disquiets thee Doubtless thou art Soul-sick thy Spirit is wounded within thee and what can thus affect thy Soul but sin Or what can this Affection of thy Soul be for Sin but true Penitence 7. THOU repliedst I am indeed sorrowful for Sin but not upon the right Grounds I grieve for the misery that Sin hath brought upon me not for the evil of Sin but for the Punishment not the Offence for my Peril not for the displeasure of my God Beware lest an undue Humility cause thee falsely to accuse the Graces of God's Spirit Thou art no competent Judge whilst thou art under Temptations Had not thy Sorrow a relation to God why wouldst thou Sigh to Heaven Why would thy Heart challenge thee for unkindness in Offending And to cry out of the Sordidness not of the Peril of thy Sin What renders the act of thy Sin to be sinful but the offence against the Divine Majesty How canst thou be sorry that thou hast Sinned and not be sorry that thou hast Offended Tell me What is it thy Conscience primarily suggests to thee in this impression of thy Sorrow Is it thou shalt be Punish'd or that thou hast Sinned And were it put to thy Choice Whether thou hadst rather enjoy the Favour of God with extremity of Pain or continue in his Displeasure with Ease Or if Liberty were tendred to thee that thou mightst freely sin without danger of Punishment Whether doth not thy Heart rise at the Condition as ready to flie in the Face of the Offerer Besides Fear and Horror dost thou not find an internal Indignation at thy Miscarriage and such a detestation of thy Sin that were it to be reiterated if it were possible to be concealed from God and Men and if there were no Hell to avenge it woulst thou not abhor to commit it All these are strong Convictions of the right grounds of thy Repentance and of the injury which thou dost thy Soul in the unjust Scruples which thou raisest against it 8. IF the grounds thou say'st of my Repentance be regular yet the measure is Insufficient I am sorrowful for Sin but not enough An effectual grief for sin should be serious deep hearty intensive mine is slight and superficial I Sigh but my Sighs proceed not from an humble Heart I can sometimes Weep but cannot pour out my self in Tears I mourn but don't continue my Sorrow To this I Answer Thou hast to do with a God which in all the dispositions of thy Soul regards Validity and not Quantity If he find thy Remorse he exacts not the solid Measure He doth not meet up our Repentance by Inches or Hours but where he finds sincerity of Penitence is Indulgent Look upon David and acknowledge his Sin formidably detestable no less than Adultery Inebriation and Murder Yet no sooner did he in a true Compunction of Heart cry out I have sinned against the Lord then he hears from that Mouth which accused him The Lord also hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not die 2 Sam. 12 13. Here is a penitent Confession which was efficacious in the Expiation of those grievous Crimes Thou art deceived if thou imaginest God delights in the Affliction of his Creatures So far only is the grief of his Servants pleasing to him that it may conduce to the health of their Souls in the sensibleness of their Sin and meet capacity of Mercy 9. I do not with some Casuists flatter thee with an Opinion of the sufficiency of any slight Attrition and empty wishes that thou hast not Sinned doubtâ—ess a true Contrition of Spirit and Compunction of Heart are necessarily required to a saving Repentance And these wert thou but an indifferent Censurer of thine own ways thou would'd find within thy self Why is thy Countenance so dejected thy Cheeks pale and watered so oft with Tears thy want of Rest and loss of Appetite Wherefore dost thou pour out those doleful Complaints and vehement Deprecations But after all this art thou such as thou accusest thy self defective in thy Repentance Dost thou rest contented in this condition and not complain of it as the greatest Misery Art thou not heartily sorry that thou canst be no more grieved for thy Sin Comfort thy self even this is an acceptable Repentance and God accepts it What is Repentance but a change from Evil to Good And how sensible is this Change that thou who formerly delightedst in thy Sin now detests it and thy self for it and art yet ambitious of more Grief for being transported into it Let not thy Souls Enemy who desires nothing more than to make thee perfectly Miserable so allure thee as to render thee unsatisfied with the Measure of that Penitency which is accepted of God Rather turn thine Eyes from thy Sins and look to Heaven and fix 'em upon thine All-sufficient Mediator and behold his Face smiling upon thy humbled Soul and perfectly reconciling thee to his Eternal Father as being fully assured That being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. 