art both the glasse for my Patience and a reward for mee Patient if then I seeke for the reward I must imitate the patterne draw me therfore after thee deare Iesus and grant me so to imitate thy patience vpon earth that thou mayst crowne my patience with thee in heauen To this agreeth that of S. Peter 1. Pet. 2 2◠Christ hath suffered for vs leauing vs an example that wee should follow his stepps Wee are not then worthy of the Merit of his sufferings vnlesse we desire to imitate his blessed example who from his Cratch at Bethlem to his Crosse at Ierusalem liuely decyphered the perfection of Patience For here we may see the Sonne of God whose power is boundlesse as his Mercy is endlesse hungring thirsting who feeds vs with Manna giues vs pleasure to drinke as out of a Riuer wearied with want who had no want of wearinesse dying for sinners that sinners might not die bound with bonds that frees vs from fetters Accused by whom we are excused condemned by whom wee are absolued Crowned with Thornes that adornes vs with Roses nayled to the Crosse who redeemed vs from the losse we felt by Adam Counted with Theeues that doth match vs with Angels all which Torturing torments tormenting tortures patiently he indured to teach vs Patience Shall we not then follow his stepps He was innocent but we are nocent he deserued glory by his Obedience we shame by our Disobedience he merited life by his Death wee Death by our wicked liues Thus was he pure but we impure and yet all these things he indured for vs and shall we indure nothing for him Art thou persecuted so was he 1. Sam. 26 20. yea euen as a Partridge vpon the Mountaines Doest thou want So did he for Foxes haue holes and Birds of the Ayre nests Mat. 8.20 But the Sonne of Man had not whereon to lay his head Art thou hated so was he yea euen of those for whose saluation he was Incarnate Art thou falsly accused so was he though he were the truth it selfe Art thou iniustly condemned so was he though he be the Iudge of the world Art thou punished with death so was he yea euen with the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 what canst thou indure which he hath not indured Temptations from Satan Tribulations from the world yet all this which This All could inflict vpon him he indured patiently for thy sake Violls of Gods wrath from Heauen and of Mans enuie from Earth the first in the Garden at Gethsemane and the second on the Crosse at Mount Caluary Oh blessed Iesus what an Agony did est thou endure in the Garden when the burthen of our sinnes made thee fall into a bloody sweate Luk. 22.44 and that in great dropps trickling downe to the ground The torments of the body are sull of misery but those of the soule doe farre exceede these Por. 18.14 for A wounded spirit who can beare The paine of the body is but a body of paine but the sorrow of the Soule is the very soule of sorrow yet this painfull sorrow he was pleased to suffer for vs to teach vs patiently to suffer all sorrowfull paines for him Let then Patience haue her perfect worke that we c. But let vs not stay here but with weeping eyes looke to the bloody stepps he set climbing to Mount Caluarey Consider how barbarously he was apprehended vnciuilly arraigned vniustly condemned and most cruelly murthered Stay stay you bloody murtherers of the Son of God who is that you go about to appreahend is it not he that came to saue you why then doe yee endeauour to destroy him Why doe yee bind him in the bonds of sinners that came to loose you from the bonds of sinne But so it must be for so his owne good pleasure hath decreed that it should be bound then they bring him before the high Priests where by iniurious scorne and scornefull iniurie innocencie is arraigned truth accused and righteousnesse condemned this could not choose but be the darkest night that euer was wherein the light of the world euen the Sunne of Righteousnesse was so Eclipsed Hence in the morning of that mourning day was he posted to be presented before Pilate whose ambitious selfe-loue made him without further enquirie into his cause to condemne himselfe first to the Post to be whipt and then to the Crosse to be crucified Crucified and that amongst Theeues amongst Theeues vpon Mount Caluarey before a stinking dunghill but made glorious by his blessed death And now marke here the admirable Patience of our dying Life who in the midest of their derision mixed with despite doth neither raue nor rage but makes that den of theeues a house of prayer for them that before had made his house of prayer a den of theeues with Pater ignosce Father forgiue them Thus he dyed Tanquam Ouis And opened not his mouth Let then this Lambe of God teach the Lambes of Gods Church humble Patience and patiente Humility shall our great Master reade vnto vs this lecture and shall not we indeauour to take it out Oh Beloued Let vs looke to Iesus and his blessed Patience and it will teach vs patience for blessed Iesus sake when the Captaine giues the Onset what Coward will stay behind The Bees follow their King and the Beasts their