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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
end_n	job_n	lord_n	patience_n	2,472	5	9.2343	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77498	The drinking of the bitter cup: or, The hardest lesson in Christ's school, learned and taught by himself, passive obedience. Wherein, besides divers doctrinall truths of great importance, many practicall directions are held forth, for the teaching of Christians how to submit to their heavenly father in suffering his will, both in life and death, patiently, obediently, willingly. / As it was lately presented to the church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel there.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4713; Thomason E1838_1; ESTC R210133	201,893	311

crosses which he met with And the like more or less must every one make account to meet with upon earth even a succession of troubles like waves of the Sea where depth calleth unto deep one Crosse following upon the neck of another So as the more daies the more sorrows All which serve to wean the heart from this world as the infant is from the brest by laying bitter things upon it 2. Divine But I shall not any longer insist upon these or any other Arguments of the like nature The Resolution of a Christian must be built upon better grounds then these If God shall please to open the eyes of a naturall man to see death as it is it is not any or all of these or whatever other Arguments Reason can suggest that will bear up the soul against the terrors of it They must be Cordials of a higher extraction that will strengthen the heart in this last conflict divine Considerations such as the word holdeth forth Of these take a few among many 1. In the First place Look upon God who hath appointed and determined Let our eye be upon God our Father whose Cup this is So was our Saviours here The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it And so must theirs who would drink this Cup as he did submit unto the stroke of death patiently and willingly they must see God in the ordering and disposing of it looking upon it as his appointment Which it is he having 1. Appointed that men shall die It is appointed to men once to die Heb. 9.27 Appointed viz. That men shall dye by God who as he is the Lord of life so he is the appointer of death Having passed a generall law for it Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. Which Law also he executeth upon particular persons bringing them to death I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living Job 30 23. So it is however secondary Causes concur in bringing men to their Graves yet God himself hath the principall stroke in it Death being his Messenger sent by him He hath appointed that men shall dye Which taking notice of look we upon it as our duty to submit hereunto when he calleth us to it 2. As he hath appointed that men shall dye so when they shall dye The time when Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth viz. how long he shall-live Job 7.1 His dayes are determined the number of his Moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot passe Job 14.5 So certain are Gods decrees concerning the time of mans life that he cannot go beyond the term limited the Year the Moneth the Day the Hour set down Father the hour is come saith our Saviour speaking of the time appointed for his suffering of death Joh. 17.1 3. As the time so the place As the time when so the place where The place where that is also determined by God Goe up into Mount Nebo and die there saith the Lord to Moses Deut. 32.50 Our Saviour must goe up to Jerusalem and there suffer many things and be killed so he tells his Disciples Matth. 16.21 4. And appointing the time and place he also appointeth the manner The manner how how men shall dye what kinde of death whether naturall or violent So it was determined concerning our Saviour that he should die upon the Crosse be crucified which he acquaints his Disciples with Math. 20.19 And so concerning Peter to whom our Saviour foretells by what death he should glorifie God Joh. 21.19 And so is it determined concerning every of the sons of men as when and where so how they shall dye None of these are left to Chance and Fortune Time place manner all appointed by God Which being seriously considered and believed it will be of great use to bring the heart to a quiet and willing submission to the will of God in suffering what he hath so appointed Thus look at God In the Second place look we upon Jesus Christ Look upon Jesus the Captain of our Salvation as the Apostle calleth him Heb. 2.10 Where behold we him 1. Drinking of this Cup before us Suffering death And shall not we then pledge him Shall the Captain goe before and shall not the Souldiers follow after Malus miles qui Imperatorem gemens sequitur He is but an ill Souldier that weeps when he is to march after his Generall Shall our Joshua go before us over this Jordan and shall not we go after him It was a good