Balm for Bleeding England and Ireland, Sermon 9
USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times.
COLOSS. 1.11.
—Ʋnto [all patience, &c.
COncerning Patience according to its formality, you have heard: concerning patience now according to its graduality I am to ſpeake, according as the terme here in my Text leades me,—all] Patience, &c. Patience is a quality, and qualities admit of intention and remiſſion; a man may have leſſe or more, much or all Patience, as the expreſſion here is. As there is little faith and great faith, ſo there is little Patience and great patience; could yee not watch with me one houre? that was little patience. What if J will that he tarry till I come? this is great patience, all patience, as the terme here is.
All Patience notes a totallity, under a foure fold reference: it notes a totality in reference to ſubject, quality, condition, and time. All patience notes totum ſubjecti, the man all patient: that is, patient in tongue and in heart. 'Tis very uſuall and very naturall to broken men to make falſe Coyne, to put ſilver and gold without, when the piece is braſſe within, and not a quarter ſo much worth as it goes for. Many a piece is pure mettall to look upon, and yet take away the guild, and but baſe mettall within: So many a man hath a painted patience, an outſide patience, a Lip patience, as there is a Lip-love; very patient to talke with and to looke upon; very coole in the lips, but burning within. There is a white powder, a wildfire ſo ordered, as to make no great report; ſo there is a pale impatience, that lookes white in the face, but red and bloudy within; it makes little report in the tongue, but yet is deadly wild-fire. Man is a creature of art, he can carry fire in his boſome, and keepe it from flameing forth; he can hide coales under embers, and ſeeme as if there were no fire; he can make words as ſmooth as Oyle, when War and Hell are in the heart: he can forgive and not forget; Scorch and burn himſelfe inwardly, and ſay nothing; hurt no body, but kill himſelfe: this is fretting 'tis not patience, 'tis impatience within doore, or behinde doore: 'tis diſcontented thouhgts pent up: heart paſſion ſtiffled, which is deadly impatience; which all patience, and no leſſe then this, thoroughly takes away.
All Patience, is man all in good temper; Vital ſpirits & pulſe beating well, as well as Lips and Countenance looking well. All Patience, 'tis all powers and parts within and without moving divinely and ſweetly, when all in a diſtreſſed ſtate: 'tis every faculty and organ in tune to move towards God, when ſcarce any at eaſe to move towards man: 'tis a man begging forgiveneſſe in a ſtorme of ſtones, for thē that unjuſtly throw them.
As this expreſſion notes totum ſubjecti, ſo it notes totum ipſius qualitatis, a totallity of the very quality, of the very grace of patience. All patience, that is, patiience, that is al patience: patience without mixture of paſſion: pure patience; patience that is throughout, what 'tis called; as far from all mixture, as 'tis poſſible for fleſh and bloud to be: patience ſo farre from all impatience, that man ſees none, God takes notice of none, patience ſo farre from impatience, as to grieve no humane ſpirit nor Divine.
Mans vertues are mixt, yea, his very graces are mixt; in ſome more mixt then in others; in ſome ſo much mixt that grace is in a manner buried, and of no gloſſe to denominate the man, nor of no ſtrength to make the man uſefull. Mixture makes corruption, the more mixture the more corruption; 'tis hard to call ſome men gratious, or to ſay what they are fit for, paſſion is ſo ſtrong and patience ſo weake and low: ſuch a man is a torment to himſelfe, and all neere him. A Chriſtian hath his gloſſe and his uſe, as eminent in patience; this the Apoſtle eyed in this expreſſion, therefore (I thinke) this may be his meaning, All patience, is patience all pure: the ſpirit of an Angel, free from all perturbation, above all ſcandall, very amiable and very uſefull, fit for all ſervice that God and his Goſpel can call to.
All patience notes a totallity, as in reference to quality, ſo in reference to to condition, totum periculi, a heart ſo principled, ſo compos ſui maſter of himſelfe, that no evill can make evill; not the greateſt evill, the leaſt impreſſion of evil. Evil is nomen magnitudinis & nomen midtitudinis, it ſpeakes one, and it ſpeaks many: it ſpeakes a great one, and it ſpeakes a great many: now all patience is ſuch a height as holds its owne fully, under all tryalls, under all the waves of God, without ſinking, or ſhrinking: under evils muſtered by God, weapon'd, marſhal'd, brought on by God; ſet on, kept on, by God; made doe execution by God, further then man, any man, can doe; made to pierce the ſides, and to pierce the heart—the Arrowes of the Allmighty are within mee ſaith Job, their poyſon drinkes up my ſpirit, the terrors of God doe ſet themſelves in array againſt mee, Job 6. A body ſo ſhot, a ſoule ſo ſhot, to come off ſo bravely as Iob doth there —Let him not ſpare for I have not concealed the words of the holy one. Let man wound, God wound, God and man doe what they will to ſoule and body, and not ſpare, yet God that wounds will I obey to the death; this is all patience: that is, patience that holds its own in all conditions.
