yet their Conflicts have been crowned with Conquests God hath made their light break forth of obscurity and put them into Heaven or rather Heaven into them whiles they have been yet upon earth However this is the comfort Though Satan may trouble the Saint yet he shall not conquer him And therefore trust in the Lord O my Soul It lies upon Jesus Christ the Captain of thy Salvation to keep all that which is committed to him of the Father He would neveâ— have sowed if he had meant that Satan should go away with the harvest It cost him his bloud to redeem thee Do not think he will part with that easily which he hath purchased at so dear a price He never yet left any of his Saints in death I trust he will not make me the first XVI Though death will make a separation betwixt soul and body yet death shall not separate from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus This Paul was perswaded of Rom. 8. And so am I upon the same grounds Gods love is not changable in it self nor conquerable by death He loved thee O my soul notwithstanding thy unworthinesse and therefore be assured he will not separate thee from his love because of thine unworthinesse And now I see what it cannot doâ— Lord keep me from being dismay'd at the utmost that it can do against me XVII If death take away some outward comforts from me or rather me from them viz. Wife Children Friends Possessions This is my Comfort God hath suffered me to enjoy them whiles I had need of them or could have benefit by them when I am taken from them I shall then have no more need of them And why then should I care for not having what I do not want It is a mercy to have them but speaks the imperfection of our state to need them It is better be in a state of perfection without them then still to have them and be imperfect XVIII It is true death will strip me of some outward accomplishments but it shall do me as good a turn to deliver me from all my troubles And I would have thee know O my Soul that the troubles of this life of sicknesse pain losse sorrow fear c. may very well lie in the balance against all earthly enjoyments It is a saving match at least to sell our outward contentments to be freed from our this lifes miseries XIX Though death take away some uselesse moveables which have served my turn whiles I had need yet as a friend it leaves me my best Jewels My Soul thou shalt still enjoy thy precious graces and glorious priviledges when death hath taken thee from thy cheaper and more troublesome luggage Death will not cannot meddle with thy best treasure And wilt thou not be content to part with those since it leaves thee these XX. What I leave of outward things when I die I leave to others that stay behinde There will still be use of them to those that live to use them They will not be lost because I leave them And when my turn is served why should I grudge that others should be served as well as I XXI I shall know no more sensible pleasure and contentment here but I am well content because I shall sinne no more in the enjoyment of such pleasure I have paid dear enough for all that I have had whiles I had it The sinne of my pleasure hath devoured all the sweetnesse of my pleasure that working me more smart after my pleasure then all my pleasure was worth whiles I was enjoying it My Soul be content to rejoyce no more amongst the living upon this account that death will free thee from sinning any more amongst them XXII In death there will be no more remembrance of me But it is no matter I hope when I am forgotten my sin and shame will be forgotten also I am content the rest should be forgotten so that my folly and weakness may be no more remembred And yet my Soul be not discouraged The Scripture saith The memory of the Just is blessed Psa. 10. 7. And the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance Psalm 11 2. 6. God hath provided that our Names should live when our flesh consumes The rotting of the Name is a curse entailed upon those that are rotten in their lives XXIII I shall lie in the pit and not know what is done under the Sunne Darknesse will cover me in the grave But if I lie in the pit I shall be safe No body will envy No body will hurt me there And though it be a dark place it is the better for a sleeping place I tell thee O my Soul the recompence of not knowing what is done under the Sunne Thou shalt not know the wickednesse the blasphemy the oppression and violence that is done there Since thou canst not know a little good without the knowledge of so much evil under the Sunne which is so great a burthen be contented to be eased of thy burthen by not knowing what is done XXIV Worms may perhaps consume my body but that is no great matter neither I shall not feel their gnawings of my flesh What though my body cannot escape those feeble creatures when it is dead yet blessed be God that hellish worme of an accusing Conscience shall not be suffered to disrest my Soul There is more mercy in being freed from one worm then from a thousand The wormes feed upon my body I remember David said He was a worm A King and yet a worm Sure I must be something below a worm But if a worm let the worms feed upon their fellows I am glad that worms may be better for me when I die It is my grief that men have been so little better for me whileâ— I