Resolution in that man that Scribe had he held to it who said to our Saviour Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest Mat. 8.19 Such should be the Resolution of every Christian to follow Christ when he cals him to go after him though it be to Mount Calvary or Golgotha the place of a skull as both those words signifie and the latter of them is expounded Joh. 19 17. and Mat. 27.33 the Caemeterie or Church-yard as we call it 2. And whilest we behold him suffering of death behold we also the issues of this his suffering Conquering it as St James saith of Job Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord Jam. 5.11 What Issue God was pleased to give him which was very joyfull and comfortable So here looking upon Christ submitting to his Father in suffering of death behold we the end of the Lord the issue of this his suffering which was victorious and glorious Victorious Even as David cut off the head of the Philistine with his own sword so did this our David by dying he conquered death which he manifested in his Resurrection Where he brake the bands of death rising again by his own power and so became the first born from the dead as the Apostle calleth him Col. 1.18 Now the first born openeth the womb for those that come after him And so hath Christ opened the grave for all true believers so as it shall be no more able to hold them then it was him Thus was the issue of this his conflict with this his last enemy victorious And as victorious so Glorious we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for or through 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour He. 2.9 In this way he entred into his glory Luk. 24.26 Through this dark entry he went into his heavenly palace And so shall they who do herein follow his steps being obedient as he was Obedient to the death 3. Look we upon death it self But here look upon it in Look upon death it self Not in the glass of the Lawe but gospell and through a right glass Not that of the Law but of the Gospell The glasse of the Lawe presents the face of it as ghastly and terrible holding it forth as a

Exod. 15.24 and so against God in him as Moses tells them Exod. 16.7 and the Lord himself interprets it Numb 14.29 And the like they did upon other occasions as in the want of bread Exod. 16.2 Thus did they murmure in the Wildernesse And the like are the best of Gods Saints subject to If God bring them to the waters of Marah bitter waters giving them some bitter Cup to drink exercising them with some sharp afflictious their gestures their speeches their actions are too ready to bewray the secret discontents and impatience of their spirits Those instances of Eliah Jeremy Job Jonah are all obvious All eminent servants of God and yet how were they surprized with this distemper Now O Lord take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers saith Eliah in the Wildernesse 1 King 19.4 Why is my pain perpetuall and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed Wilt thou be unto me altogether as a Lyar or as waters that fail saith Jeremy to his God in a distempered Passion Jer. 15.18 And again O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived thou art stronger then I and hast prevailed I am in derision daily every one mocketh me cap. 20.7 And again v. 14. Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my Mother bare me be blessed and so he goeth on to the end of the Chapter in a great deal of passionate language bewraying a strange distemper that was upon him by reason of the contempt and treachery and ill use which he met with And the like we finde in Job Though looked upon and that deservedly as a pattern of patience yet we may hear him venting his Passion in the like language cap. 3. where from the 3d verse to the 16th he spends himself in such passionate expressions Let the day be darknesse wherein I was born c. And so Jonah when his gourd was withered and the Sun lay hot upon his head he breaks forth in Passion not sparing to tell God to his face that he did well to be angry even unto death Jon. 4.9 Strange distempers to be found in sanctified hearts Is it so that any of us have found or at any time shall finde any spice hereof in our selves as who can say he is free take we the reproof to our selves taking notice that it was far otherwise with our blessed Saviour our heavenly pattern Though his Cup was a bitterer Cup then ever any man upon earth tasted yet we finde him far from murmuring or repining when he was to drink it There are yet a third sort who drink this Cup Sort 3 but they faint in the drinking of it Such as faint un●● afflictions As the first sort make their sufferings too light so these make them too heavy their spirits drooping and sinking under their burdens A weaknesse very incident even to Gods own people yea to the best of them It is that which Jeremy saith of himself Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against sorrow my heart is faint in me And the like we may hear from the Church in her Captivity