign a word of great Weight, and choice Signification. Thoſe that were foreign, were Inſpir'd, and Tranſported in a high manner: they could do great Things. As Saul ſaid of David, we may ſay of Prayer; Thou ſhalt do great Things, and alſo ſhalt prevail. It was ſaid of Luther Quaſi dicas … tuoſam, i. e. arde…tem, & aſſiduam opponi putant perfunctorie. Beza.in Prayer; Tantum potuit, quantum voluit. The Prayer that God Requires and Accepts, muſt be a Rowzing, Fervent, Vigorous Prayer. God requires the Male in the Flock; and there's a Curſe upon the Deceiver, that hath a Male in the Flock, & voweth …ui timide rogat, docet …egare. Deus differt dare, ut tu diſcas or…re. Deus frequenter differt noſtra poſtulata, ut diſcamus grandia granditer deſiderare. Aug.& Sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt Thing, Mal. 1. 14. The Life, Heat, Vigor, and Fervency of the Heart, muſt all be imployed for God: To ask faintly, is the ready way to be denyed. If God delay …s, it is that we may add more Vigour, and Fervour to our Prayers. God would have us Cry louder, and Knock harder, and Seek more diligently, and Wait more Patiently.
3. The Succeſs followeth, foreign, Availeth much. There's a Bleſſed Succeſs. Priſoners have been Prayed out of Priſon; Armies have been Diſcomfited; Plots have been Counterplotted, by Fervent Prayers. O! What great Things have been brought to paſs by Prayer? Yet I cannot approve of thoſe over-bold Expreſſions of ſome, who ſay, That Prayer is an Omnipotent Vertue; and, Prayer is Clavis viſcerum Dei: But theſe may be underſtood, Clave non Errante; and, in a ſound Senſe, admit of a fair Interpretation. We Pray, but the SpiritBombarda Chriſtianorum Luth. teacheth us how to Pray. Prayer is only an Inſtrumental Means, as a Weapon in God's Hand, that Moves and Guides it: So that, the Gift, Grace, and Succeſs of Prayer, all come from God; and to God, we muſt return the Praiſe and Glory of all.
A Fifth and Laſt Qualification of PrayerQualif. 5. of Prayer is Perſeverance. Niſi adſit in orationae perſeverandi conſtantia, nihil o…ando agimus. Ca…v. Iuſtii. l. 3. … 20. Auguſt. Hae. 57. is Perſeverance; ſo we are commanded, 1 Theſ. 5. 17. Pray without Ceaſing. The word is, foreign, without Intermiſſion, or Continually: This is Interpreted by the ſame Apoſtle, Epheſ. 6. 18. foreign, i. e. in every Seaſon, and Col. 1. 3. foreign Alwayes. He (ſaith Auſtin) prayeth continually, who lets no Day paſs without Prayer. Though God Frown, and be Angry, we muſt perſevere in the Duty of Prayer. And it's a good Signe to continue Fervent in the Duty, even when God defers us, and ſeems not to hear us. A Hypocrite will not hold out: He prayes only by Fits and Starts. VVill he delight himſelf in the Almighty? VVill he always call upon God? ſaith Job, c. 27. v. 10.
