Patience and its Perfect Work under Sudden and Sore Trials, Discourse · Section
For Proofe: That Patience is the eminent perfection of a Chriſtian.
§. ITAke the Inſtance of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. What was Chriſts perfection? He had been perfect in all active obedience, compleat in all Graces, yet the Glory of his perfection is put upon his sufferings and his Patience, Heb. 2. 10. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many Sons unto Glory, to make the Captain of their ſalvation [PERFECT through ſufferings.] This of Patient enduring was, that, which enhaunſed and exalted his obedience ſo, Phil. 2. He humbled himſelf and was obedient to death, &c. This of patient enduring was obedience learned, Heb. 5. 8. Though he was a Son, yet he [learned obedience] by what he ſuffered. The Active part of obedience was natural to him, he being as the Natural Son, the Holy One of God: having the Law of God in his heart, and it Pf. 40. 8. Heb. 10.was his delight, his meat and drink to doe his will. That is, this was natural to him: But for him to ſuffer, who was the Son, and ſo to be patient in ſuffering, who was ſo great a Perſon, this was to be learned, as that which was improper for ſuch a Perſon, The Son: And yet (as I may ſay) this perfected the natural accompliſhments of him; this was a leſſon out of the rode, utterly uncouth, and extravagant; He muſt goe to ſchoole therefore to learn this: For ſo that text implyes, this he was to learn, as that which would perfect him, above all. And ſo indeed to this purpoſe, it follows in the 9. ver. Being made perfect, that is by what he ſuffered (as in the verſe afore, and chap. 2. He had alſo ſaid.) And as that which did perfect him, more then all his other obedience, and rendred him more acceptable to his Father: Now it was his Patience, and enduring, wherein, that his obedience Principally lay: which accordingly is ſo often ſpoken of him, as Heb. 12. 2, 3. He endured the Croſs, and v. 2. He endured ſuch contradictions of ſinners, v. 3. the ſame word that here is uſed for Patience: that the Verb, this the Nown. Enduring is put to expreſs Patience: And is the word uſed up and down the New Teſtament, and in this Epiſtle moſt, to expreſs Patience by, as chap. 1. v. 12. chap. 5. v. 8, 10, 11. Now Chriſt did ſo endure. He was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter, he opened not his mouth. Hogs cry, but ſheep make no din, when led to the ſlaughter; or when their throats are cut. And this was Chriſts Proper, and Super perfection, who is therefore propoſed as an example of ſuffering and Patience, to us, and likewiſe of that glorious end and iſſue, of it, in theſe words of that chap. 5. 11. Ye have heard of the patience of Job. [And you have ſeen the end of the Lord] namely of the Lord CHRIST. Which many of theſe Jews, he wrote to, had ſeen with their eyes; or it was tranſacted in their times, and ſo in their view: they ſaw him ſuffer, and they ſee him crowned with Glory and Honour, Heb. 2. That was the END of our Lord, and his ſufferings, which made him perfect.
And as it was Jeſus Chriſts perfection, ſo it was of the moſt eminent Saints. Look again into this Epiſtle, chap. 5. v. 11. and you find the primitive principle that was in Vogue to be, [Behold we count them happy which endure] (it is ſtill the ſame word which is uſed for Patience, as was ſaid) that is, we Chriſtians generally eſteem them the happieſt men in the world, that are moſt exerciſed with ſufferings, and armed with patience to endure them. They are happy to a [BEHOLD!] and ſo to a perfection, in our common eſteem. Behold WECOƲNT them happy. It was a common cryed up maxim, amongſt them in thoſe Times, and the thing it ſelf in greateſt requeſt.
Then 3. Take the Prophets for an example (ſays he) chap. 5. 10. He commends them alſo for their Patience, as well as for their Prophecies: And though he deſcribes them by this Character, and Periphraſis, that have ſpoken in the name of the Lord: yet that was but to ſet out and celebrate the example of their ſufferings and Patience, the more. He ſets the Crown upon the head of that Grace: Nor doth he mention any of the good they had done▪ Nothing of that, but their ſufferings only. And then by name, he inſtanceth in Job. God boaſted of him to Satan, for his former active life in holineſs: but you have no mention of that by the Apoſtle, nor in the New Teſtament, but he cryes him up for his ſuffering, and his Patience, only, as that which had endeared him to God, more then all the former part of his life.
Laſtly, take the Apoſtles: The Apoſtle in the Revel. puts it into his Coat of Armes, as a piece of his Nobility, and a part of his Herauldry. I John who am your Rev. 1. 9.Brother and Companion in Tribulation, and in the Kingdom [and Patience] of Jeſus Chriſt.
Now upon all theſe grounds, if you be true, and right Chriſtians, and know (as the Apoſtles word is) how to put a due eſtimate upon what is your greateſt intereſt and priviledg in this life, (viz. the proof and tryal of your Graces, and of this Grace of Patience above all, as the higheſt perfection of a Chriſtian; yea of Chriſt himſelf; and which was the moſt eminent praiſe of Prophets and Apoſtles) if you value your being rendred, moſt pleaſing unto God, then count it all Joy when you thus fall into tentations. For now you have God and Chriſt, the great, the chief Maſter Orderer and Deſigner of theſe conſticts, ſetting his moſt gracious eye upon you, pleaſing himſelf to behold how valiantly, wiſely, and gallantly, you be have, and acquit your ſelves: He ſits in Heaven, as the great Spectator of theſe Juſts and Turnaments, which are to him as Spectacles which are ſports to us: to which the Apoſtle alludes, 1 Cor 4. 9. For I think that God hath ſet forth ƲS the Apoſtles laſt, … it were appointed to death, fo… we are made a ſpectacle unto th… World, and to Angles, and to Men Rejoyce therefore as good Soldiers would, to enter into theſe Liſts, in the ſight of their Grea… General, and Emperour, whom they have given themſelves up to pleaſe. Thus 2 Tim. 2. 4. … man that warreth entanglet… himſelf with the affairs of thi… life, that he may [PLEASE HIM, who hath choſen him: TO BE A SOLDIER.] Therefore get your hearts free and looſe from all thoſe entanglements, that ariſe from adherency to the things of this world; from inordinate paſſions …hat cleave unto the things of this …ife, which will hinder and wea…en you, as to a patient bearing …he loſſes and croſſes you meet with, in it: Knowing alſo, that …ou cannot pleaſe the Captain of …our ſalvation, nor approve your …elves, more to him, then by a …atient endurance, which is, in …he words afore that paſſage, in …hat place to Timothy, exhorted …o, v. 3. Therefore endure hardneſs …s a good Soldier of Chriſt. And …n its Coherence, this follows, [it …leaſeth your General to ſee it.] And in the 1. of Col. he firſt, in the General, prayes, v. 10. That they might walk worthy of the Lord …nto ALL PLEASING. Which Pleaſing, as it conſiſteth in fruit fulneſs in good Works, or the active life of a Chriſtian, [Being fruitful in every good work] in the ſame verſe: So, i… being ſtrengthened with all might unto all patience, and long-ſuffering; as that, which is the ſecond, and chiefeſt, and moſt glorious part, that a Chriſtian is to perform, to conſummate the other; And which therefore requires a more glorious power to work it, then the former, the Active part did, as verſe 11 ſhewes: Strengthned with a might, [according to his glorious Power,] unto all Patience, and long-ſuffering.
Thus much for the opening o… the words, in Order to that I am more ſetly to handle, which followeth.