therefore that are Christians arme our selues with that resolution in the Poet Superanda omnis fortuna ferendo est and here to the end that patience hauing her perfect worke may thereby worke our perfection and entirenesse it is necessary for the Christian souldier to know two things First that since tribulation is Christs legacy that therfore all crosses losses and calamities which can betide a Christian man in this vale of misery are not casuall as vaine Atheists suppose but are directed and inflicted by the al-seeing al-guiding providence of God Amos 3.6 for What euill is there done in the City that I do not saith the Lord doth the Lord speake by his Prophet of the euil of sault no for God cannot sin how then of the euil of punishment yes verily for God cannot choose but punish sin 1 Pet. ◠◠therfore S. Peter concludeth Wee are troubled according to the Will of God which may be secret vnknown but neuer can bee vnrighteous or vniust Is it then Gods will that we should be troubled and shall our will be refractary and not rather subiect vnto his shall our heauenly Father lay his lering rod vpon us for our correction and not for our confusion and shall wee shrinke from such a fatherly correction Know we the reason why he now whips vs with Nettles may it not be that hee may hereafter crowne vs with Roses Let vs then patiently endure his castigation that we may tend to the entirenesse of perfection The second thing that we must know is that our Saviours blessed legacy I meane those crosses or losses that doe ouertake vs or are inflicted vpon Gods children in this life are not demonstratiue arguments of his wrath but rather infallible Testimonies and perspicuous tokens of his loue For Whom he loueth Heb. 12.6 them he chastiseth and scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth For like as some carefull father that intends for some leud courses to cast off and finally to disinherit his sonne giues him leaue to walke in the wayes of his owne heart and in the lust of his owne eyes Eccl. 11.9 not regarding though he make his soule the very source of sin and the denne of Deuills and all because hee hath lost his paternall loue but if the same father hath a sonne whom he tenderly loues and intends to make the heire both of his vertues and fortunes if hee see him but slip awry or forsake that euen path of vertue which his example had trod out before him then his tongue is ready to check him and his rod to correct him why because he hates him no but because he loues him Euen so our heauenly father suffers the sonnes of Belial to feede like fat Bulls of Basan because hee intends them for the slaughter and to florish like a greene Bay tree because hee hath ordained them to be fuell for the fierce fire of his wrath but those whom hee hath predestinated by an euer louing and euer-lasting decree to be made heires of his neuer fading Kingdome coëternall in the Heauens these if hee sees as what doth not God see but slip aside out of the way of righteousnesse out of that way that his Heasts commanded them to walke in strait his rod is vpon their shoulders immediately hee corrects them but not in anger fury and iudgement but in loue mercy and compassion 1 Cor. 11.32 Thus when we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world for such is Gods louing care and carefull loue ouer his Saints that he laies his correction rod vpon them for diuerse ends best knowne vnto himselfe yet alwayes tending to the good of his seruants Sometimes he corrects them to weane them from the loue of this world Iudg. 16.15 which as that enticing Dalilah endeauoured to bereaue Sampson of his strength so this alluring world sets all baites to bereaue Gods Saints of their strength in Grace Now because there is such an Antipathy betwixt God and the world Iam. 4.4 that the Amity of the world is Enmity with God therefore the Lord scourgeth his Saints to make them leaue the world and cleaue vnto him for as the Nurse layes bitter things to the Teate of her breast to weane her child from the loue of her milke so the Lord layes bitter afflictions vpon his Saints to weane them from the loue of this life Therefore saith holy Augustine doth God mixe the gall of bitternesse with the sweetnesse of terrene felicitie that hee might make vs seeke for another happinesse whose sweetnesse shall neuer faile God hedgeth vp this way with thornes to make it vnpleasant to the flesh least wee should forget the happines of our countrey why did God afflict his people Israel in the desart of Sin but with longing desire to make them seeke for Canaan and the ioyes of Zion and why doth God afflict vs here but to make vs desire to be dissolved that wee may rest in peace For the vanities of this world doth so intoxicate the soule with flesh-pleasing obiects as it makes it forget that soule-delighting subiect the crowne of blisse Euen as the sweetenesse of Aetnaes flowers bereaues the best-smelling dog of his Sent so this soule-deceiuing sweetnesse bereaues vs of the sense of blisse Is this then the end of Gods chastisments onely to polish vs for himselfe and shall we murmur against him that deales so gratiously with vs No let vs but patiently endure what it pleaseth him mercifully to inflict that Patience hauing her perfect worke we may be perfect c. Somtime God