murmur shall certainly pass from sorrow to pleasure, and the ease and honours of felicity; but they that with spite and indignation bite the burning coal, or shake the yoke upon their necks, gall their spirits, and fret the skin, and hurt nothing but themselves.

10. Remember that this sickness is but for a short time: If it be sharp, it will not last long; if it be long, it will be easy and very tolerable. And although S. Eadsine, Archbishop of Canterbury, had twelve years of sickness, yet all that while he ruled his Church prudently, gave example of many virtues, and after his death was enrolled in the calendar of Saints who had finished their course prosperously. Nothing is more unreasonable than to entangle our spirits in wildness and amazement, like a partridge fluttering in a net, which she breaks not, though she breaks her wings.

SECT. V.

REMEDIES AGAINST IMPATIENCE, BY WAY OF EXERCISE.

1. THE fittest instrument of esteeming sickness easily tolerable is, to remember that which indeed makes it so; and that is, that God doth minister proper aids and supports to every of His servants whom He visits with His rod. He knows our needs, He pities our sorrows, He relieves our miseries, He supports our weakness, He bids us ask for help, and He promises to give us all that, and He usually gives us more and indeed it is observable, that no story tells of any godly man, who, living in the fear of God, fell into a violent and unpardoned Impatience in his

natural sickness, if he used those means which God and His holy Church have appointed. We see almost all men bear their last sickness with sorrows indeed, but without violent passions; and unless they fear death violently, they suffer the sickness with some indifferency and it is a rare thing to see a man, who enjoys his reason in his sickness, to express the proper signs of a direct and solemn Impatience. For when God lays a sickness upon us, He seizes commonly on a man's spirits, which are the instruments of action and business; and when they are secured from being tumultuous, the sufferance is much the easier and therefore sickness secures all that which can do the man mischief; it makes him tame and passive, apt for suffering, and confines him to an unactive condition. To which if we add, that God then commonly produces fear, and all those passions which naturally tend to humility and poverty of spirit, we shall soon perceive by what instruments God verifies His promise to us (which is the great security for our Patience, and the easiness of our condition) that God will lay no more upon us than He will make us able to bear, but together with the affliction He will find a way to escape. Nay, if any thing can be more than this, we have two or three promises in which we may safely lodge ourselves, and roll from off our thorns, and find ease and rest: God hath promised to be with us in our trouble, and to be with us in our prayers, and to be with us in our hope and confidence.

2. Prevent the violence and trouble of thy spirit by an act of thanksgiving; for which in the worst of sick

b 1 Cor. x. 13.

xxxi, 19-25; xxxiv. 22.

Ps. ix. 9; Matt. vii. 7; Jam. v. 13; Ps.

nesses thou canst not want cause, especially if thou rememberest that this pain is not an eternal pain. Bless God for that: but take heed also lest you so order your affairs, that you pass from hence to an eternal sorrow. If that be hard, this will be intolerable. But as for the present evil, a few days will end it.

3. Remember that thou art a man, and a Christian : as the Covenant of Nature hath made it necessary, so the Covenant of Grace hath made it to be chosen by thee, to be a suffering person: either you must renounce your Religion, or submit to the impositions of God, and thy portion of sufferings. So that here we see our advantages, and let us use them accordingly. The barbarous and warlike nations of old could fight well and willingly, but could not bear sickness manfully. The Greeks were cowardly in their fights, as most wise men are; but because they were learned and well taught, they bore their sickness with Patience and severity. The Cimbrians and Celtiberians rejoice in battle like giants, but in their diseases they weep like women. These according to their institution and designs had unequal courages, and accidental fortitude. But since our Religion hath made a covenant of Sufferings, and the great business of our lives is Sufferings, and most of the virtues of a Christian are passive graces, and all the promises of the Gospel are passed upon us through Christ's Cross, we have a necessity upon us to have an equal courage in all the variety of our sufferings; for without a universal fortitude we can do nothing of our duty.

4. Resolve to do as much as you can: for certain it is, we can suffer very much, if we list; and many men

have afflicted themselves unreasonably by not being skilful to consider how much their strength and state could permit; and our flesh is nice and imperious, crafty to persuade Reason that she hath more necessities than indeed belong to her, and that she demands nothing superfluous. Suffer as much in obedience to God as you can suffer for necessity or passion, fear or desire. And if you can for one thing, you can for another; and there is nothing wanting but the mind. Never say, I can do no more, I cannot endure this: for God would not have sent it, if He had not known thee strong enough to abide it; only He that knows thee well already, would also take this occasion to make thee know thyself: but it will be fit that you pray to God to give you a discerning spirit, that you may rightly distinguish just necessity from the flattery and fondnesses of flesh and blood.

5. Propound to your eyes and heart the example of the Holy Jesus upon the Cross; He endured more for thee, than thou canst either for thyself or Him: and remember, that if we be put to suffer, and do suffer in a good cause, or in a good manner, so that in any sense our sufferings be conformable to His sufferings, or can be capable of being united to His, we shall reign together with Him. The high-way of the Cross, which the King of sufferings hath trodden before us, is the way to ease, to a kingdom, and to felicity.

6. The very suffering is a title to an excellent inheritance for God chastens every son whom He receives, and if we be not chastised, we are bastards, and not sons. And be confident, that although God often

d Heb. xii. 6-8.

sends pardon without correction, yet He never sends correction without pardon, unless it be thy fault: and therefore take every or any affliction as an earnestpenny of thy pardon; and upon condition there may be peace with God, let any thing be welcome that He can send as its instrument or condition. Suffer therefore God to choose His own circumstances of adopting thee, and be content to be under discipline, when the reward of that is to become the son of God: and by such inflictions He hews and breaks thy body, first dressing it to funeral, and then preparing it for immortality. And if this be the effect or the design of God's love to thee, let it be occasion of thy love to Him: and remember, that the truth of love is hardly known but by somewhat that puts us to pain.

7. Use this as a punishment for thy sins; and so God intends it most commonly; that is certain: if therefore thou submittest to it, thou approvest of the Divine judgment: and no man can have cause to complain of any thing but himself, if either he believes God to be just, or himself to be a sinner; if he either thinks he hath deserved Hell, or that this little may be a means to prevent the greater, and bring him to Heaven.

8. It may be that this may be the last instance and the last opportunity that ever God will give thee to exercise any virtue, to do Him any service, or thyself any advantage: be careful that thou losest not this; for to eternal ages this never shall return again.

9. Or if thou peradventure shalt be restored to health, be careful that in the day of thy thanksgiving thou mayest not be ashamed of thyself, for having behaved thyself poorly and weakly upon thy bed. It

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