The Art of Happiness, Part 3 · Chapter 10

The Art of Happiness · Part 3 · Chapter 10

p. 432CHAP. X. Of Patience.

LAstly, for the preseruation & aduancement of the estate of Happinesse, wee hauehave great need and vse of Patience. Our need of patience is absolute, because the Saints of God are here with the rest, in a world of miserie, and beyond the rest in a vvorld of enmitie. EueryEvery houre there is a likelihood of some trouble and temptation; and eueryevery trouble without patience (which is p. 433the Ward of the soule) breaketh in vponupon the soule, and carries her away into tumultuous, enormous, and vnreasonable perturbations. But on the other side, Patience raileth in the soule amidst the prease of temporall euils, and keepeth her in a continuall quietnesse and repose, & consequently in an abilitie of iudgement, discretion, and direction; and this is a first and chiefe vse and benefit of Patience. For doth not that greatly aduantage vsus, and the graces bestowed on vsus, which makes vsus Owners and Masters of our selues & them? By Patience wee can, with the Centurion, call for this p. 434seruant, and hee commeth; and send that Souldier, and he goeth. We can make vse of our vnderstandings, and by our vnderstandings, of those very euils, which are the subiects of our patience. We can make vse of our wills and affections, to will and louelove God; to will and louelove that which GOD wills and loues; yea to will and louelove the very troubles and incumbrances, which vrge and presse vsus. Hence come those excellent voyces; Though God kill me, yet will I trust in him: and, Before I was chastized, I went astray, but now doe I keepe thy Lawes: &, Blessed is the man that beareth p. 435the yoke in his youth. Hee sitteth solitary and is quiet, because God hath laid it on him. By Patience wee can make vse of our memories, to call to mind the mercies of God in old time; how our Fathers trusted in him, & were deliuered; yea how often God hath beene our helper, and therefore wee need not to feare what man can doe against vsus. Hereby wee may also call to mind, those wise and holy Precepts and counsailes, which eueryevery wise and holy man doth prepare, and lay vp for times of trouble and temptation. For it is fit that in calmes wee should prouide for stormes; we should p. 436in the quiet times of life sit downe, and according to our Sauiours most prudent aduice, cast vp our reckonings, what the forces of our enemies be, what kind of fighting they vse, how their wounds may bee preuented, and how cured, if suffered for want of preuention. Hee that hath performed this act of consideration, he fitteth himselfe with spirituall armour, proper to each kind of conflict. As soone as he sees the trouble, he chooseth out a fit shaft to pierce and encounter it; when he sees the blow comming, he knowes the Ward that must defend it. And all this is put in execution by p. 437the benefit of patience. For the impatient lyes open to al blowes; his wits are confounded, & when he should hold vp his shield, hee striketh with his sword, and when he should take an arrow from the quiuer of the Spirit, he catcheth at a club proffered to him by the flesh. To such a one all things are confused, hee is besides himselfe, and therefore knowes not the choise of actions. Againe, by patience wee hauehave the vse of Charitie, a principall and Mother-grace: For hereby euen in the midst of persecutions, we can pray for our Persecutors, and say, Father, forgiue them, for they p. 432duplicate page p. 433duplicate page p. 434duplicate page p. 435duplicate page p. 436duplicate page p. 437duplicate page p. 438know not what they doe; and, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. This qualitie of ouer-comming euill with good, and likewise the helpe of patience toward the performance of it, must wee beleeue to bee a chiefe preferment to a Christian in this race vntounto glorie. For certainly it is so neere a resemblance of the perfection of God, that God exceedingly delighteth in the doers thereof, and takes speciall notice of such; as those who are lifted vp aboue the dregs of humane corruption, into a high participation of a diuine and godly Nature. They are good out of an inward goodnes, and p. 441not because they looke on good and pleasant obiects. For whatsoeuer their obiect is, they are still good, & account the excellency of goodnesse, and the fauour it hath with God, to be sufficient causes of goodnesse though in the world they see nothing but euill, which of it selfe deserueth onelyonly euill. And that this must needes procure a great louelove & blessing from God, doth appeare by the effects it worketh in creatures infinitely inferiour to God, yea impure and depraued. For, euen SAVL himselfe, whom the Deuil draue to the hunting of DAVID, as a Partrich in the Mountaynes; p. 442this SAVLS euill and wicked rage, melteth away with the beames of DAVIDS shining and glorious goodnesse; and being preserued by him, whom hee sought to slay, he is so ouercome and changed by that goodnesse of DAVID, that he is inforced to blesse him as a sonne, whom hee had taken such paines to slay as an enemie. And if a cursed man can doe this, how shall hee blesse, that is the Father of blessings? Surely, let our soules firmely dwell in this