' - . (roB) . . Let hi,pocrites only fear fufferings, 'twill' be fad ~in· 1 deed to them ; there's many a felf-dec f. iving Pro– feffor, that nev·er Jufpeeted hin1fdf to be.at~ hypo- · crite, till perfecution made him an ApoHate: that's a woful cafe, to have fufferings come upon him for the Gofpd's faKe, only to t~ll him, That he ~ a th,1qo part in Chrill: nor his Gofpel. L~t hypocritei be -a... . fraid and unquiet, but let Saints be p,atient. ,The fat'ne tnals which will prov·e thenl baftards,' will1 prove youSons. ,• I I 3· Your patient fuffering is the cure of your Cor• ruption. Sufferings a·re our n1edicine for corru p.tion, and patienceour ctare : To what degree of p~tience a ChrH1ian hathattain' d;that degree ofpo,wer hath he gotten over illiquity. .Tillluft .be conquered, there's no patience z If there be' b,ut ·One unmoni– fied corru11c!on remaining, aud an affiitt.ion comes and grates upon that, this wi~I provoke; there's no . bearing it. Whence is impatience~ but from this, for the n1ofi part,that we cannot bear any violence, that's offered to Iufi? what is patience,. but thi~, that we can bear that pain, that lnft when pinched will put us t8 '~ qu~edy to fuffer our pride, our en.. vy, our paffiori, our fenfual appetice;,co be cut thort of what would gratifie thent : and freeti~ to leav~ thenl under that which comles to kill and crucifie thent; ~o be able to want that fuel that feeds, and endure that water that doth quen~h thefe firesithis is Patience. When our pride is ftrip'd of its orna• •nents, our appetites deprived of their delicates, our covetoufnefs of its fubftanc.c, our flefh of its · ca(e; andwe either feel nQ fntart 1 or can bear the · · ftnart , I ' ' '
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