God's anger

Bellageri placuit, nullos habitura triumphos.

According to our Saviours prediction; A mans foes shall be they of his own household. Intra me ¹est, quod contra me est: that is within me, which is against me. We say, he wants an enemy that fights with himself: and because he fights with himself, he wants no enemy: Sibi pessimus hostis. With external assaults we may grapple, threatened mischiefs we may prevent; from persecutors too potent for us, we may hide us: but who shall keep us from our selves? Nescis temeraria, nescis quem fugias, ideoque fugis: Whithersoever we remove, we carry our sorrows with us. Outward afflictions are a war, turbulent affections a worse war: both against us, but this later is within us. He needs ⟨p. 59⟩no other misery, that is troubled within himself. Ask not the anger of heaven, nor the trouble of earth, nor the dangers of the sea, nor the malice of hell, against him whom the anguish of his own thoughts have beaten down. He will say to all other miserable complainers, you are happy. Outward things may go cross with us, and yet the peace of the soul remain sound: but a wounded spirit who can bear? who can cure? As mans heart is the first that lives, and the last that die s: so it is the first that Satan assaults, and the last that he gives over. Yea, were there never a devil, the heart hath an ill spirit of its own to vex it. As some Boroughs of this Land plead a privilege, that they can hang and draw within themselves: Mans heart is such a corporation; it can execute it self within it self, without any foreign Judge or executioner. If we look no further then among the multitude of our thoughts; might we not make a shift to think our selves to hell? If we had neither hands, nor eyes, nor feet, would not our hearts find the way thither!

According to our Saviours prediction; A mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold. Intra me ¹est, quod contra me est: that is within mee, which is against me. We say, he wants an enemy that fights with himself: and because he fights with himselfe, he wants no enemy: Sibi pessimus hostis. With externall assaults we may grapple, threatned mischiefes we may prevent; from persecutours too potent for us, we may hide us: but who shall keep us from our selves? Nescis temeraria, nescis quem fugias, ideoque fugis: Whithersoever wee remove, we carry our sorrowes with us. Outward afflictions are a warre, turbulent affections a worse warre: both against us, but this later is within us. He needs