10. THERE thou say'st is the very root of my Complaint I want that Faith that should give me an interest in my Saviour and afford true Comfort to my Soul and Boldness and Access with Confidence to the Throne of Grace Ephes. 3.12 I can be sorry but cannot believe my Grief is not so great as my Infidelity I see others full of Joy and Peace in believing Rom. 15.13 But my stubborn Heart cannot soar up to a conformable apprehension of my Saviour So as indeed I dwell in obdurate Darkness and a sad ponderosity of Incredulity wanting that Assurance which others profess to find in themselves Take heed lest whilst thou art too querulous thou prove unthankful and whilst thy Humbleness disparages thee thou make God a Loser A Man may have a rich Mine in his Ground which he knows not of and there are Shells furnish'd with Pearls whose Worth many are not sensible of This is thy State Thou hast that Grace thou complainest to want and there is no measuring of thy self by Sense especially in the time of Temptation Thou coulst not so sensibly lament the want of Faith if thou hadst it not Thou canst not deny an Assent to the verity of all God's Promises Thou acknowledgst he could not be what he is if he were not even Verity it self Thou canst not doubt but he hath made those promises of Grace and Mercy to all Penitent Sinners which tend to their Salvation and thou canst not but grant thou art sinful enough to need Mercy and sorrowful enough to desire and Embrace it 11. CANST thou but love thy self so well that when thou seest a Pardon held forth to stretch forth thy Hand and take it This Hand is thy Faith which takes hold of thy Redeemer As for that Assurance thou mentions they
a Spiritual Necessity For he had before in the same Heavenly Anthem professed O God thou knowest my Foolishness and my Guiltiness is not hid from thee Psal. 69.5 It was an old Observation of Wise Solomon There is that maketh himself Rich and hath nothing there is that maketh himself Poor yet hath great Riches Prov. 13.7 In this latter Rank are many Pious Souls and thine I hope for one who certainly had never been so Rich in Grace if they had been conceited of greater Store Even in this Sense many a Saint may say with St. Paul When I am weak then I am strong since the Complaint of Weakness argues Strength And on the contrary an Opinion of sufficient Grace is an Evident Conviction of meer Emptiness 3. BUT suppose thy self so poor as thou pretendest it is not so much what we have as how we improve it How many have we known that have grown Rich out of a little and others out of a great Stock have run to Beggary Had that Servant in the Gospel with One Talent imploy'd it to the Gain of a Second he had been proportionably as well rewarded as he that with Five gain'd Ten. In our Temporal Estate we are warned by the Wisest Man to Take heed of making haste to be Rich Prov. 28.20 And the Apostle tells us That he that would be Rich falls into many Temptations 1 Tim. 6.9 Surely there is no small danger also in affecting to be too suddenly Rich in the Endowments of the Soul This cannot but be accompanied with the Temptation of an unthankful distrust For he that believes makes not haste and we cannot be sufficiently thankful for what we have whil'st we do over eagerly reach after what we have not 4. TELL me thou Querulous Soul dost thou not acknowledge what thou receivest to be God â—s Gift And wilt thou not allow the Benefactor of Heav'n to Dispense his Favours as he pleaseth If he think fit to fill thy Vessel with drops of Grace art thou discontented because he pours not out his Spirit in full Vials If thou enjoys any it is his bounty and more than thou canst repay him Take what thou hast as an Earnest of more and wait thankfully upon his Bounty for the rest Is it not convenient in a free Gift to attend the leisure of the Donor What sturdy Beggars are we not to stay at the Door till we be served and grudge at our Alms when it comes Look upon Abraham thou shalt find him fourscore and six Years Childless and after he had got Ishmael he waited fourteen Years for the Promised Seed and when he had enjoy'd him not longer than he expected him he must Sacrifice him to the Giver Thus must our Faith be exercised for Time and Measure of Mercy 5. THY Graces are weak yet discomfort not thy self How many frail Bodies have we known which with careful Tendance have been Healthier than those of grosser Constitutions Neither is it otherwise in the Soul Soundness of heart is Health Increas'd Degrees of Grace make up the Strength of that Spiritual Part If thou have this Health tenderly observed thou may'st be happy in thy Maker although more happy in a Comfortable Sense of a stronger Fruition We have to do with a God that minds not Quantity as Truth of Repentance He knows we have nothing but what he gives us and enables us to improve And where he sees our Wills and Endeavours not wanting he is ready to accept and crown his own Gifts in us He will not break the Bruised Reed nor quench the Smoaking Flax Matth. 