Obedient Patience, Title page – Table of contents
OBEDIENT PATIENCE IN GENERAL; AND In XX particular Cases. WITH Helps to obtain and use it; and Impatience repressed: Cross-bearers less to be pityed, than Cross-makers.
Written for his own Use, under the Cross, imposed at once by God and Man, and Published as now seasonable to many thousands who hold fast FAITH and CONSCIENCE.
By RICHARD BAXTER.
LONDON, Printed for Robert Gibs, at the Sign of the Ball in Chancery-Lane, 1683.
THE PREFACE.
I Here offer to others the same which I have prepared for myself, and find necessary for my daily use. All men most savour that which they find most suitable to them. When I was young and lay under the sad suspicions of my own heart, and the doubts of my sound conversion, and justification, I was far more pleased with a Sermon that opened the nature of saving grace, and helpt me against such doubts, than with a Sermon of affliction, and its use; yea tho I began to be afflicted. But now this is the subject of my daily necessary thoughts: Mans implacable enmity maketh them somewhat necessary; but Gods more immediate corrections on my body, incomparably more. And while every day almost fills my ears, with the sad complaints of weak, Melancholly, afflicted, impoverished, sick, pained or otherwise wise distressed persons, and and the weekly News-books tell us of Foreign Wars, Persecutions, ruines implacable contentions, malignant combinations, against the Church, pursuing Conscience and obedience to God, with diabolical rage to drive it out of the world, and of the successes of blood thirsty Men, and the deluge of Atheism, Idolatry, Sadducisme, Infidellity, Mahometanisme, hypocrisie, sensuality, ambition, worldliness, lying, perjury, malignity, and gross ignorance, which hath even drowned the Earth, while there is little but doleful tidings, complaints and fears from Kingdomes, Churches, Cities, Families, and God in Judgment permitteth mankind to be worse than Serpents, Toads, or Wolves, if not than Devils to one another; and while wit and learning, reverend errour and hypocrisie, are every day as hotly at work, as any Smith in his flaming forge, to blow the coals of bloody malice; and hating and destroying others, even those whom they pretend to love as themselves, seemeth to multitudes the most honourable and necessary work, and the killing of love, and of Souls and bodies, is taken for meritorious of everlasting happiness: I say, while all this is so in the world, and while all flesh must look for pain, sickness and death, and all men are yet worse to themselves and greater burdens than all their Enemies are, I cannot think a Treatise of Patience needless or unseasonable.
R. B. December the 27th. 1682.
The CONTENTS.
Chap. 1. WHat true Patience is, and is not, towards God and Men. How we possess our Souls in patience? What Impatience is worst? Wherein lyeth the sinfulness of Impatience towards God. p. 1.
Chap. 2. Helps for patience in particular Cas…s. p. 27.
Case 1. In pains and sicknesses of body: Particular helps. p. 29.
Case 2. Ʋnder the Sentence of death, against inordinate fears. p. 36.
Case 3. Ʋnder poverty and want, through losses, or any other Causes. p. 43.
Case 4. Ʋnder the sufferings and death of friends. 1. Of Children. 2. Of ungodly Kindred. 3. Some dear friend, who dyed in pain or misery. 4. Some Pillars in Church or State. p. 53.
Case 5. Ʋnkindness and injury of friends, and Relatives. p. 65.
Case 6. Injuries from malicious Enemies? 1. Personal, 2. Persecuting. p. 73.
Case 7. Oppression and injustice by Men of wealth and power. p. 99.
Case 8. Superiours sufferings by bad Children, Servants, Tenants, or Subjects. p. 117.
Case 9. False accusation, defamation; duty made odious crimes; reputation ruined. p. 123.
Case 10. Vexatious strong Temptations ofof Satan, especially to Melancholly persons. p. 135.
Case 11. Settled doubts of sincerity and Salvation: Temptations to despair. p. 140.
Case 12. The loss of Teachers, and suitable means of Grace and Salvation. p. 161.
Case 13. When God seemeth not to bless means to us; Preaching, Praying, &c. p. 177.
Case 14. Weakness of grace, knowledge, faith, love, comfort, great corruptions. p. 196.
Case 15. When God doth not bless the labours of our Callings, Ministers, Parents endeavours for Children, for near Relations, Tradesmen, endeavours for the Church. p. 211.
Case 16. The Common sin and misery of the World, and fewness of wise and Godly men. p. 228.
Case 17. The sad distempers and divisions of Christians, and the hurt they do to the World, and to one another, and the dishonourable state of the Church, p. 241.
Case 18. Heavy Judgments on the Land, by Plagues, poverty, Fire and Wars. p. 252.
Case 19. The Prosperity and Triumphs of wicked Enemies of the Church. p. 263.
Case 20. No probability in any visible means that ever the World should be much better. Twelve General directions to get and use Patience in every Case. p. 247.
Obedient Patience.