The Institution of Christian Religion

If any adversity happen, he will by and by therein also lift up his mind to God,¹ whose hand availeth much to imprint in us a patience and quiet moderation of hart. If Joseph had still continued in recording the falsehood of his brethren, he could never have taken a brotherly mind toward them. But because he bowed his mind to the Lord, he forgot the injury, and inclined to meekness and clemency, so far forth that of his own accord he comforted his brethren and said: It is not you that sold me into Egypt, but by the will of God I was sent before you to save your lives. You in deed thought evil of me, but the Lord turned it to good. If Job had had respect to the Chaldees, by whom he was troubled, he would forthwith have been kindled to revenge.² But because he did therewithal acknowledge it to be the work of God, he comforted himself with this most excellent saying: The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken away, the Lords name be blessed. So David: when Shimei had railed and cast stones at him, if he had looked upon man, he would have encouraged his soldiers to requite the injury.³ But because he understood that Shimei did it not without the moving of the Lord, he rather appeased them. Let him alone (said he) for the Lord hath commanded him to curse. With the same bridle in an other place doeth he restrain the intemperance of sorrow. I held my peace (saith he) and became as dumb, because thou O Lord,⁴ diddest it. If there be more effectual remedy against wrath and impatience: surely he hath not a little profited which hath learned in this behalf to think upon the Providence of God, that he may alway call back his mind to this point. It is the Lords will, therefore it must be suffered, not only because it is not lawful to strive against it, but also because he willeth nothing but that which is both just and expedient. In fume this is the end, that being wrongfully hurt by men, we leaving their malice (which would do nothing but enforce out sorrow, and wheat our minds to revenge) should remember to climb up unto God, and learn to believe assuredly, that what soever our enemy hath mischievously done against us, was both suffered and sent by ⟨p. 65⟩