The saints everlasting rest

I remember it is written of good Melanchthon, that, when his child was removed from him, it pierced his heart to remember, how he once sat weeping with the infant on his knee, and how lovingly it wiped the tears from the father's eyes: how then should it pierce thy heart to think how lovingly Christ hath wiped away thine! O how oft hath he found thee sitting weeping, like Hagar, while thou gavest up thy state, thy friends, thy life, yea, thy soul for lost; and he opened to thee a well of consolation, and opened thine eyes also that thou mayst see it? How oft hath he found thee in the posture of Elijah, sitting under the tree forlorn and solitary, and desiring rather to die than to live; and he hath spread thee a table from heaven, and sent thee away refreshed, and encouraged? How oft hath he found thee as the servant of Elijah, crying out, Alas! what shall we do, an h•st doth compass the city? And he hath opened thine eyes to see more for thee than against thee, both in regard of the enemies of thy soul and th• b•dy. How oft hath he found thee in such a passion as J••as, in thy peevish frenzy, weary of thy life; and he hath not answered passion with passion, ⟨p. 347⟩though he might have done well to be angry, but hath mildly reasoned thee out of thy madness, and said, Dost thou well to be angry, or to repine against me? How oft hath he set thee on watching and praying, or repenting and believing, and when he hath returned, hath found thee fast asleep? and yet he hath not taken thee at the worst, but instead of an angry aggravation of thy fault, he hath covered it over with the mantle of love, and prevented thy over-much sorrow with a gentle excuse, The spirit is willing, but the fl•sh is weak. He might have done by thee, as Epaminondas by his soldier, who finding him asleep upon the watch, run him through with his sword, and said, Dead I found thee, and dead I leave thee: but he rather chose to awake thee more gently, that his tenderness might admonish thee, and keep thee watching. How oft hath he been traduced in his cause, or name, and thou hast, like Peter, denied him (at least by thy silence) whi•st he hath stood in sight? Yet all the revenge he hath taken, hath been a heart-melting look, and a silent remembering thee of thy fault by his countenance. How oft hath conscience haled thee before him, as the Pharisees did the adulterous woman;