leader and shall we be more senselesse then Beasts or more witlesse then Bees No let vs with vndaunted hearts follow the stepps of his patience and though troubles arise neuer so fast yet to withstand their violence by the Bulwarke of Patience suffering her to haue her perfect work that we may be perfect c. Object I but may some say Christ that was naturally the Sonne of Man was also eternally The Sonne of God both Natures being vnited by a diuine Combination in one Hypostaticall vnion by which he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-Man in one Person by which Grace of Vnion he was able to indure more in his humane Nature then our Humane frailty can possibly indure But alas I am a Man whose weakenesse maketh me the Example of Imbecillity the spoyle of time The play of fortune The image of inconstancy The Ballance of Calamitie and therefore it may be no marueile if the Crosses of this life do sometimes driue me to impatience Well then if thy dull Eyes cannot Eagle-like behold the illustrious luster of Christ's diuine Patience Ans. yet looke lower and behold it in his Saints Men subiect to the same weakenesse that we are whose Nature was as subict to slide nay to fall as ours is or can be And since thy Bleare-eye dares not behold his sunne-exceeding brightnesse yet view it guilding the Mountaines or at least gliding vpon the waters Marke the wonderfull effect of his exemplary patience in all his holy Saints and Martyrs whose admirable Patience may serue as a Load-stone to thy iron-exceeding heart in respect of Hardnesse to draw
THE PICTVRE Of Patience OR A DIRECTION to Perfection Most needfull and vsefull in these dangerous daies of sinne and publike feares Iames 1.4 But let patience haue her perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing LONDON Printed by T.H. for Robert Milbourne and are to be sould at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Gray-Hound 1629. TO THE RIGHT honourable and right vertuous Lady The Lady ASTON Wife to the right honourable the Lo. Aston B. of Forfar W.I. wisheth all increase of happinesse externall internall and eternall Good Maddam VOuchsafe to accept this once your owne by priuate Deuotion now made yours by publike Dedication and when your Religious Soule shall make a pause from your more holy Meditations I beseech you vouchsafe to cast an eye vpon this treatise it may be you may finde and feele the spirit of Consolation working in it The Lord of Heauen blesse you vnto my Lord my Lord vnto you and you both with all your hopefull issue to his sauing Grace which is and shall be the hearty Prayer of Your most humbly deuoted seruant William Ieffray The picture of Patience OR A DIRECTION to Perfection Most needfull and vsefull in these dangerous daies of of sin and publike feares A discourse confined to that place of the Apostle Iames 1.4 But let patience haue her perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing NOt so anciently as most truely and diuinely was it said Fortior est qui se quam qui for tissima vincit moenia A Christians valour is better expressed in conquering his affections by patience then in vanquishing of the whole world by violence Many haue powerfully subdued others which poorely and basely haue beene conquered by themselues And this I dare affirme since the Scripture warrants it That hee who well gouerneth his passions Pro. 16.32 is more honorable then a Commander ouer Nations They beare soueraigne power ouer others this ouer himself They are but rulers ouer some part of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but hee is absolute lord and gouernour of the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Isle of Man which yet by an inevitable decree is as subiect to the distemper of Affection as the largest Regiments to the distraction of Opinion How great an Emperour then may he be that guides his affections by the Rule of Reason and subdues his passions by vnconquerable patience who sailes in a Harbour though the Tempest storme at Sea and by a diuine Moderation sailes happily betwixt Scilla and Charybdis stoutly withstanding the frowardest blasts of Calamitie and comfortably appreprehending the sweete gale of Peace not deiected by Aduersitie not erected by Prosperity but like the neuer-fading Laurel greene as well in Winters calamitie as in Summers comfort The Apostle then seeing the excellencie of this vertue and knowing of what soveraigne power and precious vse it would be to cure the miseries of all the dispersed and therefore distressed Iewes commandeth them to plant this hearb in euery one of their Gardens as being the true Hearts ease which though it be planted by Paine watered with Teares cherished with Sighs yet the floure it beareth is Perfection as he here sheweth Let patience haue her perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Which words conteine a third reason of the formerly propounded dutie verse 2. My brethren count it all ioy when you fall into diuerse temptations where hauing charged them to beare afflictions and temptations