All Parience, 'tis patience breathing her ſelfe forth, in the Teeth of a dog, and ſetters on: Shimei may barke. Standers by hiſſe: to make barking againe, and yet all patience divinely turnes off all, beholding GOD in a dead Dog, a righteous God, in an unrighteous man. All patience, 'tis a heart able to ſuppreſſe all inſurrection, from the naked conſideration of God and ſinne: a heart that can quiet it ſelfe from the very rod; gather patience from the very twigs that whip and ſmart. All patience, 'tis a heart which from the ſhaper and ſhaping of affliction, can ſhape it ſelfe ſhoulders to beare it well: 'tis a heart ſo principled, as able to fetch out of every eater, meate: out of a tearing Lyon, Honey: out of every bitter, ſweete: ſomething in, or about every evill, to keepe it ſelfe good, and make it ſelfe better. All patience, 'tis a ſpirit growne to an angelicall height, able to carry himſelfe ſweetly to a dog, to a Divell, to the worſt creature offending, with no worſe paſſion then this, The Lord rebuke thee.
All Patience notes a totality in reference to time, totum temporis. All Patience, is patience in graine; ſuch as will hold its colour, yea, it's very gloſſe, as long as the cloth laſt: it notes ſuch a patience as dies not, till the man die; ſuch a patience as keeps the ſoule in all ſtormes, and till all ſtormes be over; that keeps the ſoule quiet, till the very weather be quiet, or till the ſoule hath quietly expired it ſelfe, into the boſom of eternall reſt, above all diſquiet. All patience, 'tis holding faſt till Chriſt come, 'tis a wayting all our dayes for better dayes in another World—till our change come: for liveing againe, where barely to live; is Heaven; where being, and wel-being are not diſtinguiſhed. All patience, 'tis a houſe upon a Rock; a houſe ſo built, a ſpirit ſo principled, ſo ſinewed, ſo nerved and joynted, that nothing can pull down but death: it notes a ſoule ſo much out of it ſelfe, and ſo much in Chriſt, in his armes and under his dominion, that it lies under a kind of impoſſibilitie to be ſtirred: as mount Zion, that not onelyonly is not, but cannot be moved, the houſe may moulder and that may downe, otherwiſe all patience is ſuch an inmate, ſuch an inward ſoule-laſting thing, that it will never out: all patience was never knowne to leave any houſe, till it fell down: all patience and the laſt breath goe away together, Father into thy hands J commit my ſpirit, theſe are the laſt words of all patience.
Luke 23.46.The reſult of all is this; All Patience, 'tis all advantages taken away, al provocations incompaſſing, and yet the ſoule abiding holy in behaviour and cariage, in thought word and deede unto death: 'tis God againſt man, the devill againſt man, wife, friends, fire, winds; all creatures below man, armed and ſet againſt man, and yet man patient: 'tis man buffeted, ſcratch't with thornes; nayled, ſpear'd, ſpit on, hell inflicted on Earth, and yet holy and without ſin, and ſo continuing till hell be turned into Heaven, the ſoule out of the body, both into eternall reſt. All patience the Apoſtle expreſſeth in few words; 'tis patience having made her full fortifications, her perfect worke as he calls it; 'tis every faculty in combination to beare what is or can be; 'tis the Militia ſetled in the ſoule, by act; by conſent of the three ſtates, underſtanding, will, and affection: 'tis all ſoule-powers united, to beare and endure all that can befall man. All patience, 'tis a ſtrong ſpirit as the expreſſion is uſed of John Baptiſt, and of Chriſt, and of none elſe: a ſpirit fortified with cleereneſſe of light, ſtrength of faith, fulneſſe of reſolution, and made Musket proofe, Cannon proofe, impregnable, againſt which the gates of hell cannot prevaile.