lived XXV My treasure is in Heaven my best goods are there they were not sent thither laid up there for me to â—arry long behinde I must go from hence before I can come thither And I must tell thee O my Soul I like not to lose my treasure by staying here XXVI When death puts an end to this life it will give an entrance into eternall life The ending of one is the beginning of the other Who would not be willing to be at the end of a worse to be at the beginning of a better of a blessed life Lord make thy servant not only willing but covetous of this XXVII When I die I go to rest to rest from my labours I shall be out of the reach of care trouble sorrow sicknesse temptations persecution Here I am as other of my brethren the But of Satans rage of the malice of wicked men I have not been free to speak or deliver my Masters Message without danger Men have laid wait to ensnare me in my own words to make my tongue my trap These shall follow me but to my grave There they will lose the Sent. O my Soul Thy grave is thy Burrow in death thou
shalt be quiet XXVIII As soon as breath goes out of my body I trust my soul shall be mounted upon the wings of Angels into Heaven into Abrahams bosome And this will not be long in doing Who would not ride on such a Chariot to such a place Great things are spoken of Heaven And I have spoken as great as I could to make it an attractive a powerfull Argument to draw other men to the love of Holinesse If I be not willing to go to Heaven I betray my faith I shame my practice Shall not he that preacheth Heaven be willing to die that he may be in Heaven My Soul thou wouldst be loth to have all thy Heaven upon earth And therefore when Gods time comes Wilt thou not be willing to part with â—arth that thou maist enjoy thy Heaven where it is XXIX I have accounted sleâ—p a speciall blessing of God for the refreshing of Nature My sleep hath been the image and similitude of my death When I have slept I have been like to one that is dead for that time Death is the truest sleep As when I slept I was as one that were dead so when I die I shall be but as one that is asleep And though I shall sleep longer in my grave then in my bed yet as when I have slept I awake and rise again so after this sleep of death when it is off I shall awake and rise again O my Soul when I am weary of the day I willingly lay me down tâ— sleep Thou art content the body should have rest I pray thee be as willing when this wearisome day of thy natural life is at an end in the night of death to let thy body lie down to sleep in its bed of earth till the morning of its resurrection comes To die unto a Saint is but to undresse and go to bed XXX Whiles I am here in the world I am but in a moveable condition alwayes flitting and shifting from one house to another from one place to another And this hath been very irksome But I think God hath wisely ordered it that by moving to many places I might be in love with none If I have liked my house never so well I have been forced to leave it either because none of mine or because my work hath been ended in the place where I have pitched How often have I been forcibly removed from people whom I have lovâ—d from places where I had thought to have rested In Heaven I havâ— an house of mine own a better house then any the world affords not made with hands an eternal house whose builder and maker is God An house that wants no convenience An house that is ready and amply furnished If thou wert there O my Soul thou shouldst not need to flit it is thine inheritance by gift and he that gave it will not put thee out Shall I not be willing to live in mine own rather then a strangers in an heavenly then in an earthly house in an house of Gods buildings then of mans in an eternal rather then in a falling ruinous habitation While I live here I shall be put to shift when I die I shall make but one remove and never flit again Let me remove once and do it cheerfully that I may remove no more XXXI But what do I speak of an House in Heaven my Soul there is a Kingdom Not like the Kingdoms of this world not a narrow envied divided shaken sinful temporal Kingdom Not subject to warres tumults fire famine pestilence oppression ruine desolation but a spiritual heavenly glorious uâ—shaken large united undefiled peaceable everlasting Kingdom Not subject to any invasion to any change to any danger Since therefore God hath given me a Kingdom and the Kingdom is not of this world which â—e hath given me Why should I desire to continue in this world and not go where my Kingdom is Would any man that is heir to a Kingdom desire to live any where but in the Kingdom to which he is an heir Especially if his own be such that in comparison it shames all others that may be brought to make comparison Lord since it pleaseth thee to give me a Kingdom Help me to walk worthy of the dignity and hopes of a King whiles I live and let not this beggarly life nor any thing that belongs to it keep me from being willing nay desirous to enjoy a Crown If such a worm may speak such a word To say he is a King I beseech thee make me willing or else when the time comes stay not for my willingnesse but set me upon the Throne bring me to the Kingdom promised Put oh put that pure Crown of Righteousnesse that incorruptible Crown of Glory