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…

First, The efficient cause of patience is God only. The heart of man under any ¹afflictions is like a wild bull in a net, there is nothing but raging and repining under every exercise, till God give a patient spirit. Hence Rom. 15. 5. he is called, The God of patience: For what a wild unruly bedlam is an unsanctified man under any pressure upon him: Like Cain he crieth out, It is greater than he can bear. Like Jobs wife, he is tempted to curse God, and so die. Doest thou therefore under thy trials, want patience? Doth it grieve and sadly afflict thee, to see thy self so passionate, so impassionate? Then let this make thee to run to the throne of grace, improve this title, God is the God of patience: Say, Oh God, it is but speaking the word, it is but saying, Let there be patience, and there will be patience! How often have I resolved for patience? How often prayed for patience, and yet Lord my heart is tormented and tossed up and down, like that Lunatic, which could not be bound by any chains? Not only my tongue, but my heart are worse than unruly and savage beasts they may be tamed; but this, no man, only God can tame it. It's God only therefore that maketh in us patience: The grace of patience is far above our power. Tertullian wrote a Book of Patience, but in the very beginning he apologizeth for himself, why he should write of that subject, which he had so little experimentally and practically attained unto, and he excuseth it thus, That he doth as those who are sick, they delight to be talking and praising of health: So I (saith he) who am Aeger caloribus impatientiae, sick with feverish impatient heats, do delight to write of patience. Thus do thou, seeing it is more then of thy self thou art able to do. The least trial, the least affliction, is ready to heat thee with impatience; pray to God importunately, let him not alone, till he bless thee with this composed patient spirit. Say with the same Tertullian, Pereat seculum dummodo patientiam lucrifaciam, Let the whole world perish, so that God will give me patience.

First, The efficient cause of patience is God only. The heart of man under any ¹afflictions is like a wild bull in a net, there is nothing but raging and repining under every exercise, till God give a patient spirit. Hence