12.20 6. THOU art weak in Grace Be not dismay'd there are all Ages all Statures in Christ. Shall the Child repine that he is not grown a Man Shall the Dwarf quarrel that he is not a Giant Were there a Standard of Graces less than is required and would not be accepted thou hadst reason to be troubled But it is so far from that as that our Saviour hath encharged Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 19.14 In some Legal Oblations it pleased God to regard Time and Age The Lamb for the Passover and for the Peace-Offering Lev. 3.7 The Bullock for the Sin-Offering of Israel Lev. 4.14 have their Date assign'd And in diverse Cases he hath called for Two Turtle Doves or two Young Pigeons Lev. 1.14 Lev. 5.7 11. Lev. 12.8 Lev. 15.14 Young Turtles and Old Doves according to our Jewish Doctors were unlawful to be offered But in Spiritual Sacrifices he that is Eternal regards not Time nor Statures For the Eleventh Hour carried the Peny as well as the First And let the weak say I am strong Joel 3.10 7. IT perplexes thee thou hast made so slow a Progress in Graces Thy desire is Heav'n-ward and thou checkest thy self for want to Celerity It is an happy Ambition that wings thee to Blessedness Quicken thy self with Gracious Incitations but observe we must not go a full Career For that Passage admits not of haste How many have we known by much forwardness have been rejected in their Journey whether by mistaking their Way or misplacing their Steps But I am glad it is the desire of thy Soul to Run the way of God's Commandments Psal 119.32 and do encourage thy Zeal in pursuing that Holy Race ever praying thou may'st so run as that thou may'st obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 But withal I tell thee that Blessed is the Man that doth but walk in the Law of the Lord Psal. 119.1 Whil'st thou passest on though but a Foot-pace thou art every step nearer to Glory And if thou gain'st ground thou art secure Blessed is the Man whose Strength is in Thee O God in whose heart are thy Ways who passing through the Vale of Misery goes on from Strength to Strength till he appear before Thee his God in Zion Psal. 84.5 6 7. 8. THY Grace is diminutive but thou labourest for more This is a good Beginning of Heavenly Treasure For he is in a way to Riches that desires to thrive and never any Holy Soul lost her Longing If thy Wishes be hearty thou hast thy desire or shalt be assur'd of it If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth no Man and it shall be given him Jam. 1.5 Were this Condition offer'd for Temporal Riches who would be Poor And if we embrace it not in Spirituals we distrust the Promises or neglect Mercies In Temporal things how many have so eagerly Chased the World that they have over-run it and whil'st they greedily swallowed Gain have been choak'd But in better Blessings earnestness of Desire and fervour of Prosecution was always answered with a Gracious Impetration 9. THOU art poor in Spirit but in an humble Dejection long'st for more Know that an humble Poverty is better than a proud Fulness Wert thou Poor and Proud there were no hope of thy Proficiency Thy false
are happy that can feel and maintain it and it must be our holy Ambition to be diligent in the Aspiraration But such a height of Perfection every Traveller in this wretched Pilgrimage cannot whilst he is in this perplexed and heavy Road hope to attain to It is an unsafe and dangerous Path which those Men have walked in who have used to define all Faith by Assurance Should I conduct thee that way it might be prejudicial So sure a Certainty of our constant and reflected apprehension of Eternal Life is both hard to acquire and not easie to hold unmovably considering the many strong Temptations that we are subject to in this Vale of Misery and Death Should Faith be reduced to this Trial it would be more rare than our Saviour hath foretold it For as many boasts of such an Assurance who is yet failing of a true Faith embracing a vain Presumption instead of it So many also hath true Faith in the Lord Jesus who yet complains to want that Assurance Canst thou in a sense of thine own Misery close with thy Saviour Canst thou throw thy self into the Arms of his Mercy Canst thou trust him with thy Soul and relie upon him for Forgiveness and Salvation Canst thou prostrate thy self before him as a miserable Object of his Grace and Mercy And when it is offered thee canst lay some tho weak hold upon it Labour for further degrees of Strength daily Set not up thy Rest in this pitch of Grace but cheer up thy self and thus much Faith shall save thy Soul Thou believest and he hath said it that is Verity it self He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life Joh. 3.36 12. I know thou averrest that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and that Whoever believeth on him shall not Perish but have eternal Life Joh. 3.15 Neither can I deny but in a