.Com.t. OfPatience,. and its contraries. Chap be confummate. And Sr. Paul joyns Faith the Foundation, and Patience the ro i,I gether. To you it is given not only to believe , but alfo to fuffer ; and inanother Heb; .z9 place; in fide&patientia, by Faith and Patience we inherit the promife; the firft and Heb.6.rz, laft, the beginning and the ending. So that when we have this Vertue, and the Roof be covered, we may have good chafe to rejoyce, asSt. Paul did, He rejoyced in pa- s Cor.t2.1O. tience, in fuffering infirmities, reproaches, neceffities, perfecutions, diftreffes, for Chrifts fake. And patience working experience , he then had Jjrem folidioremmore Ro°Tf 4, folid hope, and thence grew fo valiant, as to throw downGantlet, and challenge any 8.35* thing that could feparate him from the love of God , and beginneth with the leaft is. first, as tribulations, afceñding to the molt potent, as Death, Angels , Princi- palities, &c. Patience is diftinguifhed according to theobjetf, which is aftliEtion, and that is of two forts : for it is either for punAment, called .n.tu a, or for tryal, called dtwpno,'a; there snuff be patience in both: and the reafon is, for that in every Law there is a directive, and a corrective force, ifone mifs,the otherwill take hold. Aat faciendum quod oporret, are patiendamTeedoportet, either we muff do, or fuller what we fhonld; we muff be either active, orpaffive. I. We fubmit our Pelves to the corrective force in refpect.ofour déferts, know- t Pet.4.rg. ing the Law tobe juft, for two reafons, both which are mentioned bySt. Peter, It is the will ofGod ; ofhis fecret will we cannot enquire the caífe, but when he bath revealed'thereafons, we may be bold to take notice of them for confirmation ofour Faith. a. The firft is, He will haveallthe Worldknow, that fin fhall not beun- punifhed. This isplain.'. The Waters of Meribah colt Mofe., his life, his wavering; becaufe theWaters came not at the firft , was his forfeiture of cntring into the Land ofPromife, Numbers, 2o.12. Many more inftances might be brought, but they are all obfeured by Chrifts punifhment forour fins, which may inform us how highly fin difpleafes God. And although the main punifhtncnt fell on theSon ofGod, and this PaJJìo Chrifli, this fuffering of Chrift was the grcateft fgn of the love of God to us, yet he loves us not fo as to exempt ús from all puni(hment, there muff be a vifitation for his Church. It is a great part of that Leagueand Cove- nant made long fine, that though his, mercy (hall not be withdrawn fromus, yet if we forfake his Law , he will vifit our rrefpaffes with the Rod, &c. this is a fign of his love too, as well as his punifhing the Son for us; therefore we muff(till be fubjeä to his fatherly correction , though his Children and Servants. Judgement muff begin at the Houle ofGod , faith St. Peter. But he will punifh the wicked more grievoufly ; for as our Saviour fpeaks, If this be done in me, that ike313 am a green Tree, what (hall become of the dry ? If I bring evil upon mine own Jer. zf.zg, City, where myNameis called upon, ( faith God) (hall yon gò unpunifhed ? And Helm s,6. it is certain, that the Lord chafteneth , and fcourgeth every Son whom fie receiveh, . and asmanyas he loveth, he rebuketh and chafeneth. St. Augufline faith, Si hocnon tibi maxis maim videtur exharedari, lawn non eafl'igari, hoc elige, If to be difinherited feem not to thee to a greater evil. than not tobechaftifed, chute that. 2. As the firft was a reafon of the declaration of Gods Juftice fo this fecond is for our own benefit. Vexatio datt intellellam, trouble brings underftandin , good for David that he had been afflicted, many Men cannot bewithout it. St. Aug. Pfay z8.tç. g It was faith, that when he followed this World by pleafures with a full ftream, a pain in his Pfal i r t. Breaft, pelïoria dolor, was the'firft means of his recalling. St. Paaáunhorfing andA&.S fmiting blind was his initiation to God. up thy ways withThorns; if thou wilt goout ofthe ay,athe Thorns (halllprick Bof, 9 6. thee, and keep thee in. Nazianzen reporteth of Sr. Bafrl, that being fubjed to in- firmities and ficknefs, he Petitioned God for recovery of his health; and when he had obtained it, he remembred that he had left out a condition that left he fhould grow proud, Godwould by afiftions put him in mind by ficknefs again, whichhe correction as the fame Father reports. Thus in'thefe two refpetts it's neceffary we bear with patience. °+'.os .. The tryal is of two forts, t. There is either, Delatio bons a defer. ring of good, touched before in hope, which ever hath r"ationem mali, a thew of evil. Hope deferred maketh the heart lick ; the bearing of it is called , Prom ;.tz; Y z ttowoapia,
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