Secondly, As such can have no skill or understanding, so they cannot have any suitableness of pity and compassion to those that are so afflicted in spirit, 1and needed comfort. She said, Non ignara mali miseris, &c. The experience she had of miseries, made her pity those that were in the like. God would have the Jews be kind to strangers, because they had once been strangers themselves. Thou that hast been in the deep waters of Gods wrath, thou that knowest how insupportable it is, to feel the frowns and wrath of God for sin, with what melting bowels, with what pitiful affections wilt thou be, like the good Samaritan? Hence it is, that as the Lord Christ himself did conflict with the wrath of God, being in unspeakable agonies, so also many of the choicest servants of God, especially Ministers, have been under the harrow and hammer of these desertions, that they may be more polished for Gods building. Luther doth manifest in several places, what the great works of God were that he felt on himself, so that though of a stout and undaunted spirit, yet the anger of God did beat him to powder; and finding no help for his afflicted soul in any Popish Principles, no more then the Dove could place of abode, while the waters did overflow, at last, when it pleased God to comfort him by Evangelical comforts, through a right understanding of Christ and righteousness, what a tree of life did his tongue become to others? How many did he comfort, by those comforts God had comforted him? Calvin also, it's noted of him, that he was a man of deep and retired thoughts within, yet did retain them much in his own breast; and no doubt, by this he was the more prepared to be an excellent Instrument in the Church of God. We see then, he only, that hath the experimentals, either of the bitterness of sin, or the sweetness of the Gospel, is only able, with a tender heart and hand, to cure a wounded soul. And certainly, if the Apostle make this an Argument, Gal. 6. 1. to rejoynt (as it were) one that is overtaken in a fault, because the most spiritual may be tempted, how much rather when thou hast been tempted? So that this experimental way in holy things, worketh much commiseration, and sympathizing with those who groan under the hand of God upon them. When Judas was in that perplexed agony, crying out, I have sinned, in betraying the innocent blood;
Secondly, As such can have no skill or understanding, so they cannot have any sutablenesse of pity and compassion to those that are so afflicted in spirit, 1and needed comfort. She said, Non ignara mali miseris, &c. The experience she had of miseries, made her pity those that were in the like. God would have the Jews be kind to strangers, because they had once been strangers themselves. Thou that hast been in the deep waters of Gods wrath, thou that knowest how insupportable it is, to feel the frowns and wrath of God for sin, with what melting bowels, with what pittifull affections wilt thou be, like the good Samaritan? Hence it is, that as the Lord Christ himself did conflict with the wrath of God, being in unspeakable agonies, so also many of the choicest servants of God, especially Ministers, have been under the harrow and hammer of these desertions, that they may be more polished for Gods building. Luther doth manifest in several places, what the great works of God were that he felt on himself, so that though of a stout and undaunted spirit, yet the anger of God did beat him to powder; and finding no help for his afflicted soul in any Popish Principles, no more then the Dove could place of abode, while the waters did overflow, at last, when it pleased God to comfort him by Evangelical comforts, through a right understanding of Christ and righteousnesse, what a tree of life did his tongue become to others? How many did he comfort, by those comforts God had comforted him? Calvin also, it's noted of him, that he was a man of deep and retired thoughts within, yet did retain them much in his own brest; and no doubt, by this he was the more prepared to be an excellent Instrument in the Church of God. We see then, he only, that hath the experimentals, either of the bitternesse of sinne, or the sweetnesse of the Gospel, is only able, with a tender heart and hand, to cure a wounded soul. And certainly, if the Apostle make this an Argument, Gal. 6. 1. to rejoynt (as it were) one that is overtaken in a fault, because the most spiritual may be tempted, how much rather when thou hast been tempted? So that this experimental way in holy things, worketh much commiseration, and sympathizing with those who groan under the hand of God upon them. When Judas was in that perplexed agony, crying out, I have sinned, in betraying the innocent blood;
- 12. They can have any suitableness of of pity and compassion.2. They can have any sutablenesse of of pity and compassion.