Lam. 1. last My sighes are many and my heart is faint Such deliquiums such despondencies and faintings the strongest of Saints as I said are subject to It is that which David saith of himself when he was in some eminent danger My soul is bowed down viz. through fear Psal 57.6 and elsewhere being pursued by his implacable enemy King Saul hunted as a Partridge in the Mountains as himself expresseth it we finde him giving up himself for a lost man He said in his heart I shall now perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 An infirmity arising partly from the weaknesse of nature An Infirmity from whence arising which contributes much to these despondencies but chiefly from the weaknesse of grace If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small saith the Wiseman Prov. 24.10 thy spiritual strength it argues Faith to be weak This it is which supporteth and beareth up the spirit under afflictions keepeth it from fainting I had fainted saith David unlesse I bad believed to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living Psal 27.13 Faith in God believing his Promises and resting upon his power mercy truth it boyeth up the soul keepeth the head above water Where Faith faileth no wonder if the heart fainteth And it is often helped forwards by looking upon afflictions through false Glasses which represent them greater then they are As also by neglecting or refusing means of Consolation and comfort As it is said of Rachel the Benjamit●sh women descended from Rachel when her children were carried into Captivity she w●pt saith the Text and would not be comforted because they were not Mat. 2.18 Thus it is sometimes when God withdraws one blessing men overlook all others they enjoy and will take no comfort in them Like Children who if one of their toyes be taken from them they presently throw away all the rest But from what ground soever it ariseth or by what means soever it is procured or promoted it is a weaknesse and that such a one as deserves a just Reprehension It was not so with our blessed Saviour Never was there Cup like this Cup which he was now to drink yet behold here how he beareth up under it betaking himself to his suffering work with a holy and steadfast resolution The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Thus much by way of Reprehension From which passe we in the second place to that which I principally aim at Vse 2 Exhortation to follow this Pattern Exhortation Where let me set this pattern before you propounding it for your imitation exciting and stirring up all who professe themselves the Disciples of Jesus Christ that herein they would endeavour to shew themselves conformable to this their Head Conformity to Christ is that which God hath predestinated all his Elect people to So the Apostle infoms us Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son to be made like him and that as in glory so in grace Now as we desire the former have we an eye to the latter see that we imitate Christ in what was imitable in him following his steps So suffering as Christ did Which do we as in his Active so in his Passive Obedience so drinking those Cups which our heavenly Father shall give unto us as he here did this which was given to him not despising of not murmuring at not fainting under whatever Afflictions and Chastisements God shall please to exercise us with but bearing and suffering them patiently obediently willingly Every of which particulars give me leave to spend a little time upon The three former whereof are Negatives shewing us what we are not to doe the three latter Positives shewing us what we are to doe Begin with the former the

sufferings Great Afflictions call for great humblings Great afflictions call for great humblings Thus it is said of Manasseh When he was in affliction he humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33.12 Not to humble the soul at all under the hand of God or no wayes proportionably to the measure of Afflictions is a despising of them and of God in them Which I say let us beware of Doth God knock at the dore of our hearts by any Rod of his open unto it suffer it to enter lay it to heart And there let it lye Gods Messengers not to be sent away without their errand till it have had the work for which it was sent Do not send any of these Messengers away without what they came for Take heed of whatever it is that might hinder the kindely working of these medicinable Cups Take heed of those and the like Diabolicall suggestions which I spake of which tend to the choaking and stifling of godly sorrow in the soul Which though some of them may be truths in themselves and are capable of some good use that may be made of them yet being now unseasonable and tending to such an end they are hurtfull and pernicious Take heed also of such avocations as may unseasonably call the soul aside from the work it hath in hand as of idle Company vain Sports and Pastimes and other unnecessary employments All which are but as the Devils Whistle to call men