Truth, that those actions which are most perfectly referred to God, and hauehave no end but God, are most fully rewarded of God; and p. 443as much as any outward thing doth share in the end, so much doe we lose of our reward, and so much of our reward must wee looke of that End which did set vsus on worke. Now where euill is offered, goodnes cannot well propose any end, but God, in bestowing it selfe for euill. By patience also, wee make roome for Faith, and like a good child it cherisheth the parent that begate it: for, while patience keepes the house of Man in quietnesse, the vnruly and tumultuous affections being suppressed and stilled, the soule is at leisure to look abroade vvith the eye of Faith; euen to looke within p. 444the vaile, and there to see & comfort her selfe in eternall ioyes, presently possessed by Hope, which as an Anker both sure and stedfast, is there alreadie vnmoouably fastned. By Patience also, hauehave we time and place for the excellent instrument of Prayer, to fulfill her worke of piercing the heauens, & presenting our necessities & griefes to the Throne of Grace. And commonly the prayer of the patient returnes with this comfortable answere: In a time accepted, and in the day of saluation hauehave I heard thee: for, the patient abiding of the meeke shall not perish for euer. And that we may yet bee a p. 445little more in louelove with this beautifying and beautifull patience, let vsus looke her somewhat stedfastly on the face, and particularly desery her excellent proportion. If thus we doe, we shall find, that patience is placed by God in the heart of man against troubles; as the cliffes against the waues of the Sea; for, by patience God saith to the flouds of persecutions & vexations, Hitherto shall yee come & no farther, and here shall yee stay your proud waues. It is the hedge of GODS Vineyard, euen of the blessed Spirits of the Saints, which hath fenced them in the bloudiest times, against p. 446the wildest Bores, euen the fiercest Tyrants. The body might bee broken by torments, but this brazen wall of the soule could neuer be battered; it is a kind of metall that is fitted of purpose to indure the fire, euen a firy triall, and to bee made brighter thereby. This she doth, and how can she doe otherwise? for she is borne of heauenly Ancestors, and fetcheth her originall from the Highest. The power of the most Mightie doth sustaine her, & how can it be but she must then be mightie and powerfull? For Patience fetcheth her strength and life from Hope, Hope from Faith, Faith from p. 447Christ, Christ from God. If it were not for Hope, the heart would breake with impatience; if it were not for Faith, Hope would dye and starue, as being without a roote; if it were not for Christ, Faith would perish for want of an obiect. And vvithout the Godhead, the Manhood of Christ were not a sufficient foundation of Faith. But now the Godhead supporteth and inableth the Man-hood of Christ by a mightie Vnion; Faith groundeth an vnmouable foundation vponupon Christ, being God & Man; Hope violently layes hold on the ioyes truly discouered by Faith, and Patience p. 448takes iust courage and comfort from Hope, because Hope tells her shee must waite but a little, and the promises shall certainly bee receiued. And as Patience by this meanes powerfully supporteth, and sustayneth the Soule, and the graces infused into her, so is shee also an excellent meanes for the increase of the same graces. Patience is the calme of the Soule; and as it is best sowing of visible Graine in a time of calme, so in the calme of the Soule, is it best sowing of the Inuisible seed of the Word and Spirit. Then can wee most truely say, My heart is ready, and, Speake, Lord, for thy Seruant p. 449is at leisure to heare thee and then with Marie; are we most fit for that thing which is necessarie, when by Patience we hauehave excluded the many things that are troublesome. The Spirit delighteth in a meek and quiet Spirit, it commeth in the still wind, and not in the storme and tempest. Accordingly experience teacheth vsus, that the Patient hauehave euer receiued spirituall consolations: and euen this experience is a consolation to Patience. For this experience, that the louelove of God is shed abroad into the hearts of the patient, so affects the patient, that they be not ashamed. And if wee p. 450would rather beleeue Examples, then Positions, Let vsus examine the Stories of IOB, and DAVID, and let vsus remember what end God made with them. The latter end of the patient, hath recompensed his beginning; his patient sowing in teares, hath brought forth the carrying of sheues with ioy. God will be suffered, loued, and trusted, euen when he afflicteth, and chastizeth; he will hauehave the Soule to repose her Happinesse in him, while the body feeleth temporall miserie. And if hee bee still trusted, and loued, if the heart still cleaueth vntounto him, then hee commeth at length, with a p. 451large measure of comfort, he performeth indeed, what he hath spoken in his Word: Whoso trusteth in the Lord, MercieMercy shall compasse him. It is no great glorie to GOD, nor excellencie in Man to trust in GOD, when with THOMAS we feele and handle the fauours of God. The bodie may hauehave a share in this kinde of trust: But the sight of