Patience.] This is a virtue that well becomes a Christian, and a blessed fruit of the tree of life, much to be desired of man: though it may seem troublesome to the flesh to endure crosses and afflictions, yet if all things be considered, it is a virtue of great praise. God himself is magnified of Men and Angels for his patience and forbearancea. It is the admirable ⟨p. 94⟩glory of the Son of God, that in the great work of his Father, about the gathering of the Churches, in the middest of the oppositions of the world and evil Angels, he should not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard, and yet hold out without failing or discouragementb: yea, as the Captain of our salvation, he was made perfect by sufferingc. This is the praise of the Saints, (which they may remember with comfort) that they have endured many and great fights of afflictionsd. The Soldier cannot please his Captain, unless he endure hardness; nor he that striveth for Masteries be crowned, unless he toil in the Combat; nor the Husbandman reap, unless he patiently endure the labour of sowing, and wait till harveste. All that will live godly must sufferf: the holy exercise of Christian Patience is a good sign that men are good hearers of the Word, and that they practise what they hearg. Men are not therefore miserable because they suffer muchh: Christians need not to be ashamed to sufferi: they may be troubled on every side, yet not distressed: they may be perplexed, and yet not despair: they may be persecuted, and yet not forsaken: they may be cast down, and yet not destroyedk. Patience is a virtue full of good fruits: it appeaseth strifel: it helps away the Cross, (it is impatience and stubbornness that makes the Father continue to beat his child) it fits us for perseverance with comfort, as the Coherence shows, The patient abiding of the poor shall not perish for everm: but they shall receive, at the length, a crown of lifen. The worth of this grace appears by the hurt of impatience: for Impatience exalts follyo, deprives a man of the possession of his own soulp, dishonours all a mans gifts and graces, and all the good things he hath before doneq, &c. Let us therefore run with patience the race that is set before us. Thus did Christ endure the Cross, and now wears the Crownr. The things we commonly bear are nothing to that Christ and the Martyrs have borne:
Patience.] This is a vertue that well becomes a Christian, and a blessed fruit of the tree of life, much to be desired of man: though it may seeme troublesome to the flesh to endure crosses and afflictions, yet if all things be considered, it is a vertue of great praise. God himselfe is magnified of Men and Angels for his patience and forbearancea. It is the admirable ⟨p. 94⟩glory of the Sonne of God, that in the great worke of his Father, about the gathering of the Churches, in the middest of the oppositions of the world and euill Angels, hee should not cry, nor lift vp, nor cause his voyce to be heard, and yet hold out without failing or discouragementb: yea, as the Captaine of our saluation, hee was made perfect by sufferingc. This is the praise of the Saints, (which they may remember with comfort) that they haue endured many and great fights of afflictionsd. The Souldier cannot please his Captaine, vnlesse hee endure hardnesse; nor hee that striueth for Masteries be crowned, vnlesse hee toyle in the Combat; nor the Husbandman reape, vnlesse hee patiently endure the labour of sowing, and waite till harueste. All that will liue godly must sufferf: the holy exercise of Christian Patience is a good signe that men are good hearers of the Word, and that they practise what they heareg. Men are not therefore miserable because they suffer muchh: Christians neede not to be ashamed to sufferi: they may bee troubled on euery side, yet not distressed: they may be perplexed, and yet not despaire: they may be persecuted, and yet not forsaken: they may be cast downe, and yet not destroyedk. Patience is a vertue full of good fruites: it appeaseth strife
- aRom. 2.4.
- bIsaiah 42.2.4.Esay 42.2.4.
- cHeb: 2.10.
- dHeb: 10.32.
- e2 Tim: 2.3.5.6.
- f2 Tim: 3.12.
- gLuke 8.15.
- hMatt: 5.10.
- i2 Tim: 1.22.
- k2 Cor: 4.8.9.
- lProu: 15.18. & 25.
- mPsal: 9.
- nJames 1.12.Iames 1.12.
- oPro: 14.17.
- pLuke 22.19.
- qJob 4.6. &c.Iob 4.6. &c.
- rHeb: 12.1.2.3