aside from more savoury courses It is a dangerous thing when men have taken a Purge to walk abroad And no less dangerous is it to the soul when it is in a course of Physick under the hand of God to suffer it to wander abroad in such avocations as may hinder the kindely working of afflictions take it off from the work of Humiliation And therefore as we suffer the Affliction to enter when God will have it so suffer it to rest upon the soul untill it be kindely and throughly humbled and broken in the sense of sin A dangerous thing it is unseasonably to stop the course of godly sorrow in the soul occasioned by any afflictions to hinder the working of Chastisements upon the heart By this means we may think to ease our souls but alas all the ease that will be in this way gotten will be but like cold water in a burning Feaver which cools for the present but inflames the more afterward The unseasonable casting away of the sense of an affliction will but make way for more and greater This being Gods design in sending afflictions to humble his people he will not be crossed in it Here have you the first of these Caveats concerning the drinking of this Cup Take heed of despising it whether by loathing or sleighting it Passe we to the second Take heed of Murmuring Caveat 2 A Caveat which the Apostle giveth to his Corinthians Take heed of m●rmuring 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured viz. the Israelites in the Wildernesse and were destroyed of the Destroyer Murmuring speeches or thoughts how ill do they become the mouth of a Christian Especially to murmure against God To seek revenge upon Instruments is too much a thing which David would not hearken to as you heard when Abishai offered his service to him in that way But to strive to wrestle with God what a Rebellion Great need have Christians to watch over themselves in this particular to watch over their hearts and to set a watch before thee door of their lips that so they may not do what we find Job acquitted of Job 1. Last Charge God foolishly That rebellious thoughts may not arise in their hearts or if they do yet they may not break forth at their lips To which end to prevent the rising of them or however Murmurings how to be prevented to stifle them in the birth make we use of two or three Meditations Look we upon God look we upon our selves look we upon others 1. Look upwards look upon God Dir. 1 See God in every affliction beholding his hand in every affliction This once apprehended and believed will stop the mouth and quiet the heart This it was that silenced Aaron when Moses told him that what had befallen his sonnes was the Lords doing This is that which the Lord hath said Then saith the Text Aaron held his peace Lev. 10.3 And so was it with David Who so long as he looked at secondary causes in his sufferings he had no rest in himself His heart was hot within him and he spake with his tongue as he tels us Psal 39.3 But coming to take notice of God as having the chief hand in ordering of his afflictions Now saith he I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou Lord didst it v. 9. Thus when the soul cometh to see that it hath to deal with God that it is he that reacheth forth the Cup to it that hath an over-ruling hand in whatever befals it this quiets all And well it may if we consider in him In whom consider the Absolutenesse of his Soveraigntie the unchangeablenesse of his Purpose the Irresistablenesse of his power 1. The Absoluteness of his Soveraignty He is the Potter His absolute-soveraingty we are the Clay So the Prophet tels the people of Israel Jer. 18.6 O house of Israel cannot I doe with you as this potter saith the Lord As the clay in the Potters hand so are ye in my hand O house of Israel And who are we then that we shall dare to contest with him to quarrel his dispensations It is the Apostles argument which he maketh use of to stop the mouths of all those who out of their profane curiosity shall inquire into the reason and question the equity of Gods eternall decrees of Election and Reprobation why he chooseth some to be Vessels of Honour electing them to Grace and Glory whilst he passeth by others appointing them to just condemnation for sin Nay but O man saith he Who art thou that replyest against God or disputest with him about what he hath done or shall do Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power over the Clay Rom 9.20.21 Such is Man in the hands of God Who having an absolute Soveraigntie and Authority over him may dispose of him in respect of his eternall condition according to his own good pleasure without giving any other reason for it but his will He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he bardneth Rom. 9.18 Much more then may he do the like as to his temporall estate However God is or shall be pleased to deal with thee or me is it any otherwise then he may do Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine own Mat. 20.15 May not he dispose of our condition from whom we have our being 2.