upon my head It s a glorious thing to be a King Ambition makes graceless men whose portion is in this life desperately daring to adventure their All to get one of these poor Cottage Kingdoms Oh my Soul Shall not grace make thee willing to put off thy natural life to put on this living and immarcessible Crown XXXII The Scripture speaks admirable things of the glorified estate of the Saints what is reserved in Heaven for them what they shall enjoy there At present it tels us we know but in part and we know it tels us true by our great ignorance It cals all that we have on this side Heaven our tastes and earnests of what we shall have We are now the sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be saith S t John And the Apostle saith Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Surely there are some stranger things reserved to be revealed and enjoyed in Heaven or else we should not have such high and farre-meaning expressions from the holy Spirit Whileâ— thou art here O my Soul thou hast but a poor imperfect glimpse of that which lies wrapt up in the promise Thou livest by faith not by sight Thy happinesse now lies priâ—â—â—ipally in the hope of what shall be thy happinesse in Heaven And therefore since this is not the place for accomplishing thy happinesse be thou carried out with desire to be in that place where thy happinesse may be accomplished to die and be dissolved that thou maist know and enjoy all that is spoken of the blessed state of the blessed Saints in glory 1. I desire to know experimentally what it is to be in a state that is absolutely free from trouble fear sorrow sicknes temptations enemies especily from â—inne Oh what a thing is that Here I know little else but sinne and sorrow Lord let me know what it is to be freed from these what it is to sin no more to weep no more It is in the promise Rev 1. 4. Oh let me have it in performance 2. The Scripture speaks of the spirits of just men made perfect Those just
in that doleful time where they were under the continual expectation of arrest I. DEath is the common lot of all men Every man must die once There is no discharge from that warre The best that lived have trod this path When I die I shall go but the same way that other men have gone before me farre better then my self the same way that Adam Noah Abraham David Paul yea that Christ himself went Shall I not be willing to follow when so many and such excellent ones have gone before II. My times are in Gods hands The term and date of my life is set the way and manner of my death determined I cannot out-live that date and nothing shall shorten that date to prevent my life Every thing is beautifull in its time and so shall death be to me when my time is come When corn is ripe it is seasonable to cut it down I shall not be cut down till it be seasonable And how can I wish to stand any longer III. Death is that which I as Job have waited for all my dayes Do I not live with expectation to die It should neither be strange nor unwelcome when it comes which a man looks and waits for it before it comes IV. There is nothing but vanity under the Sunne nothing that a man can please himself with take comfort and contentment in but it hath a worm in it like Jonah's Gourd A man whileâ— he hath it is in danger either to be deprived of it or vexed with it Why then should I be troubled at death which will case me of the trouble of â—â—y life V. A mans life hath very little that is desirable in it It is a life 〈◊〉 of cares troubles temptations fears 〈◊〉 sicknesses losses and which is worst of all of sinfull weaknesses and inward perplexities Not my body onely but my soul my darling labouâ—â— under sore burthens many times My thinks death should be sweet unto thee O my soul when life it self is so troublesome VI. Jesus Christ hath tried the strength of death and conquered it By â—ying he overcame death and him that had the power of death which is the Devil There Satan was out-shot in his own Bow and catcht in his own Snare What hath he got by bringing Christ to the Crosse to the Grave By getting he hath lost the victory A happy Paradox Death shook the Lord Jesus with its sting but lost its â—â—ing by striking of him Oh death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be to God who hath given us the vâ—ctory See my Soul Christ hath not only gotten the victory but hath given us the victoâ—y which he hath gotten What Shall a conquered enemy disanimate the Conquerour VII Nay Jesus Christ hath not only conquered death and disarmed it but hath blessed death and sanctified it He hath made it not only Not an enemy but a friend a priviledge to beleevers Come my soul and play with death by faith Esteem it as a priviledge be not â—fraid be not troubled at 〈◊〉 as if it were still an 〈◊〉 VIII Whiles I am 〈◊〉 the body I am absent â—rom the Lord and so I â—ust be till I die Shall 〈◊〉 not desire at least be â—ontent to die that I may 〈◊〉 present with the Lord Oh my Soul Love to Christ should constrain thee to be willing to passe 〈◊〉 gulf to come to thy beâ—oved IX When death comes 〈◊〉 hath only to do with â—y body nothing to do with my soul. And if it â—et my soul alone which 〈◊〉 my better part I would â—ot be troubled for that â—hich it can do at my â—â—esh my body which is but the worser part