A Christian Directory Volume I Part 75

[331] Stoici dic.u.n.t severos esse sapientes, quod neque ipsi loquantur ad voluptatem, neque ab aliis ad voluptatem dicta admittant. Esse autem et alios severos, qui ad rationem acris vini severi dicantur; quo ad medicamenta, potius quam ad propinationem, utuntur. Laert. in Zenone.

[332] Prov. xix. 10, "Delight is not seemly for a fool."

[333] Siquis est quem flentem mori deceat, riderededecuit viventem; c.u.m instare, semperque supra verticem videret, unde mors flendum sciret. Risum illum haud dubie fletus hic non longo sejunctus spatio sequebatur. Petrarch. dial. 119. li. 2.

[334] See my Sermon at Paul's called "Right Rejoicing." And here before, chap. iii. dir. xiii.

[335] Doth any man doubt that if there were taken out of men's minds, vain opinions, flattering hopes, false valuations, imaginations, &c.

but it would leave the minds of a number of men, poor shrunken things, full of melancholy and indisposition, and uncomfortable to themselves?

Lord Bacon's Essay, of Lies.

[336] Of hatred to men I shall speak anon.

[337] Malunt nescire, quia jam oderunt. Tertul. Apologet. c. 1.

[338] Pene omnis sermo divinus habet aemulos suos: quot genera praeceptorum sunt, tot adversariorum: si largitatem esse in omnibus jubet Dominus, avarus irascitur: si parsimoniam exigit, prodigus execratur: sermones sacros, improbi, hostes suos dic.u.n.t. Salvian. li. 4. ad Eccles.

Cath. Non ego tibi inimicus, sed tu veritati. Hieron. in Gal. v.

[339] Duo maxime contraria sunt consilio. Ira et festinatio. Bias in Laert.

[340] Read Seneca de Ira, and be ashamed to come short of a heathen.

[341] Proprium est magnitudinis verae non sentire se esse permissum.

Qui non irascitur, inconcussus injuria persist.i.t: qui irascitur motus est. Senec. de Ira, lib. 3. c. 5.

[342] Unicuique pertinacius contendenti justam habere causam permitte, tacendoque contumaci cede: sic uterque quieti et imperturbati permanebitis. Thauler. flor. pag. 84.

[343] 2 Cor. v. 19, 20; Luke xiv. 17; Matt. xxii. 8.

[344] Omnia Christe tui superant tormenta ferendo. Tollere quae nequeunt, haec tollerare queunt. His vita caruisse frui est: posuisse potiri. Et supera.s.se pati est: et superesse mori. Ad tribunal aeternum judicis provocatio salvet est: solet is perperam judicata rescindere.

Petrarch. dial. 66. lib. 2.

[345] Job xiii. 25; Psal. i. 5, 6; lxviii. 2; lxxiii. 20; Job xx. 8.

Victor Uticens. saith of Augustine, that he died of fear. Nunc illud eloquentiae, quod ubertim per omnes campos ecclesiae decurrebat, ipso metu siccatum est flamen: when Gensericus besieged Hippo.

[346] Valentinia.n.u.s jussus ab Imperatore Juliano immolare idolis, aut militia excedere, sponte discessit. nec mora qui pro nomine Christi amiserat tribunatum, in loc.u.m persecutoris sui accepit imperium. Paul.

Diaconus, l. 1. p. 1.

[347] When Socrates' wife, lamenting him, said, Injuste morieris: he answered, An tu juste malles? Laert. in Socrat.

[348] The seven brethren that suffered in Africa under Hunnericus, Incedebant c.u.m fiducia ad supplicium quasi ad epulas, decantantes, Gloria Deo in excelsis, &c. Votiva n.o.bis haec est dies, et omni solennitate festivior. Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, ecce nunc dies est salutis, quando pro fide nunc domini dei nostri perferimus praeparatum supplicium, ne amittamus acquisitae fidei intumentum. Sed et populi publica voce clamabant: Ne timeatis populi Dei, neque formidetis minas atque terrores praesentium tribulationum, sed moriamur pro Christo, ut ipse mortuus est, redimens nos pretioso sanguine salutari. Victor. Uticens. p. 368. In Paulo quinque gloriationes observavi. Gloriatur in imbecillitate, in cruce Christi, in bona conscientia; in afflictionibus, in spe vitae aeternae. Bucholtzer.