things inuisible is the highest pitch of the Soule; this commends Man vntounto God, yea, it glorifies God vntounto Man; for it brings downe certaine newes, that there is Grace and MercieMercy with God, when the bodie vtterly denies it, because it feeles the strokes of seeming p. 452Wrath and Punishment. And in this testimonie deliuered and receiued, GOD exceedingly delighteth; euen to bee trusted vnderunder hope against hope, & hee abundantly recompenseth it, as in ABRAHAM, so in the sonnes of ABRAHAM. Another aduantage of Grace by the mediation of Patience, is this, that the patient afflicted, and hee only, vseth afflictions, as incentiues to spiritual feruencie, and being by troubles driuen out the flesh, and the comforts thereof, hee goes more mightily and wholly into the Spirit. He quitteth the battered and polluted tabernacle of his lothsome p. 453flesh, and hee entreth into the secret of the Highest, where, by his Spirit GOD himselfe resideth. There doth he warme himselfe by the heauenly flames, hee blowes and kindles them, seeking by all meanes, that as sufferings abound, so consolations may also abound, and that temporall sorrow bee at least counterpoyzed by spirituall ioyes. So through Patience, troubles driue vsus neerer to Christ, and sharpen our stomakes to sucke more earnestly and eagerly the nourishment of Life Eternall. But on the other side, besides the losse of aduantages, a multitude of euils rusheth p. 454in vponupon the Soule vnfenced by Patience. Surely shee is a continuall prey to eueryevery trouble, shee is neuer owner of her selfe, but like a light and vnballasted vessell, shee is at the command of eueryevery waue, of eueryevery winde. As continuall as the miserie of Man is, so continuall is the distemper of Men impatient; and as often as troubles doe happen, so often be they lifted vp frō the hindges of their soules, and remooued into the habitations of their blinde and vncomfortable flesh. Such a one is cleane besides himselfe, euen besides his Soule; which is the reason that hee can neither p. 455aduise, nor comfort himselfe. For the vnderstanding which should direct, is as a Candle put out, or couered with a Bushell; the will and affections, which by the succours of Reason should support and strengthen, are drawn away from lending their seruice to Reason, and so to Man, and are become slaues of Passion and Perturbation. And so it comes to passe, that in such cases, a mans owne will and affections, which should sustaine and cherish him, doe distract and teare him to pieces. And commonly it falls out with the impatient, that to the euill of affliction (which might p. 456hauehave been turned to good) hee addeth two euils more of his owne; euill actions, and euill passions; committing foolish things, and doing cruell things, against his own Soule and Heart. And these two are commonly the greater kinde of euils, and which the enmitie of Grace most intendeth, and therefore by vsus especially should be preuented. Satan in spoyling the Flockes, in destroying the Children, in tormenting the bodie of holy IOB, did not so much ayme to make him poore, childlesse, and full of paine; as to make him desperate, and rebellious against his Creatour and Sauiour by p. 457impatience. His greatest Malice is against our greatest Happinesse; he knowes wee are still blessed, while God is one with vsus, though we be poore, naked, and full of sores as LAZARVS, who in this life tormented, yet was after exalted to ABRAHAMS bosome: He values our chiefe Felicitie, at a higher and a truer rate, then many of vsus doe, and he values temporall things at a lower rate, then many of vsus doe; Therefore hee will indifferently take or giuegive temporall things, to diminish our eternall ioyes; he will assay either by proffers, or by plagues, to draw vsus from our soueraigne p. 458Good: And wee more foolishly, and ignorantly, are readie to forsake eternall felicitie, whensoeuer Satan will hire vsus with temporall commoditie, or beate vsus from it with momentanie afflictions. But it becommeth vsus not to bee ignorant of Satans policies; where Satans eye is most settled to hurt vsus, let our eye bee there most fixed for our preseruation. Toward this, let vsus thus farre ioyne with Satan, yea learne of him, if wee knew it not before, that the vnion and agreement of our Soule with God, is the vnion of felicitie; and therefore whatsoeuer wee lose, let vsus not part p. 459from that. If Satan rob vsus of a bagge of Siluer, let vsus not call after him, and bid him take a bagge of Gold also. If hee afflict vsus outwardly, yet surrender not to him thy inward and euerlasting Happinesse. He is a Prince in this World, and so can doe great things in the World. He can persecute, he can exalt, he can torment. But hee is a slaue us concerning the other World, which is called the Kingdome of Heauen. Hee cannot reach to this Kingdome which is in the Soule, where GOD is the King. Therefore by the things of this life, on which hee hath power, hee reacheth to the p. 460things of the next life, on which hee hath no power, that by his owne, hee may preuaile on that which is Gods. But we on the other side, as we know the Deuils purpose, so let vsus know his bounds, and then wee shall be safe. Let vsus know that he can only stretch his