X. For my body though it be but the grosser part of the man yet because it is a friend of my soul and a piece of my 〈…〉 despise it not Thereforâ— I take comfort that though my body shall die yet iâ— shall not be lost It shall be united to Christâ—in 〈◊〉 grave as my soul to Christ in Heaven Death cannot destroy the union betwixt Christ and the beleever in any part of him Though worms destroy my flesh or it be turned to dust yet my dust shall be precious God shall bring all together after the many changes raise up my body at the last day give it meeting with my soul and then with these eyes 〈◊〉 shall see my Redeemâ—â— XI Though I shall die yet I shall die but once The second death shall 〈◊〉 no power over me There is no condemnation 〈…〉 that are in Christ Iesus He hath satisfied for me and justified me by his bloud who shall condemn Since I must die once what a mercy is it that it is not the worst the second death XII Death is the last enemy that is to be destroyed in that sense that a believer may call it an enemy when that is over all the worst of a believers state is over Oh my Soul be willing to die that thou maist 〈◊〉 back and say Thanks be 〈◊〉 God Now I am past 〈◊〉 worst XIII For the 〈◊〉 death Whether I 〈◊〉 the Pestilence of 〈◊〉 other disease or by 〈◊〉 hand of violence there 〈◊〉 no great difference â—â—thing â—â—ll betall me 〈◊〉 that which is common 〈◊〉 other Saints All deaâ—â— are much alike to a meâ—ber of Christ all 〈◊〉 sting'd all sanctified 〈◊〉 Plague indeed shuts the man up from his friendâ—â— but it doth not shut 〈◊〉 out from the man and where God is he makes a Palace of a Pest-house However it is but death The Plague cannot make it another thing and deaths a friend XIV For the pains of death I should not be troubled God can make death easie Some feel lesse in death then in other diseases and commonly more in the sicknesse before death then in death which follows the sicknesse But 〈◊〉 the worst though sharp yet they are short and not intollerable All the Saints have endured them and therefore O my Soul do not give back for a little pain That God which hath carried so many through this gulf is able to carry thee with faith and patience thorow Say with the holy Singer Though I walk thorow the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for thou art with me Lord be with thy servant in that hour that I may not fear XV. There may be sore temptations and on-sets of Satan at that time when the body is weakest And indeed some precious Saints have been in great darknesse before their death and it may be so with me It is true O my Soul and thou hast deserved the withdrawings of God at such a time because thou hast not improved his presence in former times If thou fearest this let it be thâ— warning Now take heed of grieving the Spirit But consider though some of the faithfull have been called out to such Conflicts before death
way of Information It follows 1. If the godly in affliction be subject to passion and can hardly keep them down no wonder if other men utterly destitute of grace do grow drunk and mad with passion in their affliction Though they cannot be excused there is no better to be expected Their passions are ridden without bridles What wonder is it to see Saul in a passion 1 Sam. 20. 29 30. When David a thousand times the better man is scarce himself 1 Sam. 25. 13 21 22. 2. Godly men yea those that are got highest musâ— have their grains and allowances though they be good mettall yet they have some drosse and they want something of their weight Perfection is not to be looked for in any Saint on this side heaven Paul tels us he pressed after it but he tels us also that he did not reach it Phil. 3. 12 13 14. 3. Though you take liberty to judge the weakness of a Saint and do call passion when it is inordinate an evil for so it is yet you ought not presently to censure and conclude the man to be evil because in affliction thou seest him abused by his passion There is bitternesse in affliction which I might have named as a reason and no wonder if the bitternesse of the Crosse do draw out the bitternesse of the Patient If you see a man under his passion you see him in an ill time to make a judgement upon him Who would have thought Jonah to have been a Saint that should have seen no more of him then in his passion Jonah 4. 4. There is no ground for any man to pride himself or to be lift up because of his graces as if in case of affâ—iction he would not shew so much weaknesse passion impatience as he sees some others doe It may be you would not and it is good to resolve against it but yet do not say you will not lest your pride betray you and you be 〈◊〉 to your own weaknesse whatever you may thinkâ— you will do like other men unlesse denying your selves you get the present supply of the Spirit of Christ Phil 1. Peter resolved as well aâ— thou canst doe in another case Mat. 26. 35. and David in this I hope you will own them for Saints and yet both failed Let him that thinks he stands Rom. 11. 