An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Without patience our corruptions, and our damnation is furthered by all the tribulations we groan under. So that patience is like the salt to season this Sacrifice, that it may be acceptable. If we struggle and strive against God, complain plain and murmur, because we meet with such hardship, this depriveth us of our glory. We are not to be like the Sacrifice, that did struggle and strive, and therefore must be bound to the Altar; but we are to deny ourselves, to take up the cross (which argueth voluntariness and readiness) and then we must follow him. Holy obedience must accompany this bearing of the cross, Luk. 9. 23. yea it is added, He must take it up daily; implying, that though this cross be put upon thy shoulders every day; though it be from week to week, from year to year, ⟨p. 233⟩thou must not repine, but take it up daily. You must not carry the cross of Christ, as the Philistines heifers did the Ark, lowing as they went for their young ones; where patience is, there is also a quiet, meek and ready resignation of our selves, even as was in Christ, Behold I come to do thy will, O God; which will of God was partly to suffer most dreadful things to flesh and blood. Contranitency then and contrapugnancy to the will of God, bringing tribulations upon us, doth deprive us of all that soul-saving benefit we might have by them. It is true indeed, there is a conditional will in every sufferer for Christ, arising necessarily from nature within us, which desireth to preserve it self; and by this we would deprecate that cup which God is giving us to drink. Even Christ himself in this conditional manner prayed, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me; but then with their absolute will, they do submit and say, Not our will, but the will of God be done. Thus we have a notable expression, John 21. 18. where Christ speaking of the death and martyrdom Peter should suffer for his name, he saith, Another shall gird thee, and carry thee whether thou wouldst not; not that Peter suffered against his will absolutely, not that he repined at it, but rather rejoiced in it, only it was against his conditional will; nature of itself would have desired rather freedom from those torments.

Without patience our corruptions, and our damnation is furthered by all the tribulations we groan under. So that patience is like the salt to season this Sacrifice, that it may be acceptable. If we struggle and strive against God, complain plain and murmur, because we meet with such hardship, this depriveth us of our glory. We are not to be like the Sacrifice, that did struggle and strive, and therefore must be bound to the Altar; but we are to deny ourselves, to take up the crosse (which argueth voluntariness and readiness) and then we must follow him. Holy obedience must accompany this bearing of the crosse,