sense of my sinful Condition I cast my self in some measure upon my Saviour and lay hold upon his All-sufficient Redemption But Alas My apprehensions of him are so weak that they can afford no Comfort to my Soul Were it not that thou expectest to be Justified and saved by the power and act of thy Faith thou hast reason to be disheartened with the imbecility of it But now that the Vertue and Efficacy of this happy Operation is in the Object apprehended by thee which is the infinite Merits and Mercy of thy Saviour that cannot be abated by thine Infirmities thou hast reason cheerfully to expect thy Salvation Understand thy case aright Here 's a double Hand that helps thee towards Heaven thy hand of Faith lays hold on thy Saviour Thy Saviour's hand of Mercy and plentious Redemption lays on thee thy hold of him is feeble and easily loosed his hold of thee is strong and irresistable Comfort thy self therefore with the blessed Apostle when thou art Weak then thou art Strong when weak in thy self then strong in thy Redeemer Shouldst thou boast and say Tush I shall never be moved I should suspect the Verity and Safety of thy Condition Now thou deplorest thy Weakness I cannot but Congratulate the happy Estate of thy Soul If a greater Work were expedient strength of Hand were necessary But now only receiving of a precious Gift is required why may not a weak Hand perform that as well as a strong tho not so forcibly Be not dejected with Impotency but comfort thy self in the Mercies of thy Redeemer 13. THOU expressest Sometimes I find my heart at ease in a comfortable Reliance on my Saviour and being well resolv'd of the safety of my State promise good days to my self and after the banishment of my former Fears dare bid defiance to Temptations But Alas how soon is this serenity over How suddenly is this clear Skie clouded spread over with obscurity and I return to my former Despondency Did'st thou conceive that Grace would put thee into a constant and perpetual invariable Condition of Soul whil'st thou art on this side Heav'n Didst thou ever hear or read of any of God's Saints upon Earth that were unchangeable in their holy Dispositions whil'st they continued in this Region of Mutability Behold the Man after God's own heart thou shalt find him sometimes so couragious as if the Spirits of all his Worthies were met in his own Bosom how resolutely doth he blow off all dangers trample on his Enemies and triumph over all cross Events Another while thou shalt find him so dejected and transform'd from what he was When chearful The Lord is my Shepherd I shall lack nothing Psal 23.1 In Affliction Why art thou so sad my Soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Psal. 42.14 In Fortitude I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about Psal. 3.6 In Trouble Hide me under the shadow of thy Wings from the Wicked that oppress me from my deadly Enemies who compass me about Psal. 17.84 In his Integrity Thy Loving Kindness is before mine Eyes and I have walked in thy Truth Psal. 26.3 In contrary Events Lord where are thy loving Kindnesses Psal. 89.49 And dost thou not hear him in one Breath professing his Confidence and lamenting his Dissertion Lord by thy Favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled Psal. 30.7 Look upon St. Paul Sometimes thou shalt see him erecting Trophies of Victoâ—y to his God In all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 On the contrary thou shalt find him lamenting his own sinful Condition Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Rom. 7.24 In a holy Rapture thou shalt find him caught up into the Third Heaven and by Permission of the Almighty buffetted by the Messengers of Satan and uttering Complaints to God of the Violence of that Assault Here the Spouse of Christ bemoaning her self I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone My Soul failed when he spoke I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he made me no answer Cant. 5.6 Thus is it with thee whil'st thou art in this Carnality The Temper of thy Soul will be subject to Vicissitudes Should'st thou continue always in the same State I should suspect thee This difference betwixt Nature and Gâ—ace the One is still uniform the Other varies â—â—cording to the pleasure of the Giver The Spirit â—eaths when and where it listeth Joh. 3.8 When therefore thou find'st the gracious Inspirations of the Holy Ghost within thee be thankful to the Infinite Munificence of that Blessed Spirit And still pray Arise O North and come thou South Wind that the Spices thereof may flow out Cant. 4.16 But when thou finds thy Soul becalm'd and not a Leaf stirring in its Garden be not too much dejected with an ungrounded Opinion of being destituted of thy God neither repine at
