3. Christ's submission, * Shall I not drink it ? ' If God put a bitter cup into our hands, we must not refuse it, for here we have Christ's example. The meaning is, this bitter passion which the Father hath laid upon me, shall I not suffer it patiently ?
Doct. That it is the duty of christians patiently to suffer whatever God hath appointed them to suffer.
The note is plain. I shall discuss it in this method —
SERMON UPON JOHN XVIII. 11. 5
1. That in all calamities we should look to God.
2. That it is a great advantage to patience when we can consider him not as an angry judge, but as a gracious father.
3. Tliat it well becometh his people to endure that willingly which he calleth them unto.
I. That in all calamities we should look unto God : Ps. xxxix. 9, ' I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it.' That is the first thing that quieteth the heart, when we see God's hand in all tilings that befall us. So Hezekiah : Isa. xxxviii. 15, 'What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it.' If God hath done it, it is time to cease, and say no more ; for why should we con- tend with the Lord ? We murmur and repine if we look no higher than second causes ; but owning God's hand, we have nothing to reply by way of murmuring or expostulations. So Job, chap. i. 21, ' The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord.' He doth not say, Dominus dedit, diabolus dbstidit — The Lord hath given, and the devil hath taken away ; nor yet, 6 Xa\hato<i a^eiXero, the Chaldean or Sabean hath taken away ; but he owneth God in the providence. Compare the different carriage of David when Nabal slighted him and when Shiraei railed on him. The one you have 1 Sam. xxv. 21, 22, ' Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him; but he hath requited me evil for good. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertaineth to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.' A rash speech, because he only reflected upon the unkindness of Nabal, and meditateth nothing but revenge. The other you have 2 Sam. xvi. 11, ' Let him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him.' David then considered not the instrument, but the supreme author ; he looked not to the stone, but the hand that flung it, to God's providence, who thought good by that means to chastise him. If we mind providence rather than revenge, we must not reflect on the injury done to us, nor the malice of our adversaries, but the will and good pleasure of God. So Joseph: Gen. 1. 20, 'As for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good.' So he calmeth his heart, and fortifieth it against all thoughts of revenge against liis brethren. In short, there are two sorts of evils and afflic- tions, such as come immediately from the hand of God, or such injuries and afflictions wherein men are the instruments. Patience hath to do with both, that we may bear afflictions from God without murmuring, and injuries from men without thought of revenge. Such as come im- mediately from the hand of God are not to be looked upon as chances or casual accidents, but the Lord is to be owned in them, and then we must ' humble ourselves under his mighty hand,' 1 Peter v. 6. In in- juries from men, we must consider they are also governed by God's providence, and sent by God as well as other evils. Some are patient under an affliction from God, but very impatient under injurious deal- ing from men ; as when a shower of rain falleth from heaven, we bear it quietly, but if one throw a basin of water upon us, we storm, and are vexed at heart. But if we did look through the wrongs of men to God, they would not be so irksome to us, be they injuries in civil commerce,
6 SERMON UPON JOHN XVIII. 11.
suoli as oppression, detention of dues, contumelies, reproaches, or per- secution for righteousness' sake ; see God in all, that you may not fret at it.
Two things we must lay down briefly —
1. That notliing falleth out without God's particular providence: Lam. iii. 37, 38, ' Who is he that saith, and it oometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not ? Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good ; ' that is, nothing is done here below but by a divine disposal and providence, nothing but what he by his secret wisdom hath pre-ordained and appointed.