The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. The ſixt part of the Soole, is the ground-Riſe.
AFter the Contrition, Humiliation, Confeſſion, Maceration, & Hope of Remiſsion, there needeth Christian Patience: 6. Chriſtian Patiēce.by the which a Repentant Sinner is wonderfully ſtrengthened in the better performance of all the former: for by this a man is made able to ſuſtaine and ouercome with an equall mind all aduerſe & hard aduentures whatſoeuer: the which therefore our Sauiour commended to his Diſciples in the middeſt of their afflictions and troubles in this worlde,Mat. …4. Iam. 5.7. ſaying: In patience yee ſhall poſſeſſe your ſouless: the like hath Iames: Be yee pattent therefore brethren vntounto the comming of the Lorde. And this is ſignified by the Grownd-Riſe in the Soole of Pieties Plough. This is that peece of timber which is faſtened to the foote of the broadhale: and ſerueth not only for an ayd to that part in the ſtaying vp of the earth which the Culter hath opened, but alſo, for the beating of the ſtones, clods and earth, from the bottome of the furrow, and indeede ſtandeth in the place of the mightieſt aſſaultes of thoſe manifolde oppoſitions, the which notwithſtanding being of that force (though of no great bignes) it ſlideth forth with the Soole, and paſſeth on in the worke pretended, leauing all thoſe ſtones, cloddes, and raſed earth behinde it, as that valiant victor which hauing ſlain his enemie in the field, paſſeth ouer him, and lets him there lie. And of that nature and force is Patience, which therfore is defined, a voluntarie and daily ſuſtentation and tolleration of very difficult and hard thinges for the ſake of honeſtie & vtility: or (after the Philoſophers) an obedience to Reaſon, in bearing thoſe hard aduentures which Reaſon perſwadeth to bee borne, and not daunted with ſorrow, that a man ſhould yeeld to do or commit any thing againſt vertue, notwithſtanding he ſhould die or ſuffer any pain whatſoeuer. Neither are ſuch eſteemed patient perſons, which ouercome with ſorrow, are perſwaded to perpetrate that which is not agreeable to Iuſtice or any other vertues. But the Fathers of our Church defining the right Chriſtian and true Patience, the ſame (which is here required) hauehave ſtrengthened it with the diuine louelove in Ieſus, without the which all patience is painefull, and eueryevery affliction intollerable. Hee therefore which gladly beareth all labours,Caſſiodor. True Patience and her off…ce. afflictions and griefes, laide on him in this life, in the hope of thoſe good thinges which are to come vntounto him, and for the louelove of GOD in Chriſt, is a right patient man. Hee beareth, not againſt his will, or perforce, but willingly and gladly: not pleaſures, but paines: not in hope of worldly promotion, but of the good things of the life to come: not for the louelove of the world, diuell or fleſh; but for the louelove of God: that not deſerued by that ſuffring, or any his merits, but in Ieſus Chriſt. This therefore is that vertue (indeede) which obeyeth God, in bearing all afflictions which the Lorde commandeth him to beare, and therein is not broken with ſorrow, as that wee woulde endeuour any thing againſt Gods will, or grudge at thoſe his corrections. For it is the office of Patience to mollifie all ſorrowes by the acknowledging of Gods will, and the conſideration of the gladneſſe of his Spirit, to retaine hope of good deliuery from troubles through Chriſt: to deſire of God mitigation, & eaſe, according to that ſaying of the Pſalmiſt, Waite on the Lord, and keepe his waies, and he wil promote thee, thou ſhalt ſee it. Iohn Chriſoſtome Chryſoſtome.gathereth nine degrees of this Ground-Riſe. The firſt degree is, that a man beginne not to doe any Iniuſtice. Next, that hee reuenge not his enemie with the like. Thirdly, that he do not that which himſelf hath ſuffered, to him that moleſted him, but to ſurceaſe. Fourthly, to expoſe himſelfe to the ſufferance of iniuries. Fiftly, to offer himſelfe againe to the like. Sixtly, not to hate him that wrongs him. Seuenthly, but to louelove him. Eightly, to doe him good. Ninthly, to pray for him. Theſe pointes are taken from the Doctrine of Chriſt,Mat. 5.3…. which hee preached to his Diſciples on the Mount: I ſay vntounto you (ſaith he) Reſiſt not euill: but whoſoeuer ſhal ſmite thee on thy right cheeke, turne to him the other alſo: And if any man will ſew thee at the law, & take away thy coate, let him hauehave thy cloake alſo: and whoſoeuer will compell thee to goe a mile, goe with him twaine. Againe, LoueLove your enemies: bleſſe them that curſe you: doe good to them that hate you pray for them which hurt you, and perſecute you. This hee ſaith, to teach how farre off wee ſhould bee from reuenge & murmour: and that wee ſhould rather be contented to beare yet more and greater wrongs and troubles, then to ſtudy or endeuour to reuenge or grudge againſt that which we hauehave already laide on vsus. Our Lord to perſwade to this vertue, produceth one ſound reaſon: That you may be the children of your Father which is in heauen. As if hee ſaid: God is patient and long ſuffering: he is your Father, yee are his children: it is meete that yee ſhould therein be conformed to your father, which ſaith; Be ye holy, as I am holy. Chriſt might hauehave produced the example of Iob, that patient man, as Iames did: or of Abraham, of Ioſeph, or of Moſes, as Stephen, and Paul did: yea, he might hauehave brought his owne example, who (as the Scripture teſtifieth) being ſtricken, he ſtrooke not again,God is called Patie…t but patiently bare our ſinnes and our puniſhments in his body on the tree: and was the moſt perfect patterne of this vertue, farre beyond all them that euer liued in the world: but he bringeth forth God his naturall father, and our heauenly father: and as he declared therein both his true nature and obedience to his naturall father: ſo would hee that we alſo through him ſhould bee therein conformed and made like to our heauenly father, and might thus argue: God is patient, and he is my Father: therefore am I alſo patient, which am his ſonne. God is patient, and hee is your Father: and I am patient, which am his Sonne, and your Brother, and Sauiour. Therefore ſhould yee alſo be patient which are his children, and my brethren, and by me preſerued. Againe, God is patient to you ward, therefore ſhould ye alſo be patient, not only towards him, but alſo one towards an other of you. And ſurely, as the Soole is imperfect, without the Ground-Riſe: neither can a Chriſtian be a ſufficient labourer in the Lords field, or meete qualified for this Spirituall Plough, without patience. For by this, hard things are eaſie: grieuous matters are made tollerable, and ſowre thinges ſeeme ſweete. The contrition of the heart, the humiliation of the minde: the confeſſion of the mouth, the narration of the fleſh, and the hope of remiſſion, is mightily confirmed and eſtabliſhed by this Chriſtian vertue. Therefore let vsus harken therein to the Lord and his holy Apoſtles, which exhort and perſwade vsus to helpe on the Plough, with this powerfull Ground-riſe.