Weeping may endure for a Night, but joy cometh in the morning. Nay, if this yet seem too long to our impatient and fretful spirits, the Scripture still shortens it, and calls it but the Hour of Temptation: Rev. iii. 10. I will keep thee from the Hour of Temptation: and, shall not our patience be able to endure an hour's affliction? Or, would you desire it shorter yet? see it then contracted into a moment: 2 Cor. iv. 17. Our light affliction, which is but for a Moment: and what is a moment, but an indivisible point of time, that hath no parts nor succession in it; a mere twinkle of time? Innumerable of them are gone, while we are speaking the word, Moment. And, yet, all these afflictions, which thou so grievously complainest of, are light for their burden, and momentary for their duration, if that can be called a duration: These light afflictions, which are but for a moment. As one of the martyrs said, "It is but winking, and I shall be in heaven :" so, truly, these short afflictions are past and gone in the cast, in the twinkling of an eye. Let us, then, be persuaded to bear them with patience. It is much below the spirit of a man, to murmur and complain of that, which a little time will ease him of; and much more, of a Christian. If thou canst not bear a season, a day, or night of affliction, an hour, a moment of affliction; wherefore art thou a Christian? Hast thou hope only in this life? if so, reckon thyself among the number of those, whose portion is only in this life: but, if thou wilt own the name of a Christian, thou oughtest to enlarge thyself infinitely beyond this present time: thou oughtest to take eternity into thy life; and not to account that thy life, which thou leadest here upon earth; but that, which thou livest by faith, and expectest with a cheerful hope, the everlasting life of glory and happiness in heaven. And, what is it to this life of thine, what thou sufferest here? do poverty, disgrace, pains, and diseases, losses, and crosses; do these reach into eternity? or, do they at all taint that better life, which thou livest? This here is not thy life. As we reckon not the age of children, from the time they have been conceived in the womb, but from the time of their birth: so, truly, this present life is but the conception of a Christian in this world, we are but in the womb; then we begin to live, when we are brought forth into the clear light of heaven, and breathe the air of eternity and, therefore, the days, on which martyrs suffered, were called their Natalitia. And, if any sorrows and afflictions could

reach thither, thou hadst some reason to be impatient: but none at all, for these transitory troubles, which quickly pass away with our days; and for which, thou wilt in heaven be no more concerned, than now thou art, for the pains and inconveniences which thou feltest in the womb, before thou wert born.

That is a Ninth Motive to Patience: the consideration of the Short Continuance of all the Afflictions of this Life.

10. The tenth and last motive to patience, which ought to be very effectual with all true Christians, shall be taken from the Example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Apostle commands us, Heb. xii. 2, 3, 4. to look unto Jesus; and to consider him, that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest we be wearied, and faint in our minds: and, again, 1 Pet. ii. 21. we are told, that Christ suffered for us; leaving us an example, that we should follow the steps of his patience and submission. And, certainly, he is so great an example of patience, that, when we consider the indignities which he endured, and the infinite meekness with which he bore them, it may well shame us out of our fretfulness and impatience.

And there be Two considerations, which do mightily enhance this, and tend to make it a most prevalent and effectual motive to arm us with meekness and patience.

(1) Consider, that his sufferings were infinitely greater, than any that we can possibly undergo.

From his cratch to his cross, we find his way strewed all along with miseries. Born of a poor and suspected mother; acquainted with all the hardships of a mean and laborious life; his doctrine reproached to be blasphemy, and his miracles to be sorcery; having no shelter, no sustenance, not so much as the little conveniences of birds and foxes: he conflicts with his Father's wrath, till it strained his soul into an agony; and the apprehensions of that bitter cup, presented to him, squeezed drops of clotted blood from him. We see him exposed to the insulting scoffs of barbarous ruffians; crowned with thorns, scourged, buffeted, and spit upon; and, by the drops of his blood, we may trace him to his cross: see him hanging there, a ruthful spectacle both to men and angels; the greatest scene of dolours and miseries, that ever was represented to the world. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. And,

(2) Consider, that all his unknown sufferings were not for his own, but for our offences.

It is some motive to patience, when we suffer the effects of our own deserts. So thought the Penitent Thief, when he checked the blasphemous reproaches of his fellow-offender: Luke xxii. 40. Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we, indeed, justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. There was no iniquity in him, neither was guile found in his mouth: yet, notwithstanding his infinite purity and innocence, notwithstanding that all his actions were pleasing to God and beneficial to man; yet, he suffers all the wrath that the one, and indignities that the other, could load him with. And, what! do we find his passions estuate doth he murmur against God, or me. ditate revenge against men? No; we find him ́meekly resigning up his will to his Father's: Not mine, but thy will be done: and, under all the rage and affronts of men, he pours out his prayer, together with his blood, for them: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Now, O Christians! imitate this pattern of your Blessed Saviour: let it powerfully persuade you to patience and submission, under all your sufferings. Ours are all but the least desert of our own sins: his were only the desert of ours. Ours are only some sprinklings of that cup, the very bottom and dregs of which he drank off: and shall we be any longer impatient against God, or revengeful against men? shall we fret, and fume, and be exasperated, and fly out into all the extremities of passion and violence, when our Lord Christ himself, the infinitely holy and glorious God, calmly endured such pains, such shame, such wrath, that the very utmost we can suffer in this life is scarce a fit shadow and resemblance of them?