19 20. However I will neither hear nor beleeve any man that boasts of himself till I see him in such a condition He doth notâ— Know himself nor can another man know him till he come to trial 5. They are eminent Saints and the grace of God shines eminently in them who under sore and griping sorrows and afflictions do yet possesse their souls in patience have their spirits kept quiet and undistracted It is a glorious sight and the Name of God is exalted by it to see a childe of God keep his ground and stâ—â—d unshaken when the windes are high and the rough billows beat upon him I had the happinesse to see such a sight and I blesse God I saw it with wonder and thankfulnesse in that blessed and renowned Rock and Pillar of the Church M r Whitaker in whom patience had the Conquest over the most breaking torments that I have known lying upon any Saint in this Age. As of Job so it may well be said of him in after-times Have you not heard of thâ— Patience of Whitaker How illustrious did this grace of God make this Saint of God How glorious was God himself in that grace which was given to this Saint by which he stood so invincibly in his sharp encounters 1. When you see a man that fearâ— God under affliction especially if his afflictions be great unusual doubled of long continuance put on your bowels and go to your prayers Be they what they will though the excellent upon earth you cannot miss your mark If they be men and on this side Heaven they may have need of them and will thank you for them Pity them they have not only afflictions to bear but passions to subdue by reason of those afflictions Job 6. 1. to the 14 th ver Pray for them that they may be holden up by God not lose their patience whiles they bear their Crosse but have their spiriâ—s sweetly calmed and meekned to submit to Godâ— châ—stisements not to make God suffer by their murmurings This is a charitable work Thou dost that man wrong whom thou thinkest so strong so patient as not to need thy prayers and therefore sparest them upon that account 2. Learn to know your selves that you are men and women subject to like passions with other of your fellows And therefore though you are naturally of meek and quiet spirits and by grace made more impassionate yet do not flatter your selves You know not what your afflictions may be what temptations may be joyned with your afflictions and how both these may work upon your disposition and draw out your passion 1. Be holily jealous oâ— your selves afraid least you should miscarry walk humbly in the sense of your own weaknesse Those children have fewest fals that are most afraid of them Consider Moses David Job Jeremiah and do not presume 2. Follow God earnestly before afflictions come that you may be armed and prepared for them when they come Make Davids prayer your own Psalm 17. 5. 3. Study the evil of being brought under your passions and of discovering that weakness in affliction wherein Gods Honour Religions Credit your own Peace and Comfort are like to suffer so much 4. Make it your daily exercise to bridle these Coltsâ— to be mortifying your inordinate passions before-hand The sooner you begin with them the better able you will be to rule them Inure them to subjection when they appear in their weakest motions and when you have broken them and used them to the yoke you will be lesse troubled with them This must be your work Colos. 3. 5. 5. Acquaint your selves with the promises improve faith upon them and lay them up against the day of affliction and temptation Job 5. 17 18 19 20 c. Isa. 43. 1 2. Rom. 8. The Promises will feed your faith and your faith will strengthen your souls Another Point that I must salute by the way as implied is Whatsoever afflictions or chastisements do lie upon the Saints God is the Author of them Though it be of our deserving it is of Godâ— doing Thou didst it Job 1. 21. Hos. 6. 1. This is true 1. Whatsoever the affliction is in its kinde and whereever it toucheth whether outward or inward whether upon the body or soul or name or state or family it is the hand of God Amos 3. 6. 2 Sam. 16. 11. Isa. 45. 7. Hos. 6. 1. 2. Whatsoever it is in Circumstance for the season measure manner duration Instruments imployed about it and the manner of their acting yet the thing is of the Lord Satan cannot touch Job unlesse God first stretch forth his
God understands to be impatient To sorrow without hope is to sorrow without submission So much for bare silence but we have another search to make Quest. Whether we have been silent upon this ground because whatever be the affliction it hath God for the Authour It is of his doing Answ. Sometimes men are dumb and silent under affliction out of pure Ignorance they do not understand are not sensible of the evil that lies upon them and the reason why they do not complain is because they do not understand And this is not because its Gods doing 2. Sometimes men are silent because they are sullen they restrain speech not to restrain passion but to gratifie pride because they will enjoy an humour not because they will expresse their patience This is not upon the ground in the Text because its Gods doing 3. Some men are silent out of a stoicall Apathy because they think they ought not to be moved with any thing that befals them that it is altogether below a man that hath reason to be affected with passion in any case either to rejoyce in any good or to mourn for any evil This is Stoicism not Christian silence much lesse upon this ground because God hath done it 4. There may be silence out of a naturall Astorgy as being in a great measure without