hath a share in it But I will not charge your memories any further presuming that what hath been already said may be sufficient Only let me desire you to lay up these particulars and keep them in safe custody that as occasion is you may have them at hand to make use of In the drinking of loathsome and distastefull potions sick persons will have a Rosate or Manus Christi some sweet thing or other to put after them In like manner when ever God shall please to present to any of us any of these bitter Cups to drink presently make we use of some of these or the like Consolations for the sweetning of our mouths and strengthning of our hearts that so we may be kept as from loathing of them so from fainting at them And thus have I dispatched what I propounded by way of Caveat directing you how you may and ought to shun and avoid those three Rocks upon which Christians in their sufferings are in danger of making shipwrack viz. Despizing of Gods Chastisements Murmuring at them Fainting under them What then remaines The positive part of the exhortation but that we submit hereunto suffering the Will of God and that in such a manner as was propounded Patiently Obediently Willingly There is the Positive part of the Exhortation which I shall dispatch with what brevity conveniently may be Thus did our heavenly Patern the Lord Jesus he submitted to the will of his Father in drinking of this bitter Cup and this he did Patiently Obediently Willingly Christians to suffer as Christ suffered And herein follow we his steps so suffering as he suffered 1. Patiently So did he suffer He was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter c Isai 53.7 Patiently The sheep being driven by the Butcher goeth as quietly to the shambles or slaughter house as to the field or fold where it was wont to feed or lodge And thus did this Lamb of God the Lord Jesus here go to his passion quietly and patiently suffering whatever the Officers or Souldiers or High Priests or any other of the people did unto him And thus do we suffer what Afflictions and Tryals here we shall meet with Patiently A thing which in Scripture we are frequently put in mind of Be ye patient Brethren saith Saint James Jam. 5.7 Which in the next verse he repeats and inculcates Beye also patient v. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Longanimi estote Be long patient or suffer with long patience as the Margin explaines the word Be patient in Tribulation saith Paul Rom. 12.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sustinentes induring it So the same word is elswhere rendered Blessed is the man that indureth temptation Jam. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signyfying to abide or stand under some weight or burden as the Portes doth under his load And thus doe we bear those burdens which God our heavenly Father shall please to lay upon us stand and abide under them neither shrinking nor sinking neither shrinking from them nor sinking under them both which are comprehended under that word 1. Not shrinking from their sufferings Not shrinking from them not withdrawing our shoulders This is one thing which the Levites in their Confession make acknowledgment of against the Jews Neh. 9.29 They withdrew the shoulder A metaphor taken from the Ox or Horse which withdraweth the neck or shoulder from the Yoke or Collar Thus did they withdrawe from the Lawe of their God shrinking from their duty not yeilding obedience to him in doing what he commanded What they did in respect of their Active take heed that we do not the like as to our Passive Obedience What Yokes God shall please to put upon us what Burdens he shall lay upon us withdraw not our necks our shouldiers from them do not go about to put them from us by the use of any indirect or unwarrantable means But submit with Patience being contented to bear so much and so long as God shall think fit to lay on Thus see that Patience have her perfect work as Saint James exhortes Jam. 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holding out to the end Not shrinking 2. Not sinking under them And not shrinking from them sink not under them Not giving way to despondencies and faintings but in our patience possess we our souls as our Saviour adviseth his Disciples Luke 21.19 Labouring to take out that Lesson which the Apostle saith he had learned In whatsoever state we are therewith to be contented Phil. 4.11 So exercising our Patience in bearing of whatever afflictions God shall please to lay upon us To excite and provoke whereunto let me first set before you some paternes Paternes of patience Paternes of patience which invite us to the imitation of them Of these we shall find some 1. Among bruit Creatures Among the bruit Creatures As in the Lamb and the Sheepe of which I spake even now which are Emblems of Patience How patiently how quietly do these poor innocent creatures submit not only to the shearers but to the knife parting not only with their fleece but with their bloud when ever their owner cals for it And shall not we do the like to our God Upon this account among other it is that our blessed Saviour cals his Disciples by the name of Sheep rather then of any other Creature The Sheep as it is an innocent and harmless so a patient Creature not harming others but suffering harms from them And herein are Christians to be like unto them 2. Look a little higher to meere Civill men such as have nothing but Nature in them Meere Civill men noe light but that of Reason to guide themselves by yet among them how many are to be found exemplarie in this kind eminent for their Patience and that under great sufferings Such were Seneca and Socrates and divers other among the Heathen whome Histories commend unto us upon this account And such in all places we may meet with some who whatever befals yet possess their souls with patience not being inordinately affected with what ever changes Now what reason teacheth them shall not Religion teach us as I said before 3. From them rise a step higher to Gods Saints Gods Saints Among whom we find some propounded to us for Paternes in this kind Take my Brethren the Prophets saith St James who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an Ensample of suffering affliction and of patience Jam. 5.10 In particular ye have heard of the patience of Job saith the next verse And such Examples we have heard of and daily see many the Martyrs of Christ and other Saints of God who with admirable patience have drunke these bitter Cups which have been given to them Look we on them 4. But above all in the fourth place look we upon the Captain of our salvation Christ himself the Lord Jesus So