All Patience, tis patience all in armour: 'tis a ſtubborne heart ſubdued and riſen againe to divine reſolution, and now as divine hardy, as before foole hardy: 'tis a ſpirit that will know no evill after the fleſh; no evil as 'tis fleſhly miſerable, but as 'tis ſoule ſinfull. All patience, 'tis enduring hardſhip as a Souldier, as a good Souldier, as a good Souldier of Chriſt as the Apoſtle ſaith: not opely ſuffering for truth, but ſleighting ſuffering, as you know Souldiers doe; they make nothing of hunger, nor cold; of blowes, of wounds, no, nothing of death: 'tis a notable expreſſion this of all patience, to wit, enduring of hardſhip as a good Souldier. All patience, 'tis a ſpirit that can indure all hardſhip, with eaſe: perils at Sea, perils at Land, perils amongſt falſe brethren, perils amongſt profeſſed enemies; any miſery, any death; burning, tearing, cutting, ſawing a ſunder, and ſcorne baſe deliverance: this is al patience: patience, al over patience: patience, throughout patience, ſo liveing, ſo dying.
Ʋſe. I have authority by this point, to command you al to weigh your patience, and to tell me to a graine how much you have, Chriſtians how much patience have you? have you little or have you much? have you al? I ſpeake to you al. The Heavens you ſee are growing al black over you, the Earth al bloudy, under you; al miſeries are marching towards you, Famine, Plague, Sword, white Horſe, black Horſe, pale Horſe, neither true white nor black; al ſorts of Men amongſt us on Horſe-back, and going about deadly worke: have you al patience, to entertaine them al? who ever come? and what miſery ſoever they bring? Doe yee not expect a very miſerable time? yes. And I expect a very ſinnefull time, there is ſo little patience.
A little ſuffering I ſee wil make you ſinne much, ah Lord! what wil great ſuffering then doe? ſeven yeeres bleeding, ten yeeres bleeding, twenty yeeres bleeding, as Germany hath had? you murmure now a little is gone, ſurely you wil blaſpheme when al is gon; curſe King, Parliament, and GOD too. Lord what ſhal we doe? wee ſhal have a Kingdome advanced to Heaven, thrown downe to Hell: a Kingdome full of devils, full of evil ſpirits quickly, if theſe Evil Times continue. Men can beare nothing, and God now calles to bearing much: men cannot tell how to abate a little of wanted contents, and God is going to ſtrip of al: men cannot exerciſe patience a little, and God is calling for the exerciſe of al: I dread to thinke what this preſages. Wee ſhal ſee poverty, and heare curſing; ſee bleeding, and heare blaſpheming, and both in one houſe, yea, both in one perſon. Wee ſhal ſee bodies wounded, and ſoules breathing themſelves through theſe wounds, in the face of God and man, becauſe in a helpeleſſe ſtate.
This grieves me, no man layes to heart what God already ſuffers in theſe evil dayes, from impatient ſpirits. I have heard ſome as I have gon along the ſtreets breake forth moſt bitterly, againſt the moſt religious of the Kingdome, as the cauſe of al our miſery; laying bloud at innocent mens doores: great ones doe thus againſt conſcience, poore ones doe thus out of ignorance, as rich mens echo, being their creatures, made through feare, or hope, or both: all ſides I am ſure breath not forth al, but little, very little patience. Ah! yee of little patience, what doe yee meane? to make a miſerable condition remedileſſe? a ſtate miſerable, damnable? will you ſin in poverty that wealth may never returne? will you ſin in War, that you may never have peace? wil you ſin in bloud and death, that Hell may follow? Becauſe men have killed your Trades, your States, your Bodies, ſhall the devil have your Soules? Is there any evil in the City, or Country, which God hath not done? God takes away much to ſave the maine, and you make the loſſe of much, the loſſe of all; the loſſe of your ſoules through impatience.
A rod ſhould humble you, and your skin ſwells with ſtripes. Gods Hand on your back, ſhould make your hand on your mouth, and you curſe; you curſe, and God curſes, ſurely you wilbe curſed: you ſweare and ſtare becauſe you have loſt your peace, your temporall reſpect, and God ſweares you ſhall neither have temporall nor eternall reſt. Ah Lord? what hath this ſoule done? murmured and ſworne himſelfe, out of al for ever? Yee men of no patience, have you no light? no conſcience? no ſoule? doe yee ſinne againſt no light? no ſoule? no God? are yee heathens? are yee worſe?
I will tell you the evils of impatience, that you may dread it and every degree of it, and make them as I name them, motives to endeavor after all Patience (i) a heart freed from all impatience.
