A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

5 The examples of the very Heathen may put such impatient Christians to the blush. When that Tarentine was angry with his faulty servant; Sumpsissem inquit supplicium, nisi tibi iratus essem: I had stricken thee, had I not been angry. He had rather Impunitum dimittere, quàm per iram plus justo punire. Xenophon, to one that railed on him, replied; Didicisti tu maledicere, ego maledicta contemnere; thou hast learned to reproach, and I to contemn thy reproaches. When Metellus inveighed against Tacitus in the Senate, he answered; It is easy to find fault with him that is not willing to reply. Potentia tua, non Patientia mea, accusanda est; The blame lies on your malice, not on my patience. When one told Diogenes, Vituperant te multi; many ⟨p. 137⟩[…] ⟨p. 138⟩[…] ⟨p. 137⟩[…] ⟨p. 138⟩[…] ⟨p. 140⟩despise thee; he returns; So wise men must suffer of fools. Lingua illum meliorem esse indicat, quem carpit. The same envious tongue that would speak a man worse, doth indeed confess him better: for the object of entire is goodness. Another being reproved by his friend, because he did not correct his provoking servant answered, Quia alium, quem potius castigarem, inveni: because I have found one I have more reason to correct, that is, my self. Thus for morality they excellently commended this virtue: we have the seal of God put upon it,^g Be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Nothing but the Gospel of peace can give true patience. Theirs was an opinion to stupefy mens senses: Minùs im patienter, non minùs infaeliciter far: but the knowledge of peace in heaven is the soul of patience. Hereby we have a resolution that nothing shall hurt us: for sin is the sting of all troubles; pull out the sting, and deride the malice of the serpent. Sin makes our burden heavy: take away that, all is tolerable. Sin turns the grave into a dark dungeon; which remitted, is a perfumed bed of quiet rest. Sin shows the Devil horrible, God a severe Judge: let the Gospel remove that, God is thy Father, the devil his and thy slave. Therefore the Prophet well annexeth Blessedness to the Remission of sins.