3. Patience produces spiritual joy and praise: This is the difference between Philosophical Patience and Christian Patience; Philosophical may bear adversity, but Christian hath joy in the bearing of it. It was the ancient custom of the Primitive Christians to have often in their mouths,1 Deo ⟨p. 131⟩gratias, God be thanked for this mercy, and for that mercy: The patient Christian, that looks upon the good issues of suffering, may sit down and sing, Deo gratias, not to Blessings only, but to Afflictions also. Job being stripped of all, cried out, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, Job. 1.21. St. Austin speaking of Job, observes, That, when he had nothing of outward things, yet there were Gemmae laudis Dei, 2the Jewels of the Praise of God found with him. Suffering Saints have so much of the Love of God shed abroad in their hearts, that they have praemium ante praemium, a lesser Heaven before a greater. St. Paul saith, [Greek or Hebrew], I super abound, or overflow in joy in all our Tribulations, 2 Cor. 7.4. The gracious Presence of God did not only cause joy, but the overflowing of it in his heart. St. James saith to the scattered Christians, Count it all joy, when ye fall into divers Temptations, Jam. 1, 2. That is when ye fall into Afflictions for the Gospel: All joy, How can poor afflicted Souls reckon thus? In the Trial, their Graces appear in their pure beauty; Strength is made perfect in Weakness, Consolations abound as much, nay, more than Afflictions; the beams of Divine Love irradiate the heart, and fill it with a sweet ⟨p. 132⟩serenity; Hope enters Heaven, and fixes upon the Crown of Life, and Heaven comes down in a Spirit of Glory upon the heart. Here is joy, all joy indeed; the total sum of it in this life is made up in these things. It was the saying of the Martyr Mr. Philpot, That to dye for Christ is the greatest Promotion, that God can bring any unto in this vale of misery; yea, so great an honour as the greatest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have. It was the Prayer of Mr. Bradford the Martyr God forgive me my unthankfulness for this exceeding great mercy, that among so many thousands, he chooseth me to be one, in whom he will suffer. It was the observation of one of the Ancients, That it was peculiar to Christians to give thanks in adversity:
3. Patience produces spiritual joy and praise: This is the difference between Philosophical Patience and Christian Patience; Philosophical may bear adversity, but Christian hath joy in the bearing of it. It was the ancient custome of the Primitive Christians to have often in their mouths,1 Deo ⟨p. 131⟩gratias, God be thanked for this mercy, and for that mercy: The patient Christian, that looks upon the good issues of suffering, may sit down and sing, Deo gratias, not to Blessings only, but to Afflictions also. Job being stript of all, cried out, The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, Job. 1.21. St. Austin speaking of Job, observes, That, when he had nothing of outward things, yet there were Gemmae laudis Dei, 2the Jewels of the Praise of God found with him. Suffering Saints have so much of the Love of God shed abroad in their hearts, that they have praemium ante praemium, a lesser Heaven before a greater. St. Paul saith, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, I super abound, or overflow in joy in all our Tribulations, 2 Cor. 7.4. The gracious Presence of God did not only cause joy, but the overflowing of it in his heart. St. James saith to the seattered Christians, Count it all joy, when ye fall into divers Temptations, Jam. 1, 2. That is when ye fall into Afflictions for the Gospel: All joy, How can poor afflicted Souls reckon thus? In the Trial, their Graces appear in their pure beauty; Strength is made perfect in Weakness, Consolations abound as much, nay, more than Afflictions; the beams of Divine Love irradiate the heart, and fill it with a sweet ⟨p. 132⟩serenity; Hope enters Heaven, and fixes upon the Crown of Life, and Heaven comes down in a Spirit of Glory upon the heart. Here is joy, all joy indeed; the total sum of it in this life is made up in these things. It was the saying of the Martyr Mr. Philpot, That to dye for Christ is the greatest Promotion, that God can bring any unto in this vale of misery; yea, so great an honour as the greatest Angel in Heaven is not permitted to have. It was the Prayer of Mr. Bradford the Martyr God forgive me my unthankfulness for this erceeding great mercy, that among so many thousands, he chuseth me to be one, in whom he will suffer. It was the observation of one of the Ancients, That it was peculiar to Christians to give thanks in adversity:
- 1Aust. in P. l. 132.
- 2Aust. de Temp. Ser. 105.