power to temporall and outward things, and no further; and the inward things hee must get by surrender, or else he cannot conquer them. Wherefore bee carefull to keepe him at his true distance; if Satan hauehave leaue to winnow thee outwardly; yet pray to thy Mediator, that hee pray, that thy faith faile not: if hee cause p. 461thy outward man to perish, bee thou carefull that thy inward man bee renewed daily; and take heed that thou giuegive not more to him, then he hath alreadie; especially giuegive not thy eternitie for his vanitie, neither giuegive him an vsurped power ouer the Kingdome of Heauen, to which hee is a base slaue, and by which he shall be iudged. Cast not to him thy soule after thy bodie, nor thy soule and bodie after thy goods; if the Prince of this World will hauehave the things of the World, yeeld to this Prince, what must needes bee giuen to this Prince: but the things of GOD, giuegive only to GOD; p. 462the things of Grace and Glorie, reserue for the Author of Grace, and the King of Glorie. For want of this restraint and limitation of Satans power, hauehave many Saints of God lost the possession of their soules, and in those times of extasie, hauehave vndertaken dolefull actions and executions, which hauehave grieued and pined the Spirit within them, and hauehave made worke for a long-after-sorrow, and vexation of soule. Surely NABALS churlishnesse entred too farre into DAVIDS spirit, and the iniurie of the Thessalonians, too much deliuered away the soule of THEODOSIVS into furie, p. 463and the questions of the High Priests Seruants, stole away too much of PETERS Courage and Resolution. These holy men, sometimes by their frailty, gaue too much way, and yeelded too great aduantage to Satan: But some there bee, who are perfect in Satans arte of impatience, and therefore are his highest and greatest schollers. Let the Deuill throw but one crosse to them, they will take their soules, and throw them to the Deuils head; for they breake out either into some cursed rage, or into the rage of cursing, or into some cursed action. Such a one is the Deuils Water-spaniell, he p. 464goes and brings what the Deuill sends for; and if hee bid him bring his owne soule, hee carries it many times to him in his owne mouth, euen in a mouth of Reuiling, Reuenge, Curses, and Execrations. But let vsus rather consider, that Mankind stands betweene two Spirits, the Spirit of Light, and the Spirit of Darknes, and each of them hath a seuerall doore into Mans heart, to possesse and inhabit it. The Spirit of Blessednesse comes in by the doore of the Spirit, and this is opened vntounto him by the Key of Patience; The spirit of Hell enters by the doore of the flesh, and this p. 465is vnlocked to him by impatience. Now troubles & afflictions knock at both these doores, they knock at the doore of the Spirit, calling to vsus to open to the Lord of Life, with the Key of Patience; who is now comming by afflictions, to nurture, and to instruct vsus, euen to increase vsus in the fruits of Righteousnesse. But afflictions knock likewise at the doore of the flesh, and by the feeling of smart, perswade Impatience to open to the prince of darknesse, since so griefe may be eased, and it seemes a vaine thing to please & serue an afflicting and chastizing God. But p. 466take heed thou open not the doore of Death, to admit the Prince of Death, but by Patience admit the King of Glorie, and giuegive him the possession of thy soule; for his stripes are healers, his chastizements are restoratiues, and his strokes are the strokes of a Father. So shalt thou prosper in grace, by afflictiōs, through the good husbandry of Patience, and on the other side thou shalt preuent all Satans mischieuous purposes, euen all the euils that vsually doe issue from a tottered, disioynted, and abandoned spirit. Now that thou mayst prouide for thy selfe such a strong Patience, p. 467which may bee a Coate of proofe to the soule; thy Patience must be tempred and steeled with Resolution. This Resolution is the Armour of thy Armour; euen the keeper of thy Patience, which is the keeper of thy soule and the Graces bestowed vponupon it. For hereby wee are constantly prepared to indure all the crosses and troubles of this transitorie race of miserie: And this Resolution to be good, must also issue from faith, that sees GOD our felicitie, who otherwise is inuisible, and from hope, by which future blessednesse, though absent, yet assured, yeelds vsus comfort aboue p. 468all vanishing miseries. Thus the Souldier of God, warfaring against the Enemies of his heauenly Countrie, stands inuincible against the gates of Hell, and himselfe being wounded or slaine, yet his Patience, and consequently his soule, is safe and aliue. But if thou hast not this Resolution stil ready at hand, thou art impatient, as soone as thou feelest a blow, & thou must needs run away; for thou didst neuer resolue to fight. Thou hast not made thy cōputation what the Kingdome of Heauen will cost thee, or at least when thou sawest the reckoning, thou diddest not resolue to bee at p. 469the charge: Therefore thou art not for the Army of Christ; for all his Souldiers hauehave resolued to sell all, to take vp his Crosse, and to follow him, in the way of suffering, vntounto the Crowne of Glorie.