The firſt evil is this, ſo farre as the ſoule is impatient, ſo farre 'tis ſet at a diſtance from God. Impatience, grieves: God grieved, withdrawes. So farre as Saul rages, ſo farre is the Spirit of God gon. So farre as the ſoule is ſhut out from God, 'tis ſhut out from al. A bedlam is put alone, and there chained, and whipt; he is fit for no company but forlorne ſpirits like himſelfe, a Legion of theſe poſſeſſe every impatient ſoule. No ſoule hath leſſe fellowſhip with God, then paſſionate. God cannot dwell in fire, nor worke in fire, any otherwiſe then to torment the tormented. Froward children are frowned upon, and kept at a great diſtance, 'till their hearts come downe. A ſoule that hath little of God, hath much of the devil: if you would ſee the devil face to face, looke a paſſionate man in the face; you ſhall ſee the devils eyes, his browes, his tongue, his mouth, al as blacke, as horrid, as firey as Hell.
A ſecond evill of impatience is this; Impatience maimes parts, gifts, graces, and makes a man otherwiſe able, feeble and uſeleſſe. The counſells of the froward are carried head long ſaith the holy Ghoſt: if their counſels, how much more then thoſe things they doe without counſell? and thus moſt an end doe paſſionate men doe, all they doe. Paſſion puts out a man's eyes, cuts-off a man's armes; it thruſts a man in haſt ſtill, to the wrong doore, to the wrong end of his buſines. Paſſion cannot obſerve modus nor media agendi, 'twil up to the top of the houſe preſently, before there be any ſtaires made: 'twil run and leave tools behind, yea, 'twill run and leave God behind, and ſo buries her honour ſtill, in an untimely birth. A paſſionate man hath Reubens judgement written in his forehead, —never to excell.
Thirdly, impatience is the mother of al evil: 'tis a ſin-teeming temper: it brings forth children to old Age, and then moſt of al; paſſion in old Age brings forth by troopes. Impatience, 'tis a ſpirit ſet on fire of Hell, prepared and ready to every helliſh worke; to ſweare, to curſe, to kill; to ſpeak evil, to doe evil: tis a ſhort poſſeſſion; a man mad for ſo many houres, that will not ſtick at any thing that the devil and deprav'd nature bid him doe: he wil flee in the face of ſervants, children, wife, magiſtrate, God, any one: 'tis a Snake, whoſe tongue is his ſting, his teeth poyſon; he takes in and caſts up venome by mouthfuls: his heart brings forth ſinnes by troopes; he ſpeaks as many ſinnes, as words: he burnes al black with too much heat: he over-heats words, workes, the wheeles light a fire ſtill in carriage, eſpecially when loaded with any heft, and burne cart and carriage both. Paſſion, 'tis the devils glaſſe-houſe, black fire workemen are at it in this ſoule day and night: tis the devils ſinne-moul'd, to make many ſins quickly; many great ſins on a ſudden.
Impatience puts a price onelyonly upon praeſentia, *Appetitui apta.carnal preſent things: a meaſſe of potage at preſent, better then birth-right although Chriſt and Heaven be wrapt up in it. Tell an impatient man of things to come, Heaven and Glory,Praeſentibus futura majora. and the like, he cannot ſtay ſo long; Heaven a great way off, is no Heaven to him; he muſt have a Bird in the hand, a Heaven here, or elſe Heaven and earth, ſhall ring of him; he muſt have what he wil, and when he wil, or he wil make the houſe too hot for al that are in it. This renders an impatient perſon utterly uncapable of the great'ſt bleſſings, becauſe theſe are longeſt a comming, and he cannot waite. Lets have a golden Calfe, as for this Moſes we know not whats become of him, nor when he will come: a golden glittering Calfe at preſent, better then to ſtay for Moſes, though hee brought the beames of God, the glory of Heaven ſhining in his face. Lets eate and drinke for to morow we die. Magna …antiâ nulla.Impatience muſt have a Heaven at preſent, a belly-heaven, as for a ſoule heaven, a heaven in promiſe, tis a dead thing. This renders an impatient man utterly below motive; our greateſt Goſpel motives are fetcht from great things to come, in another World, and the greateſt things are nothing at ſuch a diſtance to this man; hee cannot waite ſo long for a Heaven, though hee loſe his ſoule.
