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СНА Р. XX.

Christ our Pattern of Patience in Affliction.

Chrift.]

MY

Y Son, remember I came down from Heaven for thy Salvation; I bore the Punishment due to thee, and all the Miseries to which Human Nature is expofed. I bore them not by Conftraint, but Choice, and urged by no Neceffity, but that which Powerful Love impofed upon me. And One great End, for which I condefcended to do fo, was to teach thee Patience by this Example, and that my willing Sufferings might difpofe thee to fubmit to the neceffary Incumbrances of thy present Condition, without Reluctance and Murmuring. Sorrow became familiar to me; My conftant Attendance from the Manger to the Crofs; for every Hour produced fome fresh Inftance of it. My Circumstances were low, and I contented my self with the want of even the Neceffaries of Life; my Innocence was flandered, and daily Complaints and Reproaches were founding in my Ears; Shame and Contempt I entertain'd without Return or angry Refentment; my good Deeds were repaid with Malice and Ingratitude, my Miracles blafphemed, and my Doctrine traduced and vilely mifreprefented.

Difciple.] Yes, Lord, I read the Story of thy invincible Meekness, with wonder and astonishment; and cannot but infer from thence, that, since thou wert pleased to give fuch amazing Proofs of an entire Obedience to thy Heavenly Father's Will; I, who ani a wretched Sinner, and not only fubject to these Miseríes by the Condition of my Nature, but one who have deferved them as Chaftifements for my Tranfgreffions, am much more obliged, with a moft perfect Submiffion, to receive whatever thy Providence thinks fit to inflict; and muft by no means grumble at the

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Weight,

Weight, or the Continuance of any Burthen thou fhalt lay upon me in the prefent World. If any thing here feem heavy, yet it is rendred much easier and more fupportable,by the Affiftance of thy Grace,by the Contemplation of thy Example, and by the many Patterns of Conftancy and Virtue, which thy now glorious Saints, but once afflicted Servants, who travelled the fame rugged Journey of Life, have in all Ages fet for my Imitation and Encouragement. I plainly fee under this Gofpel-ftate, a mighty Support, which even thy own peculiar People wanted under the Old Law. For then the Way to Heaven was dark, and the Profpect at their Journey's end lefs glorious and inviting. Few then applied themselves with Zeal to feek a Future and Spiritual Kingdom; nor could they do fo with equal Encouragement, till thy Meritorious Death had open'dan Entrance into the High and Holy Place. But, how contentedly, how thankfully, ought I to tread in thy bleffed Steps, fuftained by the Affurance of Eternal Rewards, and directed in the Right Way by the Light of thy Doctrine? For thou art John xiv. the Way, the Truth, and the Life; Thy Afflictions have taught Me and all Believers, that Tribulation is the Paffage to thy Heavenly Kingdom; and that the proper Methods of attaining thy Crown, is being made a Partaker of thy Crofs. Hadft thou not gone before us, who would have the Heart to follow ? who could perfevere in a Courfe of Sufferings? Nay, though thou haft thus fhewed us the Way, yet how loth, how backward are we to follow ftill? And, if neither thy Miracles, nor thy Precepts, thy wondrous Humiliation, nor thy glorious Exaltation, can warm us into greater Zeal and Refolution, than by lamentable Experience we daily fee and feel they do; How wretchedly flothful, alas! how cold, and motionless fhould we have ftood, had not thy Grace and marvelous Condefcention vouchfafed to grant us the Advan

tage

tage of fo clear a Light, and the powerful Motive of fo bright an Example?

CHA P. XXI.