[349] Idololatria tam altas in mundo egit radices, ut non possit extirpari: ideo optimum est confiteri et pati. Bucholtzer. Victor.

Uticensis saith, that Gensericus commanded that when Masculinus came to die, if he were fearful, they should execute him, that he might die with shame, but if he were constant, they should forbear, lest he should have the honour of a glorious martyrdom. And so his boldness saved his life. Et si martyrem invidus hostis noluit facere confessorem, tamen non potuit violare.

[350] Anacharsis (in Laertio) percontanti quaedam esset securissima navis: ea inquit, quae in portum venerit: in heaven we shall be quiet from all these tumults.

[351] Ingenii philosophici est ex inimicorum odio decerpere aliquid quod vertat in suum bonum. Paul. Scalig. p. 728.

[352] Extinctus amabiter idem.

[353] Heb. x. 31, 26, 27, 29; xii. 29.

[354] Qui propter timorem reticet veritatem, veritatis proditor est.

Hincmar. Rhemens. Dialog. de Statu. Eccl.

[355] See Isa. vii. 4; x.x.xv. 4; xli. 10, 13; xlii. 2, 8; liv. 4; Jer.

v. 22.

[356] Plus dicam: tanto est melius juste etiam d.a.m.nari quam in juste absolvi, quanto est pejus impunitum crimen quam punitum: in hoc enim celeri juncta just.i.tia est: malo magno bonum ingens: in illo autem scelus el impunitas, quae nescio, an scelere ipso pejor fit. Plutarch.

dial. 66. li. 2.

[357] See after, part iii. c. 29. t.i.t. 3. and c. 30.

[358] Even sorrow that profiteth not, may testify a just affection. It is said by Laertius, that when Solon was reproved for mourning for his son, with a Nihil proficis; he answered, At propter hoc ipsum illachrymor, quia nihil proficio.

[359] That very old book of Hermes, called "Pastor," notably showeth how much grief and heaviness is an enemy to christianity and the Spirit of G.o.d.

[360] Pittaci sententia fuit, prudentiam virorum esse prius-quam adversa contingant, providere ne veniant: fortium vero, c.u.m illa contigerint, aequo animo ferre. Laert. in Pittac.

[361] Acts viii. 8.

[362] Libenter feras quod necesse est: dolor patientia vincitur.

Martin. Dumiens. de Morib. Trist.i.tiam sin potes, ne admiseris: sin minus: ne ostenderis. Id. ib.

[363] See Mr. Fenner's book of Wilful Impenitency.

[364] Even Anaxagoras, a philosopher, could say to one that asked him, Nullane tibi patriae cura est? Mihi quidem patriae cura est, et quidem summa: digitum in clum intendens. Laert. p. 85.

[365] See more of the cure of doubting, ch. 25. part ii.

[366] John iii. 3, 5; Heb. xii. 14; Matt. xviii. 3; Luke xiii. 3; Rom.

viii. 7, 9, 13; 2 Cor. v. 17; Gal. v. 24.

[367] Judas perished not merely by despair; but he had no such repentance as renewed his soul, nor any love to G.o.d and holiness.

[368] John i. 11, 12; iii. 16, 18; Rev. xxii. 17; 1 John v. 11, 12; John v. 40; Luke xix. 27.

[369] Though the troubles of some call for a larger discourse of this sin, yet having written a Treatise of it, I must not here be tedious in reciting what is there said already.

[370] It seemeth to be Isaac's repentance which Esau found no place for. But if it be spoken of the unacceptableness of his own repentance, when it was too late, it signifieth not that any man's is too late in this life as to salvation.

[371] De qua vide Tract. Rob. Baronii of Mortal and Venial Sin.

[372] Luke vii. 47.

[373] John v. 40.