correcteth and scourgeth man for sinne and to bring him from sinne for such and so great is Gods care ouer his Saints that if he see any wickednesse in them straitway He punisheth their offences with a rod and their sinne with scourges which was promised as a great blessing vnto David The ancient Heathens seeing the servants of God in the Primitiue Church sore chastized vnder perfidious Tyrants began to thinke that the God whom they serued was not the true God because speedily he did not deliver them from the hands of persecuting Tyrants Thus the naturall man cannot discerne the things that are of God because hee lookes vpon them through the glasse of his owne conceit measuring the miseries of this life only by the Mete wand of blinde and corrupted nature but what answeres Lactantius a Christian to their vnchristian surmize Let no man maruaile saith he if wee for our sinnes be often chastized of the Lord yea when we are pressed and oppressed then especially yeeld we thanks to our most indulgent Father because he will not suffer our sore to grow to a full head but launceth it with stripes and wounds that by this wonderfull plaister he may heale the disease From whence saith hee contrary to your conceit we easily vnderstand that God hath a speciall care of vs because hee is angry with vs when we sinne
a Feuer or to escape in the Onset and be slaine after the conquest or securely to passe a raging Tempest at Sea and then sinke in the harbour for in vaine whilst we liue we doe good if whilest wee liue we cease to doe good Our liues must end before we end our obedience and the cause of our suffering determine before our suffering for we must not be like the Tiger which if he obtaines not his prey at the first or second leape will leape no more but as Noah his Doue Gen. 8.11 which was not sent out once onely but againe before she brought the Oliue leafe in her mouth So we must not only endure one brunt but if the waters of affliction be still vp we must patiently continue our suffering till our suffering bringes vs the Oliue branch the perfect Hieroglyphick of our assured quietnesse and eternall rest For it is the end that approoues the act and perseuerance crownes the head of Patience In the old Law wee were commanded to offen the Taile on the rumpe of the beast Levit. 3.9 in sacrifice what is the meaning of this Precept may I not speake as Saint Paul speaketh to another end Doth God take care of Oxen 2 Cor. 9.2 So say I regardeth God the Rumpe or rather saith he it not altogether for our sakes Surely there is a kernell vnder this shell there is Gold vnder this Oare what it is let Saint Gregory expound Wee are commanded saith he by Moses to offer the tayle of the beast to this end namely that euery good worke which we take in hand we should by perseuerance bring to his perfect end It is not then for that God stands in neede of the beast much lesse of the rumpe that God commandeth it to be offered but this is the reason why the Lord requires the Tayle in the Sacrifice to teach vs that he crownes not the beginnings but the ends of our best Actions For as Mellifluous Bernard reacheth the Ianuenses it is onely perseuerance that giues the wealth of glory to the sonnes of men and sets the crowne vpon the head of vertue without which neither the souldier can obtaine the victory nor the Conquerour his crowne she being the nurse to Merit and a Mediatrix to reward her sister Patience and daughter Constancy the friend of Peace and knot of friendship the bend of vnanimitie and Sanctuary of sanctitie Had Saul perseuered in his obedience hee had not lost his Kingdome with his life If Sampson had perseuered in his cautelousnesse and Salomon in his deuotion the one had not beene depriued of his wisdome the other of his strength So that without the assistance of this vertue it is impossible for vs we see euer to attaine to the crowne of glory for we runne in a Race 2 Cor. 9.24 and therefore must not giue ouer till we come to the end but as a Runner regardeth not how much he hath run but how much he hath to runne so must we forget what troubles we haue suffered and make our selues ready to runne the rest of our course We fight Gods battell and must not faile in the enterprise for Vincenti dabitur Reue. 2.17 to him that ouer cometh is proposed the Reward saluation is the end of our Aymes and our Ayme at our ends Marke 13.13 Let vs then continue to the end that we may be saued How patiently doth the Merchant endure stormes and calmes heat and cold tempests at Sea trauells and troubles by Land and all for gaine and shall not we for the gaine of Heauen goe euen by the gates of Hell The IsraeÌ„lites that murmured at their triall in the wildernesse had a Deniall of the land of Canaan Num. 14.18 onely Caleb and Ioshua which expected bitternesse in the wildernesse of Syn but sweetnesse at Mount Zion happily arriued in the Land of promise Let vs then with Caleb and Ioshua patiently endure the bitternesse of the way that we may come to the Citie which is not onely Hierusalem the vision of peace or peace in a vision but peace in fruition together with eternall securitie attended by neuer-sading felicitie following this our Apostles rule Let Patience haue her perfect worke c. The second thing obserued was the Apostles Motiue to induce to this dutie