natural affections Though it be not common nor in the power of any man by the strength of reason wholly to enervate and lay asleep his affections according to the Stoical dream yet it is natural to some men to be in a great measure without naturall affection very unapt to be stirred or moved with any changes that do befall them yet this is not grace but a naturall indisposition to sense any thing with vehemency of affection One man burieth a wife and the burial of the wife is almost the death of the husband He feels himself half dead because the Companion of his life is dead which was one half of himself I do not excuse this Another buries a wife and scarcâ— knows what he buries i. e. is so little affected with it that one would think he buried that which he never loved This is a judgement not a vertue 5. There may be silence out of a naturall Courage raised by the study of morality In morals there are vertues called Magnanimity Fortitude to which are opposed Cowardize Pusillanimity weaknesse of Spirit The vertues are seen in undertaking great difficulties without recoyling bearing great trials without shrinking Now some men bear their burthens with a seeming invinciblenesse i. e. they bear them with so much courage that he that looks on would think they did not bear them The setting of a joynt the dismembring of their bodies the ripping up of the flesh seems as little to them as to another the opening of a vein the pulling out of a tooth And what is all this Christian patience holy submission No it may be nothing but natural stoutnesse heightned by principles of morality because it speaks fortitude and magnanimity to bear great things without the appearance of great passion 6. It may possibly be upon strong Convictions of sinne and the workings of a naturall Conscience labouring under guilt and the fear of some greater evil He that is in the hands of an enemy though he have and do suffer much by him yet is silent under his present sufferings because he knows he is still liable to worse that he that hath plundred his pockets and given him a cut in the arm hath power when he will to let him bloud in the throat or in the heart and therefore he concludes it is best to take that patiently that is done lest he bring some greater mischief upon himself by his impatiency Thus I believe it is with some natural men when God layes his hand upon them by some smarting affliction Conscience flies in their faces tels them now they are in the hands of an enemy that he that hath arrested them is he that they have sinned against by oaths perjuries drunkennesse whoredom bloud oppression that he that punisheth with sicknesse losses c. is able to punish with flames that now his body is not onely in danger of death but his soul of Hell This Alarm from Conscience makes him lie still He dares not complain of his present burthen because hâ— sees he is within the reach of that which is a thousand times worse Quest. But what then will argue our silence upon this Consideration that God hath done it Answ. 1. When the heart is sensible that in the affliction it hath to do with God and is more awed with the thoughts of him that is the Author of the affliction then with the affliction it self of which he is the Author Thus it was certainly with Job The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away It is a very ill sign when only pain sicknesse losse c. do break our spirits but he that sends them is not considered It is better a great deal to remember the Authour though we should forget the affliction then to be affected with the affliction and forget the Author 2. If it be because God hath done it then the soul will be free to condemn it self and justifie God in all his dispensations The sanctified soul knows that God can do nothing but that which is righteous towards his Creature and therefore it must needs justifie him in that which he doth And this justifying of God in his affliction is an argument that his eye is upon him whom he justifies and that he sees it were an unreasonable thing to quarrel with him for the doing of that which he cannot but clear him for in his own conscience when it is done 3. He that hath his heart quieted and his mouth stopped upon this ground because God hath done it will upon the same ground labour to be quiet though his burthen encrease because he hath the same reason lying still before him The encreasing multiplying lengthening of afflictions is from the same hand He is as really the Authour of the weight and measure as of the kinde and substance of any affliction Indeed if this consideration be laid aside there may be a change It cannot be expected of any plaister that it should operate except it be applied 4. He that is silent upon this Consideration will not make haste out of his affliction He knows the wise God can do nothing without an end and therefore he will be contented to wait upon God till he have accomplished his end in afflicting him Because it is physick from the most skilfull Physician therefore he will submit to the Judgment of his Physician how long to continue in that course And because God delights not in afflicting but strikes with bowels he concludes that so much the longer his course so much the greater his benefit 5. He that is quiet upon this ground will upon the