Of bearing Injuries; and how we may judge of true Patience.

my Son, and, when

Chrift. Afflictions threaten or attack thee, call

to remembrance what I endured for thy Sake: Nay, not what I endured for thine only, but what fo many brave and generous Saints have fince couragioufly endured for mine. Alas! thy Trials yet are fmall, nor haft thou refifted unto Blood, as I and They have done. Their Difficulties were greater,their Temptations fharper, their Sorrows more piercing, their Exercifes more fevere, and yet in all these they were more than Conquerors. It will therefore be of great Service to the confirming thy Hope and Patience, if thou diligently compare thy very light,with their much heavier, Burthen; and reproach thy felf for finking under a Weight, which they would fcarce have felt. But, if thy own Load feem fo unfupportable, and thou canft hardly be brought to think the Cafe of others fo much more deplorable; confider, whether this falfe Eitimate do not proceed from Partial Affection, Tendernefs to thy felf, and a fretful Impatience, rather than from the true Nature and Reason of the Thing. For These corrupt Mens Judgments, and make them fee their own and other Peoples Circumftances with very different Eyes. But be thy Ideas true or mistaken, yet ftill the greater and the lefs Calamities call equally for Submiffion and Conftancy. And it is not the Degree or Measure, but the Author and the Confequence

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of Suffering, which is the proper Motive to Patience. Now the better thou art compofed under any Trouble, the more commendable is thy Wisdom, and the larger will be thy Recompence. Nay, not only fo, but the eafier will be thy Lot too. For Confideration will reconcile thee to it, and Time and Experience make the thing familiar. Nor matters it much who are the immediate Inftruments, or from what next Hand thy Afflictions come. For thofe are very idle Pretences, which Men ufually labour to cover their want of Temper withal: "Had this been done by an "Enemy or a Stranger, I could have born it; but "from a Friend, a Relation, one whom I have highly obliged, and have a Right to expect better Ufage "from, what Flesh can brook fuch Bafenefs and Ingratitude? Had I given any juft Occafion for that difparaging Report, it would never have vex'd me, but to be flandered and abufed, without any ground, "without the leaft Fault or Provocation of Mine, " methinks 'tis very hard; The thing it felf I could away with, but the Perfon, or the particular Cir"cumftances, put me out of all Patience." thefe are nice and frivolous Diftinctions; Such as are altogether foreign and impertinent to the Matter in Hand; and what the Virtue of Patience is no way concern'd in. For this takes Injuries and Affronts by the great, without entring into any particular Examination of their Nature and Quality, and peculiar Aggravations; nor does it at all regard the Perfon, by whom it is exercised, but confiders that Perfon only, by whom it is to be crowned.

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Alas!

No Man hath yet arrived to a due Perfection in this Grace, who is not content with any kind of Tryal, from any Hand whatfoever. The Differences of Friend or Foe, of Superior, Inferior, or Equal; of a goodnatured and confciencious,or a wicked,perverfe, vexatious Man, are of no confideration at all; But, let

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the Provocation be what it will,and come from whom it will, let it be offered but once, or repeated never fo often, 'tis all alike; because in All the over-ruling Hand of God is attended to; and every thing received, as ordained and originally inflicted by him: and what proceeds from him is always good, and fure to turn to account. And, as nothing he appoints, tho' feemingly never fo grievous, fhall be to good Mens difadvantage; fo nothing, tho' never fo flight and despicable in it felf, when dutifully and decently entertained, fhall be paffed over unrewarded. Arm thy felf therefore for Combat, and decline no occasion of Engaging that offers, if thou defire the Glory of the Conqueft. Without Fighting thy way through, there is no coming at the Crown. And they who refufe to Suffer with Chrift, do in effect, and by neceffary confequence refufe to Reign with him. Stand up then bravely to Afflictions, and quit thy felf like a Man; Repofe and Happiness is what thou Coveteft, but these are only to be obtained by Labour: Victory and Triumph are the things thou aimeft at; But who was ever yer fo abfurd, as to think of Triumphs without Enemies and Hardfhips, or Conquering without a Battel?

Difciple.] I acquiefce, dear Lord, in all thou fay'ft; nor will I indulge fuch vain Imaginations. But fince, even where the Spirit is moft willing, the Flesh is miferable weak, affift me, I beseech thee, that by thy Power and Strength I may be able to do, what by my own I cannot accomplish, and Nature is averfe from fo much as attempting. Thou knoweft full well, how little I can bear; how every Shock makes my feeble Heart give ground; Lord, do thou support and confirm me, that Tribulation may appear, not only tolerable, but even defirable, in compliance with thy Will and my Duty. For, what regret foever Humanity may betray in thefe Cafes, when Danger

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ap.

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