that you may be perfect entire wanting nothing See here a threefold Cord which is not easily broken vsed by the Apostle to draw vs to let Patience haue her perfect worke Ecc. 4.12 First that we may be perfect secondly entire thirdly wanting nothing The first is perfection Ro. 8.22 which is the All-satisfying obiect of mans boundlesse desire yea the Creatures euen groane for their perfection all things being carried away with a wonderfull longing to be made perfect and shall not a Christian whom Paradise inviteth and the celestiall troope of Angells instantly desire to haue him vnited vnto them shall not he I say patiently endure those troubles that tend to his perfection Now when I speake of perfection I meane not such a perfection as is absolute for that attends vs in the life to come and is not attained vnto in this but I speake of perfection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a manner of perfection though farre short of that which is absolute and this perfection consists first in relation to others whereby a man is preferred before others in his Ranke So Noab was a iust man and perfect in his generation Gen. 6.9 where Noah is not termed perfect for that he had attayned to the degree of absolute perfection but onely by way of relation to those of his Time hee was found more perfect then the rest of his generation and therefore he obtained mercy that in thâ— deluge he might be sâ—ued and his houshold So in the new Testament Luk. 1.6 Zachary and Elizabeth are said to be righteous before God and to walke in the Commandements and Ordinances of God blamelesse Now what kind of righteousnesse and innocencie they were indued with Saint Angustine treating vpon these words doth manifest They were iust saith hee in regard of their commendable and allowable conversation which no mar instly could complaine of They were righteous then and perfect but not in an absolute but relatiue perfection so that I may conclude this point with that of Ambrose There are many perfect in this world speaking of a relatiue perfection who if you looke for true perfection meaning absolute they cannot be perfect Secondly this perfection consisteth in Acceptation when it pleaseth the Lord to accept our imperfection for perfection Now this acceptation is accomplished by a two fold meanes first by the acknowledgement of our imperfection for as in knowledge it is not the least part for a man to know that hee knowes nothing so in perfection it is not the least degree to know our selues to be imperfect For as that Hammer of Heretiques well obserueth The vertue which now remaineth in a
righteous man is so far forth called and accounted perfect when as to the perfection thereof there doth pertaine both in veritie an acknowledgement and in humilitie a confession of our owne imperfection Hence wee discerne a perfection grounded vpon the humble confession of our imperfection this being indeed the greatest part of the wisdome of Man to know himselfe to be imperfect for as I may so say the perfection of all men liuing in the flesh is but an imperfect perfection that is such a perfection as is slayned with many imperfections For we know the Church and consequently euery actuall member thereof though shee be comely as the Curtaines of Salomon yet is she black as the Tents of Kedar hauing her beauty like the Moone slayned with some blemishes of imperfection So that I conclude with Augustine that without all doubt he is a good proficient in this life that by his profiting knowes how farre short he is of true and absolute perfection The second meanes whereby in Gods sight wee may be accepted as perfect is by endeauoring to attaine to absolute perfection for as he that aymes at the Sunne albeit he is sure hee shall not reach his mark must yet vpon necessity shoote higher then he that levelleth at a bush euen so he that sets before him the patterne of absolute perfection as the ayme of his endeauour shall be sure to attaine to an higher degree thereof then hee that either aymes not at all or else but leuells at imperfection And of this perfection Ambrose speaketh led by the occasion of those words of the Apostle Phil. 3.15 Let euery one that is perfect bee thus minded In comparison saith he of such as be negligent in diuine matters they are to be called perfect who with all carefull diligence doe walke in the wayes to perfection and euen this endeauour is in the eyes of God accepted for perfection for so gratiously-mercifull is the Lord to the soules of his Saints that if hee see them endeuour to attaine but euen the lowest degree of perfection he accounts them as perfect accepting the will for the worke the desire for the designe the affection for the action Thus as a man doth begin to be good when he beginnes to desire to be good so a Christian beginnes then to bee perfect when he beginnes to endeauour to be perfect if then wee can endure all miseries for the obtaining of Gods glory to suffer all imperfections of the body that we may attaine to the perfection of our soules wee stand pefect in this kinde of perfection for it is not enduring but the will to endure calamity that maketh vs perfect as S. Cyprian obserueth for Abraham and that earth-despising troope of Patriarchs were not alwayes tossed in the tempest of miserie who yet arriued