To conclude, that wee may yet bee more secured, that neither our Patience nor Resolution faile vsus in the day of tryall; Let vsus know by whose strength wee may stand, and in that strength, let vsus especially seeke strength. We may doe well, to open the Eye of Faith, to behold the ioyes of Heauen which are eternall: for Christ on the crosse beheld this Glory, & therefore p. 470endured the Crosse, & no doubt, the same ioyes, seene with the same sight, may worke the same Resolution. We may doe well to apply the Oyle of hope to the sores and wounds, made by troubles & temptations; we may doe well to behold the louelove of GOD, which wee cannot thinke, intends to punish or torment, but to amend and exalt, and we may doe well to looke vponupon the print of Gods seale in our hearts, by which that louelove is assured to vsus. Yet when wee hauehave done all this, it is the power of God that makes all this profitable to vsus. If GOD draw in his breath, we shall p. 471be troubled in the midst of our Contemplations, and Resolutions, we shall after many protestations deny him with PETER; all these helps will helpe vsus no more then the Law did the Iewes, without the strong Helper. For euen Christ himselfe, by the power of God, endured the wrath of God, and by being GOD, despised the shame imposed for the sins of men. The Glory proposed comforted him, but by the Comforter; & the Spirit which hee had, not by measure, did aboue measure quicken him with the sight of those ioyes. Wherefore let vsus especially by earnest Prayer, resort to our p. 472chiefe and only strength, without whom no man shal bee strong in his owne strength. Let vsus seeke of God that power, by which PAVL being strengthened, was able to doe all things, Let vsus put our trust in God alone, and with DAVID call him our Rocke, our Fortresse, our Shield, and our strength. We are but Dwarfes to Satan; and hee that is in the World, is farre greater then we. But if God be in vsus, hee is farre greater then he that is in the World; and he can make our weaknesse to exceed Satans strength. Therfore disclayming the keeping of our selues, let vsus commit our selues to GOD, p. 473trusting that he will keep to the end, what wee hauehave committed vntounto him. Let vsus draw neere vntounto GOD, and to the power of his right hand; let vsus take vp our rest vnderunder the shaddow of his wings. In his Name, and not in our owne, may wee boast all the day long, for it is his right hand that will get himselfe the victory in vsus. If thus wee seeke the Lord, hee will be found of vsus; if we ascribe power to the Lord, the power of God will descend to those that glorifie his power; if we trust in the God of Battailes, of weake we shall be made strong, as the faithfull hauehave beene in the dayes of p. 474old. And if we can once say, The Lord girdeth mee with strength to the battell, wee may also say, Those that rise against vsus, shalt thou subdue vnderunder vsus. Let Principalities & Powers muster vp things present, and things to come, height, and depth, life and death, yet in all these shall wee be more then Conquerours, through him that loueth and sustaineth vsus. Our Patience and our Resolution are grounded vponupon the Rocke of Omnipotence; though the windes blow, & the flouds beat, they shall stand for they are grounded on a Rocke, and while Patience standeth, the Soule flourisheth; where God seeth p. 475Patience, he seeth also that the workes are more at last, then at the first; for that, and that alone, is a good and fruitfull ground, which bringeth forth fruit with Patience.