IX. OF PATIENCE IN ADVERSITY.

Montpellier, 1669.

If we considered seriously (and our observation and experience supplies every man abundantly with matter for those considerations) the folly and madness and inconvenience and mischief of passion and impatience, the pain and agony that is begotten by it within ourselves, and the damage and disreputation abroad with other men, we should not need many arguments to persuade us of the benefit and ease of patience; and if we considered patce only as a moral virtue, as a natural sobriety and temper in subduing and regulating our affections and passions, as an absence of that anger and rage and fury which usually transports us upon ordinary and trivial provocations, we could a not but acknowledge the great advantage men have by it. Solomon seems to require nothing else to make a wise man; "He that is slow to anger is of great understanding," Prov. xiv. 29. And indeed, there is nothing so much corrupts and destroys and infatuates the understanding as anger and passion; insomuch as men of very indifferent parts, by the advantage of temper and composure, are much wiser, and fitter for great actions, and are usually more prosperous, than men of more subtle and sublime parts, of more quickness and fancy, with the warmth and choler that many times attends those compositions: "He that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly," says Solomon, Prov. xiv. 29; that is, so improves his folly, that he seems more foolish than in truth he is; he says things he does

not intend to say, and does things he does not intend to do, and refreshes his enemies with the folly of his anger: whereas the temperate, unrash, and dispassionate man is always at home, and, by being unmoved himself, discerns all advantages whilst he gives none. "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city," Prov, xvi. 32. One translation renders it," qui dominatur animo suo, expugnator est urbium;" he that can suppress his passions is even the master of all cities, no strength can resist him. So that if we intended nothing but our own ease, and benefit, and advantage, we have reason to apply ourselves to and study this temper, in which the precepts of the philosophers give us ample instructions, and the practice of mere heathen men have left us notable and envious examples: but the obligations of Christianity carry us much farther; we must add to temperance patience, which is a Christian virtue of so high a qualification, that Tertullian translates that direction of our Saviour in the 21st chapter of St. Luke's gospel, ver. 19, "In your patience possess your souls," per tolerantiam salvos facietis vosmetipsos," you shall save your souls by your patience; which, if we could be persuaded in any degree to give credit to, we would not so much indulge to that licence of our impatient humour, as we do upon the least accidental crosses.

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The exercise of this necessary Christian duty depends principally upon the attending and waiting God's own time and leisure for the receiving those blessings, which, upon the conscience of having according to our weak abilities endeavoured

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to please him, we may confidently pray for and expect, and our humble and dutiful submissions to such afflictions and calamities as he hath or shall lay upon us; for we must provide a stock of patience for the crosses that may befall us: and from these two branches of patience, we may gather fruit enough to refresh us throughout our whole journey in this world. Toward the attaining the first, if we would ingenuously and faithfully consult our own practice in matters of this world, our own rules of good husbandry, we could not think this waiting and expecting God's leisure, in the conferring his blessings and benefits, so grievous as it appears to us. How willing are we to lay out our estates in the purchase of reversions, many times for somewhat that younger men than ourselves must die before we enjoy it; and if they outlive us, our money is lost? And yet with the unreasonable confidence that we shall hereafter enjoy it, and with the comfort of that expectation, we cheerfully endure the present wants and delay. If we make any suit to the king, or our superiors, how well are we satisfied and contented, if we have the promise of the thing we ask a year hence, when it is more than an even lay that we live not till that time, and there are in our view a thousand contingencies which may disappoint us, if we do live so long? Nay, we choose rather, and we think there is a merit in that modesty, to ask somewhat that is to come, rather than any thing for the present. But we are not willing to lay out one prayer, to disburse one innocent act of our life to God upon a reversion. If we receive his promise, we reckon every day's delay an injury, though it be

only a promise for the future. So that, pretend what we will, and magnify what we can our religion towards God, and our confidence in him, we do in truth less believe and credit him, than any friend or companion we have. If we did otherwise, we should better observe his precepts of patience, and reliance upon him; and believe, that as they, who can bear the present want, in the end gain most who deal in reversions; so if we would forbear our present murmurings and importunities, and stay the full time, till the interruptions (our own sins or his providence) cast in the way, are worn out, we should in the end receive a large interest for all our expectation, and have cause to magnify our purchase; we should rather conclude, when we are disappointed, that the conditions are broken on our part, which we are so unapt to per form, than that God hath broken his promise, which he was never known to do; we should call to our memory, that most of the calamities which befell his own chosen people, proceeded from their own murmurings and impatience, and that the. least impatience towards him, grows by degrees to an infidelity in him, which we cannot endure to be thought guilty of: we should remember with what disdain we look upon those who will not take our word, which many times is not in our power to keep, seldom in our will; and yet we make no scruple to doubt the accomplishment of God's word, though we know all things to be in his power, and whatsoever is good for us in his purpose: whereas patience is so much and so essentially of the character of a Christian, that no performance of our duty, and of his commands on our part, can

be a security and an assurance of his blessing upon us without it; which was very evident to St. Paul, when, in the 10th chapter of his epistle to the Hebrews, at the 36th verse, he says, For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise;" as if God had made no promise to those who are not patient to expect his performance. The truth is, God cannot so well know, that is, we do not sc well and clearly manifest, that we have done his will out of piety and devotion to him, as by our patience to wait his pleasure when we have done it. There may be design in the practice of all external duties of Christianity for our advantage ' in this world: the formal outward profession of religion may be, and we see too often is, to get so much reputation, and interest, and dependence with men, as may enable us to destroy religion; our exercise of charity may have pride and vanity to be recommended and magnified, and even covetousness in it, that we may get credit enough to oppress other men, and upon the stock of that one public virtue, be able to practise twenty secret' wickednesses. But our patience (I speak of that| Christian patience of waiting God's own time for the receiving those blessings we pray for, and is an internal submission of the mind to him) can have no stratagem upon this world, nor do us credit and advantage with ill men, being all that time subjected to their insolence, reproach, and tyranny; and therefore St. James makes it the end and complement and crown of all that we do: "Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing," James i. 4.