of Pleasure I have gladly withdrawn my self from that Imperious Mistress 13. WHAT an unreasonable Vassalage our Youthful Lusts subject us to we need no other Instance than in Sampson who was effeminated by his impotent Passion and weakned to betray his Life to a mercinary Harlot and to endure to hear her say Tell me wherewith thou mayst be Bound to do thee hurt Judg. 16.6 How easily might he have answered her O Delilah even with these Cords of Brutish Sensuality How was Solomon Besotted with his Strange Wives and drawn away to Worship strange Gods 1 King 11.5 14. AND how may Fir-trees howl when Cedars fall Who can hope to be free from being transported with irregular Affections when we see such great precedents of Frailties From the danger of these sad Miscarriages our Age happily secures us disposing us into quiet Harbour whence we may see Youth toss'd with Tempests of unruly Passions from which Seniority hath free'd us 15. ANNEX Experimental Knowledge which Age enriches us every Dram is worth Pounds of Junior Contentments In comparison the Speculative Knowledge is weak and imperfect This may come at an easie rate perhaps cost us nothing That commonly we pay dear for and is esteem'd valuable If Experience be the Mistress of Fools I 'm sure 't is the Mother of Wisdom For the long Observation of variety of Actions and Events in the whole course of our Life must needs leave such sure Rules of Judgment as may be unfailable Directions for our selves and others 16. IN vain shall this be expected from our Minority which the Wise Philosopher excludes from being Judges of true Morality And well might the Old Man say Ye Young Men think us Old Men Fools but we Old Men know you Young Men to be Fools And indeed what value Ignorance may put upon it this Fruit of Age the Earth hath nothing equally so precious It was Prophane but fit for the Mouth of an Heathen Poet That Prudence is above Destiny But surely a Christian may justly say That next to Providence Humane Prudence may challenge the supream Place in Earthly Affairs and Age claim the greatest Interest in that vertue 17. YOUNG Elihu could say Job 32.7 Multitude of years should teach Wisdom And the Wise Man Ecclus. 25.4 5. Oh how comely a thing is Judgment for Gray-Hairs and for Ancient Men to know Counsel Oh how comely is the Wisdom of Old Men and Understanding and Counsel to Men of Honor. And the Grecians could say That young Men are for Action and old Men for Advice And among the Romans Senators take their Name from Age. That which causeth weakness of Aged Eyes is they better discern things further off and by the strength of their Mental Eyes they perceive Judgments or Advantages at a distance and accordingly frame their Determinations 18. IT is observ'd that Old Lutes sound better than New It was Rehoboam's Folly and Undoing 1 King 12.6 7 8 9 10 c. to follow the Advice of Green Heads and abandon those Grave Senators of his Fathers Counsel Not that Age of it self is Rich in Wisdom and Knowledge But well cultur'd and improv'd is valuable There are Old Men that live and have a Being upon Earth who can give no Proof of their many Years but only Gray-Hairs and Infirmities There are those who like to Hermogenes are Old whilst Young and Children when Old These the Elder they grow are more stupid 19. TIME is an ill Measure of Age which should rather be meted by Proficiency Ripeness of Judgment and Monuments of commendable and useful Labours If we have thus imployed our selves our Autumn will shew what our Spring was and our Gray-Hairs will give us more Cause to fear Pride than Dejection We accuse Age of many Weaknesses and Indispositions But these Imputations are not Universal Many of these are Faults of the Person not of the Age. All Wine doth not sowr with Age neither doth every Nature 20. OLD Oyl is clearer and hotter in Medicinal Uses than New Some are pettish and morose in Youth and others are mild gentle and sociable in their decayed Years Some are crazy in their Prime and others in their Wain are Vigorous And many before the fulness of their Age have lost their Memory as Hermogenes Corvinus Antonius Carracalla Georgius Trapezuntius and Nizolius 21. SOME whose intellectuals have so happily held out that they have been best at the last Plato at fourscore and one died with his Pen in his hand and Demosthenes when Death Summon'd him at an 100 Years he bemoan'd himself that he must now die when he began to gain knowledge And as for Spiritual Graces and Improvements the Psalmist satisfies us Psal. 92.12 13. Such as be planted in the House of the Lord shall flowrish in the Courts of our God They shall also bring forth more fruit in their Age and shall be fat and well liking 22. BUT the chief Benefit of Age is our approach to our Journeys end For the end of motion is rest and once attain'd their remains nothing but fruition Now Age brings us after a weary Race within some breathings of our Journeys end For if Young Men may die Old Men must a condition which a carnal heart bewails and abhors complaining of nature as Niggardly in Dispensations