at the Hauen of perfection And those were not Martyrs onely which died for Christ but those also that had a Will to die for Christ Abraham did not offer vp his sonne Isaac to death for a sacrifice and yet God saith that he for his sake did non spare his sonne hence Saint Chrysostome giueth vs this observation consider saith he not the euent but the Will for as touching Abrahams Will hee had already bathed his sword in the bloud of his sonne hence saith the Lord unto him Doe it not for thy Will contents me and for it I crowne thee for my Rewards are awarded according to the Will and I vse to crowne euen holy affections Thus God accepteth the desire as if the designe had beene accomplished So shall it be with vs if we sacrifice not our Isaac I meane our life for Christ or if our soules be not exposed to the miserie of affliction yet if we can be contented patiently to endure what may bee inflicted albeit it be not euen this desire shall make vs perfect in the eyes of God For as in matters of almes he hath giuen which hath a desire to giue so in matters of tribulation he hath suffered that hath a will to suffer if then thou hast a desire to offer thy soule for the confirmation of thy faith and canst be content to haue it made for Christs sake like Ezechiels booke Ezek. 2.10 which was filled with lamentations mournings and woe without and within and art determined in thy selfe that no storme of calamitie shall breake the Anchor of thy patience or driue thy soule into the tempestious sea of passion from the harbour of thy setled resolution then assure thy selfe that thou art perfect for If Patience haue her perfect worke shee will make thee perfect and entire lacking nothing The second maine reason why our Apostle exhorteth vs to suffer Patience to haue her perfect worke is because it will not onely make us perfect but also entire The originall word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which one English word can hardly expresse for it intimateth that we should be Integri universales Ad omnia quare as the prouerbe runnes or Homines quadrati men at all points such as dare looke danger in the face and will not be dismayed with its fiercest assault They know the worst of trouble and affliction shall neuer be able to daunt their vndaunted resolution for by patient suffering they are so inured to tribulation as they are ready to entertayne it not as a hated enemy but as a well beloued and long expected guest dost thou then ô Christian soule doest thou desire his entirenesse There are two things necessary to assist thee in the attayning of it The first is Knowledge and the second is Imitation both are expedient that so our knowledge may mooue vs to imitation and our imitation may confirme our knowledge for without knowledge how can wee imitate and without imitation what are wee the better for our knowledge Knowledge without imitation is wrechlesnede and imitation without knowledge is but meere apishnesse Our vnderstanding must then be first informed that we may know and then our Will will be more easily conformed that we may imitate and both these ioyned together will make vs Let Patience haue her perfect worke c. If we then desire to be thus entire by suffering Patience to haue her perfect worke our vnderstanding must apprehend a twofold obiect First that afflictions are Christs legacie secondly they are Gods high-way to felicitie First we must know that they are Christs legacy bequeathed vnto his Apostles and in them to vs by his last Will and Testament Ioh. 16.33 They are a christian mans recognizance whereby as Ioseph by his particoloured coate they may be knowne for he that is exempted from the rod of God is not the child of God Mans life is a warfare vpon earth now who intends to be a souldier and not meete with danger Nay euery christian man is enrolled in Gods Muster-booke in his baptisme and therefore must fight the Lords battaile and will he that must warre and fight not expect to feele smart and wounds Let vs
See here a Christian like a laborious Bee sucking hony from the sharpest thistle and marke the difference betwixt a carnall and a spirituall eye the one sees a waue of sorrow comming and distrusts with Peter the other viewes it and reioyceth with Stephen in the middest of calamity Is this the end of Gods striking that hee may wound vs here and heale vs hereafter that sinne may now bee punished in vs and that hereafter wee be not punished for sinne Who will not then patiently kisse the rod of so louingly-gratious a father who changeth eternall damnation into a temporall punishment For doe wee not know Ro. 6.23 that The reward of sinne is death doc wee not know that daily nay hourely wee haue deserued this reward May wee not see Hells mouth wide opened as ready to deuour vs if mercy did not relieue vs Why then should not Gods stripes be vnto vs stripes of comfort hauing deserued ten thousand times more Let this consideration mooue vs to Patience and let patience haue her perfect worke c. Againe such is the nature of man that of all lessons it is the hardest for him to learne to know himselfe and the easiest to forget that knowledge Act. 6. For as the Eunuch stood in need of a helper to make him know what hee read so wee stand in need of a helper to make vs know what wee are As Christ then made