and that with all ioy knowing what a bitter and tart doctrine it was to the palate of the flesh he doth inforce it by a threefold reason Eccl. 4.12 as a threefold Coâ—d which is not easily broken First because temptation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A triall of our faith Secondly because our faith being tried bringeth forth patience Thirdly if patience may haue her perfect worke then ab effectis she will make vs perfect and entire wanting nothing Here by an excellent gradation he brings vs De profundis to In excelsis from the bottomelesse pit of Miserie to the highest pitch of Glory For temptations doe deepely plunge vs into the depth of calamitie but if by remembrance wee consider and with consideration remember that they are Gods Touchstone for the triall of our faith they will make vs patient and if patience may haue her perfect worke by perseuerance shee will make vs perfect See here Iacobs Ladder reaching from Earth to Heauen Gâ— 28.12 mounted from bane but aymes at blisse listing vs euen from the gates of hell to the Port of Heauen leading vs by the hand from Aegypt to Canaan from mans deepest misery to his highest folicitie So that in the Coherence wee may obserue the former Admonition inforced by a powerfull Reason and that Reason seconded by a worthy Admonition which easily divides this portion of Scripture into 2 parts 1. An Admonition Let Patience haue her perfect worke 2. A Reason inforcing the Admonition That you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing In the Admonition 2. things are considerable 1. the subiect of the Admonition which is Patience 2. the Admonition it selfe Let her haue her perfect worke Thus for a while must I diuorce Patience and Perfection the Author and the worke but in the end I will conioyne them like Hippocrates his Twinnes and leaue them to liue and die together The first obiect that offers it selfe to the eye of our consideration is the subiect of the Admonition Patience Let Patience c. Plato was wont to speake of wisdome that if she could be seene with humane eyes without doubt she would moone mens hearts greedily to affect her So may I say of Patience that if the eyes of our mortall bodies could see the excellencie of this vertue no doubt but our eyes would teach our hearts to affect so excellent a beauty Your eies might then performe that dutie which now my vnskilfull pencill must doe for the sight of that diuine vertue would easily bring forth in you Amazement Amazement would procure Respect Respect would breed a reuerend and observant loue Shee being like the Tree which Moses cut downe and threw into the bitter waters of Marah to make them sweete Or Eliah his cloake Exo. 25.25 2 Kin. 2.14 by which Elisha diuides the waters of Iordaine for Patience it is that turnes the Gall of bitternesse into sugred and sacred Content that divides the troubling waters of affliction to make an easie passage for vs into the Land of our celestiall Canaan But that we may the better discouer the beauty of this vertue I will first expresse her by her definition Secondly delineate her by her Picture Thirdly decypher her by her Character And lastly commend her by her Effects First for her definition which Logicians call Dèfinisi evolutio S. August defines her thus Patience is a religious mans gratefull vndergoing of all troubles labors for the loue of God
thee neerâ—r to thee practise of this Excellent vertue What should I speake of Ioseph Psa 105.18 Whose Feete were hurt in the stocks the Iron entred into his Soule what of Iob whose sorrow-conquering Patience Gods holy spirit hath vouchsafed to Register what of Ieremie What of all the Prophets Heb. 11.37 whereof some were stoned some were sawen asunder were slaine with the sword wandred about in sheepe-skinns and Goates-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented of whom the world was not worthy because they were worthy of a better world What should I speake of the Apostles of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ How reioyced they when they were accounted worthy to be Scourged for his Name This made S. Andrew go securely to the Crosse and account that pain a pleasure for his Masters sake How constantly did S. Bartholomew indure Excoriation and S. Peter and Saint Paul lay downe their liues Nay tell me which of all that holy fellowship did not in some measure tast of the bitter Cup of Martyrdome What should I speak of al the heauenly Army of Martyrs in the primitiue Church whereof some as Ignatius besought their friend not to be their hinderance in that happy race How did that holy Saint long to haue his body and bones ground with the teeth of Beasts that it might be made fine Manchet for his Masters Table Others conquered their Tormentors with Patience and blunted their swords with suffering and in the middst of Tyranny were more then conquerours Rom. 8. For when Dacianus saw the admirable Patience of Vincentius he cryed out Victi sumus So happily did his vndaunted Patience conquer the Tyrants implacable malice Did not S. Lawrence