of the shortest time to her noblest Creatures and envying the Oaks which many generations must leave standing and growing 23. NO marvel the Worlding thinks himself at home and looks upon Death as a banishment He hath placed his heav'n here below and can see nothing in his remove but Annihilation or Torment But for Christians who know that whilst we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 and do justly account our selves Foreigners our Life a Pilgrimage Heaven our Home how can we but rejoice that after a tedious and painful Travel we do now draw near the threshold of our Father's house wherein we know there are many Mansions and all Glorious John 14.2 24. I could blush to hear a Heathen say if God would offer me the choice of renewing my Age and returning to my Childhood I should heartily refuse it for I should be loath after I have passed so much of my Race to be recalled back from the Goal to the Bars of my first setting out and to hear a Christian sighing and sobbing at the thought of his Dissolution Where is our Faith of a Heav'n 〈◊〉 after long Sea-beaten we are loath to think of putting into the safe Harbour of Immortality A Prayer for the Aged O LORD GOD of my Salvation I humbly render thee all hearty thanks for thy abundant Mercies and Favours Spiritual and Temporal for thy Gracious Preservation of me from my Youth untill this present Moment That thou hast spared me in thy Fatherly Mercy when in thy Justice thou mightest have destroyed me Lord as thou hast given me space for Repentance and reserv'd me to these Years who mightest justly have cut off
PATIENCE â— H. â—an Hove Sculp The ART of PATIENCE AND Balm of Gilead UNDER ALL Afflictions An APPENDIX to the ART of CONTENTMENT By the AUTHOR of The Whole Duty of Man It is good that a Man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord Lam. 3.26 The Second Impression with Additional Prayers Suitable to the several Occasions LONDON Printed by R. Smith for E. Mory at the Three Bibles in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIV Licensed Octob. 14. 1693. THE PREFACE THIS Tract meeting with so Candid a Reception at its first Appearance has Encouraged it to make a farther Essay And what was omitted in the former Impression is incerted in this viz. The Prayers annexed to the several Sections which doubtless will prove very acceptable and Practical to the Contemplative The Original Part of this Discourse was Extracted from a Foundation laid by a Learned and Reverend Prelate upon whose Basis this Superstructure is Erected He like a Wise Master-Builder laid the Corner Stone as a Pattern for others to imitate and they which attain to his height of Perfection shall enjoy what Christ said to his Disciples In their Patience they shall possess their own Souls And indeed we never wanted more Motives to excite us to this Duty than now When this Virtue appears so dissentaneous to most Dispositions But I would to God those Turbulent Spirits would listen to the grave Council of St. Chrysostom If with a Desire of Judging thou wouldst needs be a Judge I will shew thee the Judgment-Seat which shall be adventageous to thee and no way touch thy Conscience Let thy Mind and Thought sit down to give Sentence call forth all thy Offences and begin to say with thy self Why hast thou done this or that This private Examining of Themselves would soon make these Publick Controllers of all others by plausible Pretences of Reformation look nearer Home and subdue that in themselves they are apt to spy in others St. Paul blamed their Course whose manner was to go from House to House Tit. 1.13 Esau that lost the Blessing was Hunting but Jacob that enjoy'd it and the Inheritance kept at home Gen. 17.30 The Just Man saith Solomon first accuseth himself And Judah spake humbly of an Offender when he said She is more Righteous than I Gen. 38.26 But let such hot Spirits take along with them this Information That Obedience is better than Sacrifice and that he which giveth Grace to the Humble is also said to resist the Proud And they may be well assured that this Counterfeit Coyn will prove dross when it comes to the Test. It is an easier Task for Malecontents to reprehend others than to amend themselves as those who have blemish'd Eyes think the Sky ever cloudy Nothing more common with troublesome Dispositions which have not known the way of Peace than to be ever Contending seldom Contented The Elements though in quality divers yet they accord for the Constitution of the Corporeal Nature And I would to God that all who profess and call themselves Christians would accord together for the Conservation of Church and State That Peace may dwell in our Land We are all sheep of that Fold whereof Christ is the Shepherd Stones of that Building whereof he is the chief Corner Stone Branches of that Vine whereof he is the Stock We have but one God for our Father that Created us one Saviour