lumps of clay to cure the eyes of the blinde Ioh. 9.6 so hee must cure our blinde eyes before we can know our selues to be but lumps of clay and this the Lord performeth by tribulation An instance we haue in Manasseh 2 Cro. 33.12.13 who whilest he happily sayled in the Bay of humane blisse forgat his God and defiled the holy citie with blood but when the wind of affliction began to change this calme of comfort into a tempest of trouble when the libertie of a King was turned into the bondage of a captiue and his stately palace turned into a lothsome prison then in his affliction he besought the Lord and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers then Manasses knew the Lord was God Thus when the staffe of sustentation could not the rod of correction brought this wandring sheepe to Gods heauen-gayning fold The like we read of Antiochus 2. Mac. 9. ver 4.19 Thus when mans pride begins to swell God lanceth the tumour with the razor of affliction to make him learne to know himselfe And as this is the most difficult lesson to learne so it is the easiest lost for man can easily bee content to remember to forget himselfe for as Saint Ia. speakes to another end as hee that lookes his face in a glasse forgets immediatly what manner of man he was Iam. 1. so when in the glasse of verity wee haue learned to discover our vanity we are such naturall Dunces as immediatly wee forget to remember what vaine things wee are yea euen aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus fearefull securitie like a fawning flattering Dalilah luls too often asleepe euen the best of Gods Saints vpon the couch of prosperity Vigilancie the euer-waking Sentinell of the soule of man growes oftentimes drowsie with too much ease The Apostles eyes were heauy with sleepe when Christs soule was heauy vnto the death and certainly their death is imminent where there is such eminent drowsinesse But our gracious father preuents this mischiefe in his adopted sons by sending a blustering tempest to awake the sleeping Ionah which Dauid found by experience Ps 119. for before hee was troubled he went wrong but tribulation sets him in the right way againe So when prosperity hath locked vp the eare of the heart then aduersity is the best key to open it for the schoole of tribulation is the schoole of illumination so that as the Angell struck Peter to rowse him from the sleepy feare of aduersitie so God strikes vs by tribulation to raise vs from the fearefull sleepe of securitie Is this then the end of Gods corrections to correct vs for so good an end and shall not wee endure his correction Know we not what became of the secure rich-man and shall wee still loue securitie Nay rather let vs reioyce when this Cock rayseth vs with Peter from the dreadfull sleepe of security that we may patiently watch for our hopes happy consummation and let Patience haue her perfect worke c. And lastly since wee fight the Lords battailes wherein the further we proceed wee proceed the further into danger and imminent danger is wont to make euen Gods eminent souldiers somtimes prooue recreant therefore the Lord tryes them sometime by crosses and troubles to embolden them the better in his seruice thereafter 1 Sam. 17.48 when Dauid had encountred with the Lion and the Beare and returned Victor hee grew resolute to cope with Goliah so when wee haue ouercome by Gods ouer-gracious assistance some one or two troubles wee shall grow couragious to cope with all like a couragious Souldier who comming from the field though wounded doth yet from his wounds suck settled Resolution so we though wounded by troubles yet not vanquished gaine hence more courage against the next assault and like expert Mariners sayling in the tempestious Ocean of this world learne from a gust of calamity how to withstand the greatest tempest of Misery as excellently and most diuinely Virgil speakes Aeneas the patterne of noble Cheiftaines My deare companions whose remembrance knowes Our hard escape from Sea from want from blowes Those we escap'd which most could vs offend And shall not God to these too grant an end Nor disagreeing also to this purpose is the consolatory counsell of Ovid to Livia Therefore the Thunder lightly did thee smite To make thee valiant in a sharper fight So doth Gods wrath-denouncing Thunder sometimes lightly touch his Saints not to harme them but to arme them for a further triall farre bee then so great a pollution from the seruant of Christ that Patience prepared for infinite should be dashed with finite troubles Nay rather let each victory be the Basis of a succeeding conquest and euery deliuerance an entrance to a further triall Ier. 12.5 for if wee be out-runne by footemen how shall wee match horses Paul was a man subiect to the same infirmities we are and yet he proffers a rare challenge hauing once felt the supportation of Gods soule-sauing grace Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword as if these or what else the Deuill or his instruments could raise vp against him were of no force against the armour of proofe of his vndanted Resolution Danger could no more appall him then a hammer the point of a Diamond Let vs then imitate his suffering and goe on from triall to triall from danger to danger Till Patience haue her perfect worke and then wee shall