vpon the Gredyron by patient suffering conquer the malicious enuie of that raging Tyrant Not to speake more of the neuer too much to be commended patience of Romanus which because it is admirably layd downe by Prudentius I doe therefore thither referre thee In a word to conclude without further ripping vp of that Tragicall story of that sacred Troope who longing for the water of life desired to passe to it through the straight gate of bitter death who by their blood sealed the profession of Iesus Let one mans Testimonie speake for the whole in generall euen Tertullian in his Apologie who thus discourseth concerning the neuer-sufficiently admired patience of the Christians in his time Euery Malefactor saith he is subiect either to shame or sorrow Murmuring at those torments which they iustly haue deserned Christianis vero quid simile c. What is there in Christians like to these Malefactours They are not ashamed nor euer doe repent them of their profession If a Christian his name be taken he boasteth if accused he defends not himselfe if demanded vpon Interrogatories of his owne accord he confesseth if condemned hee giueth thankes Thus their accusation is the ground of their ioy and their punishment the foundation of their eternall Felicity Thus patiently did those Martyrs demeane themselues with Cygneane songs like Cyprian singing the Dirge to their owne Deaths making Diem fatalem diem natalem their Death's day more ioyous then their Birth day for they knew that vltima dies is prima quies their last day is theri best-day yea their blest day which prefixeth a Period to Miserie and sets open the gate to Immortalitie I but you will say they suffered for Christ so do not we I but say I they suffered in Christ and so doe we Our reward shall be no lesse then theirs if our Patience be as much as theirs Let then our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our sufferings our instructions let our Nocumenta be our Documenta let our Harmes be our Armes to make vs ready euen to dye with Paul for Iesus Christ his sake Heb. 10.36 And let Patience haue her perfect worke knowing that we haue neede of Patience Luk. 18.15 For as by warmeth of Cloathes our Bodies so by patience our Soules are preserued from the frostes of afflictions Through patience wee bring forth frutie Luk. 21.28 the want wherof makes vs like the fruitlesse Figtree liable to the curse of Christ yea In patience we possesse our soules as if wee were not proper owners of our Soules vnlesse Season and Possession thereof be deliuered vnto vs by Patience Thus with Patience through Patience and in Patience we attaine vnto Perfection and Insyrenesse For all vertues though of neuer so great lustre in themselues are but barren widdowes if not married vnto Patience Let vs then striue to imitate the happy Example of our blessed Sauiour or if wee thinke that too difficult for our weake power which is but a powerlesse weakenesse yet let vs follow the stepps of his Saints it may be we haue deserued more then they yet haue not indured halfe so much as they Perseuere then to indure whatsoeuer it shal please the Lord to inflict that by patience you may obtaine the Laurell of Immortality which Vincenti dabitur shall be giuen onely vnto those of S. Vincents order namely to those that continew to the end and let these Motiues be digested in thee by meditation That Patience may haue her perfect worke c. I come now vnto the third last but not the least Reason vsed by the Apostle to inforce vs to let Patience haue her perfect worke which in induced from the want of Want Wee shall want nothing nothing here nothing hereafter nothing in this life nothing in the life to come and this is the Argument of Arguments for who will not be content to go to Heauen euen by the Gates of Hell and thus by Gods gracious assistance we perceiue how man passeth through the floods of affliction as Israel through Iordaine and happily at last ariueth in Canaan the Land of promise I meane at perfection intirenes and the want of Want here promised as the Guerdon of perfect patience And now wee see that though Misery goes before yet mercy followes for no sooner hath the bitter Tempest of Calamitie spent her vtmost breath but immediatlie all is quiet and we sayle in the harbour of Perfection Thus as Salomon hewed his stones in the Rocke 2. King 6.7 that there might bee no noyse in the Temple Euen so our prince of Salem Christ Iesus polisheth his liuely stones here that they may grow without the noyse of weeping into a Heauenly Temple hereafter Thus blessedly after the clamorous Noyse of Thunder Rev. 14.2 is heard the Harmonious voyce of Harpinge For when troubles cease ioy begins according to that of the Psalmist Sorrow may indure for a night but ioy cometh in the Morninge Psa 30.5 Great were the troubles which S. Paul indured but his Crowne of Righteousnesse made amends for all No better meanes to make vs patiently to drinke the bitter waters of Marah and thinke them sweete then by meditation to remember and by remembrance to meditate on the Milke