that Redeemed us and one Holy-Ghost our Sanctifier that adorns us We are here but Pilgrims and Strangers and we shall one day find that a Peaceable Christian Life with a good departure hence shall bear a greater Value than all Temporal Enjoyments can afford us In pursuance of which let us all endeavour to learn these following Instructions by which means we shall not only attain to be Schollars but Proficients in this School of Patience and acquire that Conquest over our unruly Passions and inordinate Affections but shall be enabled cheerfully to run with Patience the Race which is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12.1 2. and therefore beseech we God That Mercy and Truth may meet together that Righteousness and Peace may Kiss each other and that his Glory may dwell in our Land until we come to inhabite in the Land of Glory THE CONTENTS With a Prayer to every SECTION Sect. 1. OF the Connexion between Humility Meekness and Patience Pag. 1 Sect. 2. In time of Sickness Pag. 12 Sect. 3. Affliction of Conscience Pag. 26 Sect. 4. Remedies against Temptations Pag. 47 Sect. 5. Imbecillity of Grace Pag. 56 Sect. 6. Loss of Reputation Pag. 62 Sect. 7. Of Publick Calamities Pag. 68 Sect. 8. Loss of Friends Pag. 80 Sect. 9. Of Poverty Pag. 85 Sect. 10. Of Confinement Pag. 91 Sect. 11. In Exile Pag. 97 Sect. 12. Of Blindness and Deafness Pag. 102 Sect. 13. Of Sterility Pag. 111 Sect. 14. Want of Repose Pag. 116 Sect. 15. Of Gray Hairs Pag. 121 Sect. 16. Of Mortality Pag. 130 Sect. 17. Of Judgment Pag. 143 Sect. 18. Spiritual Conflicts Pag. 149 Sect. 19. Character of Patience Pag. 157 The Close Pag. 162 The ART of PATIENCE AND Balm of Gilead UNDER ALL Afflictions SECT I. Of the Connexion between Humility Meekness and Patience 1. GOD the Fountain of Goodness from whom cometh Every Good and Perfect Gift Jam. 1.17 hath laid down such Rules and Precepts in Holy Scripture that whoever is Diligent in the search Shall find in them Eternal Life John 5.39 We are commanded to Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 and to practice those Celestial Duties of Humilty Meekness and Patience 2. HUMILITY is first a Duty we owe to God which is to have such a Sense of our Unworthiness and his Excellency as may operate in us a lowly and unfeign'd Submission to Him Now this Submission is twofold First To his Will Secondly To his Wisdom The Submission to his Will is of two sorts Obedience and Patience Obedience is our yielding up our selves with alacrity to do what his Divine Will and Pleasure command us and to enable us to perform This Humility is exceeding necessary And to acquire this Obedience we must endeavour to possess our Hearts with the Sense of that great unspeakable Distance between God and us To consider Him a God of Infinite Majesty Power and Glory and we poor Worms of the Earth He of Infinite Purity and Holiness and we polluted and dead in Trespasses and Sins He of Power able to do all things and we nothing but by his Divine Assistance 3. A Second sort of Submission to his Will is Patience the Subject-matter of our Discourse This consists in suffering his Will as that of Obedience did in acting it and is composed of a voluntary yielding
alive thou bringest to the Grave and bringest back again And forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to take from us out of this Sinful World the Soul of this thy Servant grant that our grief for this affliction may not be immoderate whereby we may displease thee or so overwhelm us that we make our selves unfit for thy service but sanctifie we beseech thee unto us this thy Fatherly Correction that we may endeavour to live every day as if it were to be our last that when we are Summoned and Arrested by the hand of Death We may not be afrighted by that King of Terrors 2. LORD we are here in a state of banishment and absent from thee O take us where we shall for ever behold thy Face and follow the Lamb whether soever he goeth and that at the last hour we may pronounce with a good Conscsence we have fought a good fight we have finished our Ceurse we have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for us a Crown of Righteousness which God the Righteous Judge will freely give to those that Love and Fear him and trust in his Mercy Amen SECT IX Of Poverty 1. THOU art driv'n to Indigency and which is worse out of abundance Those Evils we have been inur'd to from our Cradle are grown so familiar that we are little moved with their Presence But those into which we fall suddenly out of an external Felicity of Estate overwhelm us Let thy Care be not to want those Riches which shall make thy Soul happy and thou shalt not be troubled with the loss of these mean and perishing Trifles Had these been true Riches they could not have been lost For that Good that is least capable of Loss and unsatisfying in an imperfect Fruition so in the losing it turns Evil 2. DID'ST thou not