,Íh Ìï M { 176 Ch4Pj4 Of Patience andits contraries. Corn. x. r. 1 o confider before hand what troubles and croffes are incident to a Chrißian life. OurSaviour upon this bath two comparifons, of a builder, anda Kinggoing to War, both whom it behoveth to caft their accounts beforehaisd what Charge they may be at. For the want of forecaft of them that intend to live a G ly,111e, what troubles, what temptations they muff go through, makes them unprepared and unrefolved when the crofs cometh, and fo they gave over. a. The Apoftle (thoughit may be equally applied to other venue) tells us, that whatfoever things were written atoretime, were written for our learning, that we through Patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope:,,that is. in Rom. rs 4 this point of Patience we may fee in Scriptures what theSaints of Godhaveesadisred, andby confidering their afllietions and fufferings, what it colt them, and what they fuffered we may fee what it will coil us and what we Inuit endure, andfo we may be the better armed againft the like; and efpeciaily ,il n uconfiner our Heb. rs, io. Captain, as the Ap.Alle calls hiiu, anti what he fuffered. ReeogitareoLlume, confider him that endured fuch contradicttón of finners agaiuft nimf. f, left .yebe wearied a5.3.and faint in our muids, This is a gond preparativeroPattetaoe, SipafroCbrif#i, faith Saint Gregory ! in memoriam revrcetu -, nihit tam in-Aram geed twit crioanniroo En EpifE, toleretur. 11 we wo old bu: cad i h its pau.on to reutembtauce, there's no- thing fo difficult, but he would wll r,giv et -lure ir, He fuffered fo much in all parts of Soul and Body , the is inlp [h.:to for us to endure the like. 3. MartyresfineHanna e f fe p.,flu:. us ; ` s . ; t. patientiam retineaaaar, wemay be Martyrs without fire, it w u.ur (t s with Patience. And to endure them we than be enabled by Gods mow:: . ,mtlie, in the wordsof the Apoftle; r Cor. to, 13.:God is faithful who will not tuff, r you tohe tempted above that ye arc able, but with the temptation will all() makea way to efeape, hat ye may be able to bear ir. He will not try us above our Patience, but either give us fufticient ftrength to fuffer great affiteions, or leffen our tryals, as our Patience thall decreafe. And the confidetation of this is allo a great motive to continue in this vertue. sl.t Lafily, The Hope of the reward laid up for thofe that fuller in this World, Rom. s, r8. isä Ptinçtpal meansto air us to this duty. Saint Paul faith, I reckonnot the fuffer- iags of this prefer-it time worthy tobe commpared with the Glory whichthall be re- a Cot. 4. 7. waled in us. And he gives the reafon in another place. For our lightallidion, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and weight of Glory. Here is a gradation of fo many Reps, that a man cannot reach to the top of Ti Íd tl it. The Glorygreat, the afilidion light, The Glory exceeding; the aulliûion for a moment, nay:theGlory far more exceeding with an eternal weight added to it. Here is Hyperbole upon Hyperbole, and yet no Hyperbole can fully exprefs it, The Apoftle could not exprcfs it. And we cannot conceive it. So muchof the means. The Cigna of Patience are thefe. SignsOf Pa:. J. TolerantiaCruet's. When aman finds upon examination, that he is able and sience. willing according to the Greekword toirdrn, to abide under theCrois, it is a good fign. When a man is fo affeûcd to , the Crois , that if it pleafe God to take away his fin , ( the caufe of pittìithment ) he is willing to bear the punifh ment. Let me only be affured of forgivenefs and let the Crois lie on ate ßi11. 2. The fecond is, when we canTolerure & amare, bear and love too. When our fufferings turnnotto murmurmingor difobedience, but fo affefteth us, that ( net. withilanding our chaftifement) we can love God with his chaftifement, and for it job. 1. as, fay with gob, Bleffed be the naine of the Lord. When it is Benedilfu4 Qominus in dons fuis, Bleffed be God in his gifts, lobs Wifecan fayGrace as well as he, but when it cometh in ablationibnefuis, bleffed be God, whotakes away, a true note arifeth of difference between tine, and counterfeit Patience. It is in this ast
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=