A Third and Last Duty, as a SpecialDuty 3. To get the Ornament of a meek & quiet Spirit. Help, and Direction, to depend upon God's All-Sufficiency, even in Suffering Times, is, To labour to get the Ornament of a Meek and Quiet Spirit: which (as the Apoſtle Peter ſaith) is in 1. Pet. 3. 4.the Sight of God of great Price. A compoſed quiet Spirit, is put into an excellent capacity to ſubmit unto God, and depend on him, amidſt the greateſt Straights and Difficulties. It's Obſerved, that Glowormes ſhine brighteſt in the darkeſt Nights; I am ſure a meek and quiet Spirit, appears moſt conſpicuouſly in the Night of Afflictions. Some are naturally more Meek than others, and have in ſome meaſure attained unto this Moral Vertue▪ as Socrates, and other Heathens did: But a Chriſtians Meekneſs ſhews it ſelf amidſt Revilings, Buffettings, and variety of Evil Entreaties from ungodly Men. How doth he labour to moderate his Paſſions? and even amidſt bluſtring Storms and Tempeſts, then he endeavours to becalm his Spirit; ſo that though there be Storms without, he would gladly get, and keep Serenity within. For Inſtance, when God Chaſtiſeth with his own Immediate Hand, by Famine, Peſtilence, or other Noxious Diſeaſes; now is a time to exerciſe Meekneſs, and Compoſedneſs of Spirit. When God permits Satan, and his Inſtruments to Perſecute the Saints; then is the time to be Silent, and avoid Murmuring, and Reviling Language, and to prepare, to do and Suffer as becomes Chriſtians, and quietly to wait for God's Salvation. God's Vine Thrives moſt by Bleeding; and Perſecutors ſerve inſtead of Gold-Smiths, to Purify, and Refine God's Children, in the Furnace of Affliction. The Fire purifieth Gold and Silver, but conſumes Stubble. Wicked Men grow worſe and worſe by Afflictions; but Godly Men grow better and better, more weaned from the World, more Heavenly minded, and more Fruitful in every Good Word and Work. It's obſervable that Oyl increaſeth the Flame, whereas Water quencheth it; Fretting and Chafing, is like Oyl to the Flame; Meekneſs is like Water to quench it: A Flint is ſooner broken on a Pillow, than on an Anvile. A ſoft Anſwer (ſaith Solomon) turneth away Wrath. Meekneſs and Calmneſs of Spirit, Works much Good every way; for a Meek Man enjoyeth himſelf, and thoſe Poſſeſſions which God beſtoweth on him, Pſal. 37. 11. But the Meek ſhall Inherit the Earth, and ſhall Delight themſelves in the abundance of Peace.
This Chriſt Promiſeth, Mat. 5. 5. They are Bleſſed Perſons: They ſhall be free from many outward Vexations, whereunto Angry Perſons expoſe themſelves. They ſhall (as Hierome Obſerves) Inherit Haereditabunt terram illam viventium, …a mites & humiles poſſideb terram, hoc eſt vitam aeternam. Hieron. in Pſal. 37.this Earth, and the Life to come. Meek Perſons have Intereſt in thoſe Promiſes, whereof one is, They ſhall Eat and be Satisfied, Pſal. 22. 26. Another is, That God will Guide them in Judgment, Pſal. 25. A Third is, That God will Beautify the Meek with Salvation, Pſal. 149. 4. If then we would profit by Afflictions, we muſt get a meek and quiet Spirit. Affliction Preacheth Meekneſs of Spirit. And ſome have learn't more Meekneſs by a few Weeks Impriſonment, than by hearing Sermons for many Years before. Affliction is one of God's Teaching Ordinances; and when a chaſtiſing Rod, and a teaching Word go together, there's a Mercy in ſuch an Affliction. If we would be followers of Christ, we muſt be Lowly and Meek; for he Propounds himſelf a Pattern for our Imitation, Learn of Me, for I am Meek and Lowly in Heart, and ye ſhall find Rest unto your Souls, Mat. 11. 29. If we would Reap any Profit by the Word, we must Receive it with Meekneſs, 1 Jam. 1. 21. If we would gain a lapſed Brother, we Gal. 6. 1. foreign, aptum reddite & ſanate quod Corruptum eſt, quae ſignificatio bene congruit buic loco. Gr…t.muſt Reſtore him, or ſet him in Joynt, in the Spirit of Meekneſs. Wherefore this will be our Wiſdom and Glory, both to get ſuch a compoſed, and quiet Frame of Spirit, and ſo to behave our ſelves in Sufferings, with that Mildneſs, and Chriſtian Meekneſs, as that the worſt of our Enemies may be conſtrained to Confeſs, that God is in us undoubtedly of a Truth. How many have loſt the Honour, and Comfort of their Sufferings, by mixing their own Paſſions, and Revengeful Speeches? Froward, and Reviling Speeches, detract from the Honour of a Cauſe, be it never ſo Good. Excellent is the Counſel of Cyprian. If (ſaith he)Si filii Dei ſumus pacifici eſſe debemus, corde mites, Sermone Simplices, affectione concordes, unanimitatis nexibus cohaerentes. Cypr. de unitate Eccleſiae. we be the Sons of God, we ought to be peaceable, and mild in Heart, ſingle in our Speeches, agreeing in our Affections, and agreeing in the Bonds of Unanimity.
Thus then if we put theſe Three forementioned Duties, into continual Practice, viz. To Live by Faith, to ſet the Spirit of Prayer a Working, and Poſſeſs our ſelves with a meek and quiet Spirit We ſhall Learn to Truſt, and Depend upon God's All-Sufficiency, amidſt the greateſt Fears, Dangers, Straights, Loſſes, and Difficulties, that are either Imminent or Incumbent upon us.