know That Riches have Wings to fly away Prov. 23.5 And of what use is Wings if not to flie If any Man's Violence shall clip those Wings they take their flight Set thy heart upon that Supream Wealth which cannot be taken from thee which shall never leave thee nor forsake thee then thou mayst easily slight these poor Losses As these were not Goods so they were not thine Here thou foundest them and here leav'st them For the Apostle Timothy informs us 1 Tim. 6 7. We brought nothing into this World and it is certain we can carry nothing out What had'st thou but their use Neither can they be otherwise thine Heirs whom thou leavest behind thee I am asham'd to hear the Philosopher say All I possess I carry about me when many Christians hug those things which are so Transitory 3. IT was an unanswerable Question God moved to the Rich Man in the Parable upon parting with his Soul Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luke 12.20 Perhaps a Strangers or as â—n the Case of undisposed Lands the Occupants false Executors or an Enemies Call that thine own thou art sure to carry with thee that may accompany thy Soul or follow it Such as thy Holy Graces Charitable Works Vertuous Actions and Heavenly Dispositions These are Treasures which thou shalt Lay up for thy self in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust doth Corrupt and where Thieves do not break through nor steal Mat. 6.20 4. THOU hast lost thy Goods May I not rather say Thou hast restor'd ' em He parted with more that said The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken Job 1.21 Whether by Patrimony or Pâ—ovidence or Industry the Lord gave it and whether by the Chaldeans or Sabeans the Lord hath taken it and he did but give and takes his own What Reason hast thou then to complain It was not giv'n but lent thee for a while till it were call'd for And do'st thou grudge to restore what thou borrowest Nay that thou mayst have less Claim to this Talent was it not left in thy hand by the Owner to employ it for his Use till he should redemand it with the Increase Thou wert only entrusted to improve and account for it If others have taken off thy Charge by thy impoverishment they have eased thee 5. THY Wealth is gone But if thou hast Necessaries left Be thankful for what thou hast and forget what thou didst possess Hadst thou had plenty thou couldst have used no more than Nature calls for the rest could have but lain by thee for readiness of Imployment Do but forbear the Thought of Superfluities and what art thou the worse Perhaps thy Fare is courser Dishes fewer Utensils meaner Apparel homelier and thy Train shorter But how is thy Mind affected Contentment consists not in Quantities nor Qualities but in the inward Disposition of the Heart that multiplies Numbers and raises Prizes turns course Freezes into rich Velvets Pulse into Delicates and makes one Attendant many Officers 6. WISE Seneca tells thee the true Mould of Wealth is our Body as the Last is of the Shoe if the Shoe be too big for the Foot it is troublesome and useless It is Fitness that is regarded here not Magnitude And this is the Charge of the Blessed Apostle Having Food and Rayment let us there with be content 1 Tim. 6.8 And if we have no more we shall be but as we were and as we shall be For we brought nothing into the World neither shall we carry any thing out 1 Tim. 6.7 7. THOU hast parted with thy Wealth perhaps for thine Advantage How many have been swell'd with Plenty resembling the Ostrich or Bustard with the Bulk of Body unweldly to raise their Thoughts to Spiritual Things who when their Weight have been taken off have mounted nimbly towards Heaven How many had lost their Lives if with the Philosopher they had not parted with their God and how many through Covetousness may loss their Souls The Vessel had sunk in this boist'rous Sea if the Earthly Freight had not been cast over-board and why art thou troubled to lose that which might have undone thee in keeping 8. THOU had'st Wealth Hast thou not parted with that for which many hath been worse both in Body and Soul and for which never any Soul was better Have not Corn-fields been spoil'd with Rankness and a Branch spilt with too much Fruit Whereas had they been thinner sown or seasonably eaten down had yielded a fair Crop and those Boughs moderately laden had out-liv'd many Autumns Do'st thou not hear thy Saviour say How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God Mat. 10.23 Art thou troubled that a Stumbling block is remov'd out of thy way to Happiness That the Bunch of the Camel is taken off if yet thou wilt pass through the Eye of the Needle 9. THOU hadst Riches But hadst thou not Cares attended ' em Else thou hast fared better than thy Neighbours None but thy self could handle these Roses without pricking their Fingers He was famous amongst the Jewish Doctors whose Maxim was He that multiplies Riches multiplies Cares