And thus we see this exhortation of the Apostle pressed upon .us, by these Ten Motives; which if we would bring under the view of our serious consideration, we shall find enough in them, to incline the most peevish and fretful nature to a meek and quiet submission to the hand and will of God. For, it is a most Necessary Grace for a Christian, in the whole conduct of his life, which is full of troubles and afflictions; and nothing can so alleviate them, as patience; the Author and Inflicter of all thy sufferings is God, who is absolute in his sovereignty; our Proprietor, as our Lord; infinitely gracious and merciful, as our

Father; infinitely faithful to his word, whereby he hath promised; and infinitely wise and skilful, whereby he is able to work all things for our good and benefit: again, if we consider what we have Deserved, this will prevail with us patiently to bear what we feel: and consider the great Benefits and Advantages, that accrue to us by afflictions; as they are exercise to our graces, physic to our souls, evidences of our adoption, and additions to our future glory: consider, again, the patient bearing of afflictions is a very great Honour, both to Ourselves and to God: it is, likewise, the best and readiest Way to be Freed from afflictions: that no affliction befals us, but what is Tolerable, and common to men; how many in the world are in a far Worse Condition than ourselves; and that all our afflictions are but Short and Momentary: and, lastly, consider the Pattern and Example of Christ's Patience, which will powerfully sway us to patience under those sorrows we suffer, which are both less in themselves and more deserved by us.

Thus I have given the Motives to Patience..

ii. The next thing, in order, is, to shew those Distempers of Spirit which are great HINDRANCES of Patience; and give a very great advantage to every cross and trouble, to ruffle and discompose it. And, with these, I shall also annex and prescribe the CURES.

And they are such as these.

1. An effeminate Softness and Delicacy of Spirit; when the mind is lax and fluid, and hath not its due consistency.

We may observe some persons to be of such a nice complexion, that every alteration injures them: let them but change their diet, or air, or set and accustomed hours, and they suffer grand inconvenience by it: whereas, others, that are more robust and vigorous, undergo these and greater changes, without change. And the like difference there is in the constitution of men's souls, as in their bodies: some are of such feeble and languishing spirits, that they are utterly disordered by those accidents, which scarce move those that are of a more hardy temper. And these are, usually, men of very prone passions and affections, easily excited and set on work by every thing that occurs: so that it is a wonder to see, how they are agitated by every small and trivial object which presents itself; like chaff or straw, that the least breath of wind whirls about sometimes, they immoderately rejoice; sometimes, they tenderly commiserate;

sometimes, they vex, and rage, and fly out into all extremities of choler, at those petty circumstances that would not stir another, of a solid and masculine spirit. But these are men of too soft and tender a constitution. And, as a light stroke makes a deep wound upon a soft subject; so every light affliction enters deep, and cuts these men's souls to the very quick.

Now, to these let me recommend that admirable exhortation of the Wise Man, Prov. iii. 11. and urged by the Apostle, Heb, xii. 5. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Here we have a most excellent temper set forth to us; as a mean, between stupidity and desponding impatience. We ought to be affected with the hand of God; and not to demean ourselves under afflictions, as though we felt no smart, neither valued what God doth against us, but rather defied him to do his worst. It is a sign of desperate incorrigibleness, when we are grown to a dedolency; and are so far past feeling, as to despise the smart and correction of the rod. Moderate passions are allowed us; and God, when he afflicts us, would have us shew ourselves to be men; not such brutish Leviathans, as to laugh at the shaking of his spear, and to account his darts and arrows no more formidable than stubble**. But then again, on the other hand, beware, that, as thou dost not despise, so thou dost not despond under the corrections of thy Heavenly Father. Fortify thy spirit, and arm it with all the arguments that are proper to encourage thee, in a suffering condition. Do not permit it to grow too tender; and, instead of being sensible, to be sore and fretful.

Consider,

(1) The Indecency and Unbecomingness of Impatience.

It sits ill upon a man, and renders him contemptible and ridiculous. We do never so much unman ourselves, as by peevishness and fretful humours. We degrade ourselves in the esteem of others, as a company of weak things, who must, like children, be humoured, to keep them quiet. Impatience always proceeds from weakness; and, while we toss, and tumultuate, and express the eagerness of an ulcerated mind, in all the intemperate language and actions that passion suggests, we are but a

* Non sentire mala sua, non est hominis; et non ferre, non est viri. Seneca. Consol. ad Polyb. cap. 36.

"It is inhuman, not to feel our sufferings; and unmanly, not to bear them."