Patience and its perfect work under sudden & sore trialsPatience and its perfect work under sudden & sore tryals

§. For the first, Wisdom, sometimes is taken largely for all Grace and gracious actings, whatsoever: Sometimes strictly for a particular Grace. To find out the difference of which, the measure is to be taken from the scope of the place, where either of these is mentioned. Now wisdom, ⟨p. 140⟩in this place, is to be taken strictly, that is, for that particular Grace, or piece of gracious Wisdom, whereby to know how to be able to manage a mans self under Trials, especially great, sore and sudden ones, Patiently: (which is done when we have taken in, and digested by Faith, such principles as our Christianity affords (plenty of) as grounds, that instruct, and enable the Soul, joyfully to entertain such Trials and Tentations, and to endure and go through them, with a constancy of joy). For look as the word [Grace] is taken, either strictly or largely, that is either for all Grace, and yet again for any or every particular Grace, each of which are called Grace also: As ye abound in every Grace, so ye abound in [this Grace also]. Thus, All Grace is called Wisdom in a large sense, (as usually throughout the Book of Proverbs,) ⟨p. 141⟩But withal, a particular Grace is called Wisdom too, as the third Chapter of this Epistle, ver. 13. shows. The Grace of meekness, shown in speech, and conversation, he stiles it [meekness of Wisdom] or a wise meekness, or a meekness accompanied with, and proceeding out of wisdom. And thus Calvin, and most others, understand ¹wisdom, here, in this my Text, of this special Grace: The scope and coherence with the former words carrying it thereunto. True Patience being from such a Wisdom, as whereby the Soul hath the skill and ability to manage a mans self patiently under Tentations, to such an issue, as that Patience should have a perfect work in us; and unto this, it is here to be restrained: For this Grace, it is, he had been, and still is discoursing of.

§. For the first, Wisdom, sometimes is taken largely for all Grace and gracious actings, whatsoever: Sometimes strictly for a particular Grace. To find out the difference of which, the measure is to be taken from the scope of the place, where either of these is mentioned. Now wisdom, ⟨p. 140⟩