There is no divine contemplation in an impatient heart, which is that that makes Heaven here; So that an impatient man, loſes his Heaven here-after and here too. Impatience, 'tis a ſoule ſtill in a hurry; never at home, never at leiſure to goe to Heaven, from yeeres end to yeeres end: 'tis a Salamander, ſtill in fire, ſtill in Hell, ever in contention and diſquiet, which is the unfitteſt frame to divine things that can be. Paſſion degenerates into malice, and then the man becomes Meditabundus, full of thoughts, but more diabolicall then before, and further from Heaven: his thoughts now travell when hee is on his bed, compaſſing the Earth too and fro like the devil, but aſcend not to Heaven, no, not one of them. All thoughts are kept in a hudle in a paſſionate ſoule, one crowding, and clambering on the back of another; one, ſtill joſtling againſt another; no leiſure, for the ſoule to withdraw to God: divine guidance is gone, and the ſoule hath no command of it ſelfe Heaven-ward: the ſtring of the watch is broke, and the wheeles run down til they breake too; no winding up can be made. Paſſion cannot pray, cannot heare, cannot read, leaſt of all can it meditate, which is the life of al. What can a paſſionate man doe, which is appointed by God as a Medium, to carry the ſoule to Heaven?
Finally, a Paſſionate man is fit for no condition: not fit to be rich, for this wil make him a Tyrant, a devil with hornes: Not fit to be poore, this wil make him mad, a bedlam tyed up. A paſſionate man is neither fit to worke, nor play, to be ſick, nor wel, to be at home nor be abroad, to live nor dye: no body pleaſes him, nor he pleaſes no body; 'tis an Eſau, a rough man, his hand is againſt every man, and every mans hand is againſt him: tis a Bile that rages when one goes, and when one ſits, lying down and riſing up, at bed and at boord, not fit for Heaven, moſt fit for Hell, and yet there is no need of him, for there bee devils enough already, and fire-brands enough to employ them. Let God doe what he wil, an impatient man is never contented. Let Jonah have no blowes and he is impatient, let him be ſcorcht without and he burnes within. An impatient man ever wantes ſomething, and yet never can tel wel what will pleaſe him: hee ſtandes much upon his wil, 'tis dearer then his ſoule, 'tis dearer then GOD, and yet it varies as oft as temptation preſents, and the man knowes not wel what he would have; Ah Lord! what a plague? What a changeling? What a ſoule bewitcht is this? All patience will cure al theſe evils througly, and leſſe, will not throughly doe it: judge yee therefore now, what neede yee have to labour for patience in height—All patience.
A man climbes up to heights in grace by hanging much about God, Rivers of teares will quench wild-fire; al fire, finders, coales, flames, and make all patient, every thought patient. Prayer, 'tis a warmer and 'tis a cooler of the heart: 'tis a warmer of the heart when too coole, and a cooler of the heart when too hot. Much patience ſprings out of much Prayer. Tis ſaid of Simeon that he was devout, waiting for the conſolation of Iſrael: devoute, that is, full of Prayers; the more praying the more waiting; the more in Prayer, the more in patience. Prayer is fetching breath when the ſoule begins to be out of breath, and to faint: 'tis a fetching out heate, with heate, fire with fire, bad fire with good. Strong cries will keepe the heart patient under ſtrong trialls: whilſt a praying Jonas, a patient Ionas, he firſt fetch't patience out of the belly of Prayer, and then Prayer fetch't him out of the belly of the Whale.
Prayer muſt be ordered for ſtrength, and for ſeaſon, for importunity, and for opportunity, a man muſt be throwing water betimes, that would not have all in an unquenchable blaze. Chriſtians feele their hearts begin to burn, and make not haſt to God; they goe not quickly with their cenſer, when this plague is begun, and then is the devil too hard, and they complaine as overcome. Reliefe is relief, when brought in ſeaſon, After-prayers take off guilt, but doe not prevent guilt, which makes but a bleeding condition at beſt; Lazy ſoules have all burn'd down about their eares, ere they ſtir.
Paſſion is wild fire, ſuch tempers muſt obſerve their weakeneſſe, and take heed how they come neere fire. You ſet powder above, in high rooms out of the way, 'tis ſo apt to take, and fire. Set your ſelves amongſt the moſt heavenly ſoules, in high, up-rooms, with thoſe which have the higheſt, and ſweeteſt Communion with God. With the froward, a man learns frowardneſſe; with the meeke, meekneſſe: if you venture to come where ſtriking of fire is, you will be the firſt that take fire. A man excells as he takes advantages. All things that may moſt ſubdue will, and advance love, wil heighten patience—charity ſuffereth long. Long ſuffering is our next worke.
FINIS.